exposure/withdrawal experience), the relative rewarding effects of ethanol may be enhanced, potentially contributing to elevated ethanol consumption. Under these circumstances, administration of a KOR antagonist may restore normal (basal) hedonic balance, thereby moderating ethanol reward and motivation to drink (Figure 1). More comprehensive analyses on behavioral and mechanistic levels are certainly needed to provide greater insight into how the DYN/KOR system is engaged and adapts to influence motivation to drink as well as emotional behaviors that trigger relapse. This information will be critical in spurring development of new agents that target DYN/KOR activity and hold promise as therapeutics for alcohol use disorders as well as comorbidity with affective disorders.
