Emotional signals, expressed in voices, faces, and body language, are important aspects of social interactions. Deficiencies in expressing and interpreting these signals can interfere with interpersonal relations, which in turn can lead to increased alcohol consumption as a dysfunctional coping mechanism. Affective and social functions are complex and rely on neural substrates of emotion, intrinsic motivation, decision-making, and sensitivity to reinforcement. Multiple brain networks are involved, most notably mesocorticolimbic and frontoparietal circuitries (Insel and Fernald, 2004; Frith and Frith, 2007; Schulte et al., 2010; Goldstein and Volkow, 2011). These circuitries are involved in many bio-behavioral functions impaired in alcoholics, and breakdown within the networks can initiate drug use or relapse after protracted abstinence (Oscar-Berman and Bowirrat, 2005).
