Ethanol modulation of cortico-basolateral amygdala circuits: Neurophysiology and behavior

This review highlights literature relating the anatomy, physiology, and behavioral contributions by projections between rodent prefrontal cortical areas and the basolateral amygdala. These projections are robustly modulated by both environmental experience and exposure to drugs of abuse including ethanol. Recent literature relating optogenetic and chemogenetic dissection of these circuits within behavior both compliments and occasionally challenges roles defined by more traditional pharmacological or lesion-based approaches. In particular, cortico-amygdala circuits help control both aversive and reward-seeking. Exposure to pathology-producing environments or abused drugs dysregulates the relative 'balance' of these outcomes. Modern circuit-based approaches have also shown that overlapping populations of neurons within a given brain region frequently govern both aversion and reward-seeking. In addition, these circuits often dramatically influence 'local' cortical or basolateral amygdala excitatory or inhibitory circuits. Our understanding of these neurobiological processes, particularly in relation to ethanol research, has just begun and represents a significant opportunity. This article is part of the special Issue on 'Neurocircuitry Modulating Drug and Alcohol Abuse'.