Non-treatment seeking individuals reporting alcohol problems (n = 295) were recruited through community flyers and online advertisements. The protocol was approved by the University of California, Los Angeles Institutional Review Board. Upon providing written informed consent, participants were screened for alcohol dependence and prospectively genotyped resulting in a sample of 43 individuals who completed the alcohol administration study (Ray et al., 2013). Of the 43 eligible alcohol dependent individuals prospectively matched on OPRM1 genotype, 20 were selected for the neuroimaging study described herein. These individuals were selected to ensure equal numbers of male and female participants with and without the minor allele (G) of the OPRM1 gene (AA, n=10; AG, n=10). Of those, 3 were excluded due to excessive motion, resulting in a sample of 17 completers (AA, n=9; AG, n=8). Ethnicity was matched across groups to account for population stratification at the OPRM1 locus. Inclusion criteria for the study were: (1) ages between 21 and 55, (2) met DSM-IV criteria for current alcohol dependence, (3) no serious medical illness, use of psychotropic medications, history of psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder,
