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deGuglielmo and Venniro

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In deGuglielmo et al. (2019) the authors show how neuronal ensembles in the central amygdala predominantly express CRF and project to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Using optogenetic dissection, they demonstrate how inactivation of this pathway reduces the dependence-related escalation of alcohol drinking and abuse. The data presented in this paper are extremely robust and point to remarkable clinical implications in binge drinking disorders. I’m also curious if a similar pathway or neural circuit is activated in drug use and dependency, and furthermore if drug-alcohol interactions cause either a change or elevation in the recruitment of a CeA neuronal ensemble. I would also like to see a study conducted using female rats, and a subsequent comparison between males and females since sexual dimorphisms have been observed in alcohol consumption and modulation. Lastly, I think a cool follow-up study could include stress as a factor, to see whether that plays a role in the intensity of somatic signs of withdrawal.

Venniro et al. (2018) takes a novel approach in using operant procedures to analyze reward competition under the assumption that unpunished and timely social interaction is preferred over drug use (meth in particular). The study also reports that social interaction has the potential to prevent incubation of drug-craving behaviors. I think the behavioral methodology that the authors employed is relevant and has definitive translational benefits. It’s been a challenge in neuroscience to study drug and alcohol dependency in rodent models since researchers often use non-drug rewards such as palatable food, a reinforcement which doesn’t really apply to humans since social rewards have a larger impact on behavior. Hence, I believe the novel paradigm used in this study promotes a greater incorporation of social reward, which can have significant translational potential for human interventions of similar nature. I also appreciated the use of both male and female rats. It would be exciting to see future developments of this model in terms of exposure to stressors such as social defeat, as well as incorporating variables such as age and maternal care.

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