Bidirectional regulation of response strategy by cortico-accumbens projections

Alcohol use disorders are characterized by loss of the ability to control drug seeking and taking. This loss of cognitive control over actions can be modeled by investigating the transition from goal-directed actions to habitual behavior. Our findings suggest that chronic alcohol exposure promotes the development of inflexible habits, suggesting that chronic alcohol use itself may drive addictive behavior. Subregions of the prefrontal cortex have opposing roles in response strategy selection, such that prelimbic PFC is critically involved in the acquisition of goal-directed actions, while infralimbic PFC is necessary for the expression of habitual behavior.
Source: Alcohol - Category: Addiction Authors: Source Type: research