Prelimbic cortex, but not its nucleus reuniens projections, regulates punished alcohol self-administration.

ABSTRACT: Alcohol use that persists despite negative consequences is observed in only a minority of those who drink alcohol and is a defining feature of alcohol use disorder (AUD). The neurobiological mechanisms underlying drinking despite negative outcomes are poorly understood. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is critical for decision-making and inhibitory control over behavior. Here, we employed a foot shock-punished alcohol self-administration procedure to examine the role of medial prefrontal subregions in drinking despite negative consequences in male Wistar rats. Introduction of response-contingent foot shock produced robust individual variability in suppression of responding, and rats were classified into shock-sensitive (SS) and shock-resistant (SR) subgroups. Using c-Fos immunohistochem

SUBMITTER: Bluitt MN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12857297 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature