The results of this study reveal a pattern of significant differences, mostly increases, in resting state PAC in those with severe AUD compared to unaffected controls. Assessing these results at the minimum requires addressing (1) how to interpret relative changes or differences in coupling strength or weakness to provide a frame of reference to define what constitutes pathological manifestations of PAC, and (2) the functional relevance of PAC results in the context of AUD symptomatology. We address the former by reviewing how differences in the strength or weakness of PAC translate into behavioral and physiological outcomes, and the latter by evaluating primary features of addiction like drug-seeking and drug-cue sensitivity though the neurobiological framework of top-down and bottom-up processing.
