Role of the nucleus accumbens core in ethanol reward and binge-like drinking: focus on sex as a biological variable

Abstract

The goal of this dissertation was to understand if sex-specific responses to NAcC chemogenetic manipulations indicate differences in reward, or NAcC input and brain region engagement during binge-like ethanol drinking. This work focuses on models of early-stage ethanol use to identify potential differences that may underly the telescoping effect. This dissertation presents novel sex differences in how the brain responds to ethanol intoxication