Ethanol actions on many components of the extended amygdala circuitry are now well documented (McCool 2011, Kash 2012, Wills, Klug et al. 2012, Gilpin, Herman et al. 2015). This system has clear roles in the anxiolytic effects of acute alcohol, and the anxiogenic effects of abstinence/withdrawal following chronic exposure (Koob 2004). Indeed, there is strong evidence that the buildup of allostatic changes in extended amygdala and the contribution of this circuitry to negative consequences of withdrawal contributes to relapse to drinking (Koob 2014). A recent study showed that varenicline, a partial agonist for nicotinic receptor widely used to treat nicotine addiction and being tested for the treatment of alcohol dependence, disrupt amygdala response to fearful faces in heavy drinkers (Gowin, Vatsalya et al. 2016).
