Matthew B. Pomrenze

BLA kappa opioid receptor inputs to the BNST mediate social stress-induced increases in alcohol drinking.

Aversive social experiences can increase alcohol consumption and precipitate relapse during abstinence. Individuals who drink to alleviate social stress are at a heightened risk for developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD). In rodents, repeated social defeat stress (SDS) enhances motivation to consume alcohol, yet the...