in animals have found that repeated drinking and withdrawal-abstinence cycles causes a progressive adaptive change to increase anxiety and negative affect, apparently through amygdale activation(Breese et al., 2005). Recruitment of brain stress amygdale activation has been suggested to cause the negative motivational state that drives addicitoin (Koob, 2009). This is supported by human neuroimaging data showing amygdala hyperactivation in response to stimuli that induce craving (Breiter et al., 1997; Childress et al., 1999; Kilts et al., 2001). Thus, a weakness in executive function tips the decisional balance from dlPFC-OFC-ACC controlled responses, particularly if AMG to drive creates urgency that promotes impulsive, automatic responding to dominate behavior (Fig. 1).
