cellular observations. Whereas a comprehensive review of the role of the PFC in addiction is beyond the scope of this chapter, our aim is to provide a review of the literature regarding the effects of acute and chronic alcohol exposure on PFC structure and function. Consistent with the accumulating evidence implicating the PFC in addiction to opiates, cocaine, and other psychostimulants, it is our contention that current models of the neurocircuitry of alcohol addiction should prominently include ethanol-induced alterations in PFC structure and function. We further suggest that long-lasting alterations in the executive function of the PFC and its associated networks may play an equal or even greater role in alcohol addiction and relapse to drinking than changes within the mesolimbic DA system.
