Abstract
The central nucleus of the amygdala plays a significant role in alcohol use and other affective disorders; however, the genetically-defined neuronal subtypes and their projections that govern these behaviors are not well known. Here we show that ablation of neurotensin-expressing neurons in the central nucleus of the amygdala of mice decreases their ethanol consumption and preference for ethanol. Furthermore, optogenetically stimulating projections from these neurons to the parabrachial nucleus is reinforcing, and increases ethanol consumption while reducing food consumption. These data suggest that this central amygdala to parabrachial nucleus projection influences the expression of reward-related phenotypes and is a novel circuit promoting alcohol consumption and regulating state-dependent food consumption.
