significant ventral striatal DA release in young adult social drinkers (Urban et al., 2010). In this group, men had greater DA release than women in the ventral striatum in response to alcohol (men: ΔBPND = −12 ± 8%; women: ΔBPND = −6 ± 8%, where ΔBPND is the change in [11C]raclopride binding potential) (Urban et al., 2010). Further, in men, but not in women, there was a significant positive correlation of ventrostriatal DA release with positive subjective effects of alcohol (e.g., stimulation, elation, vigor) within the 30 minutes following alcohol ingestion, suggesting that, in men, greater DA release may contribute to the initial reinforcing properties of alcohol (Urban et al., 2010). Though, others using [11C]raclopride PET report no SG differences in striatal DA release in response to oral alcohol among adults with AUD or FHP and FHN without AUD (Kegeles et al., 2018). Regarding AUD risk factors, young adult social drinkers who were FHP for AUD and imaged with [11C]raclopride had higher baseline ventral striatal DA D2/D3 receptor availability (BPND=2.35 [0.06]) compared to family history negative (FHN) controls (BPND=2.17 [0.02]); an effect driven by social drinking men, not women, in this sample (Alvanzo et al., 2017). Findings suggest alterations in
