ethanol ‘hangover’ (i.e., acute withdrawal) in non-dependent rats (Schank et al., 2012a). Interestingly, the KOR agonist U50,488 produced anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus-maze in both dependent and non-dependent rats, but ethanol dependent rats appeared more sensitive to the motor-impairing effects of the drug (Gillett, Harshberger, & Valdez, 2013). While these relatively few studies provide some evidence that DYN/KOR activation contributes to withdrawal-related dysphoria, there is a dearth of information regarding mechanisms and circuitry underlying these effects.
