The present study investigated the effect of nondependent limited access alcohol drinking and excessive drinking during dependence on adult cortical and hippocampal cell genesis in an established animal model of alcohol dependence. In this model, rats trained to self-administer alcohol and made dependent using chronic alcohol (e.g., several weeks of intermittent exposure to alcohol vapors) exhibit blunted neuroendocrine and enhanced limbic stress sensitivity, and excessive drinking during acute withdrawal (Funk et al., 2006; Funk et al., 2007; O'Dell et al., 2004; Richardson et al., 2008; Walker and Koob, 2007) and prolonged abstinence from alcohol vapors (Gilpin et al., 2008b; Rimondini et al., 2002; Sommer et al., 2008; Zhao et al., 2007) compared with self-administering rats housed under control conditions (nondependent rats). For related models see (Overstreet et al., 2002; Rimondini et al., 2002; Roberts et al., 1996; Valdez et al., 2002)).
