Rodent models of alcohol dependence have been instrumental in furthering our understanding of both the cognitive and neurobiological impact of withdrawal from alcohol dependence, as well as providing critical insight into the potential mechanisms of the pathological state associated with and resulting from alcohol withdrawal in dependent animals. While studies targeting examination of one explicit region or feature are impossible in human populations, particularly with regards to the effects of drugs of abuse, animal models have been instrumental tools in allowing for the fine manipulation of explicit cortical regions and functions.
