Neuroadaptations in cingulate cortex glucocorticoid signaling in alcohol dependence

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic, relapsing psychiatric disorder that is characterized by the development of motivational symptoms (e.g., escalation of alcohol intake) and the parallel emergence of negative emotional states (e.g., dysphoria, anxiety, pain). Consequently, the transition from recreational, limited alcohol consumption to uncontrolled, escalated intake is proposed to involve a transition from positive to negative reinforcement mechanisms. Our rodent model of alcohol dependence, which utilizes chronic intermittent ethanol vapor (CIEV) exposure, produces a constellation of motivational symptoms of dependence, including escalated alcohol drinking during withdrawal.
Source: Alcohol - Category: Addiction Authors: Source Type: research