The PAG plays a role in processing fear and anxiety, which are characteristic of alcohol withdrawal (Bebehani et al., 1995). We examined the effect of repeated binge drinking of ethanol during adolescence on gene expression profiles in the periaqueductal gray (PAG). Adolescent P rats consumed quantities of ethanol that are known to result in BACs of 100 mg% (McBride et al., 2014). Of the detectably expressed genes, 14% were differentially expressed 3 hours after the last drinking episode. These results demonstrate that repeated binge drinking has a significant effect on the function of the PAG.
