title: The incentive salience of alcohol: translating the effects of genetic variant in CNR1.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The gene that codes for cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1) represents an important target for investigations designed to elucidate individual differences in the etiology of alcohol dependence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To achieve a better understanding of the role of the CNR1 gene in the etiology and treatment of alcohol dependence.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present investigation spans multiple levels of analysis, including receptor binding in postmortem brain tissue, neuroimaging, human laboratory models, and analyses of treatment outcome data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings indicate that the C allele of rs2023239 is associated with greater CB1 binding in the prefrontal cortex, greater alcohol cue-elicited brain activation in the midbrain and prefrontal cortex, greater subjective reward when consuming alcohol, and more positive outcomes after treatment with a medication that targets the mesocorticolimbic neurocircuitry. In addition, there were strong correlations between cue-elicited brain activation and alcohol consumption measures in individuals with the C allele.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals with the C allele may be more susceptible to changes in the mesocorticolimbic neurocircuitry that is involved in the attribution of incentive salience after repeated exposure to alcohol.
authors.affiliation: The MIND, 1101 Yale Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. kenth@unm.edu
authors.forename: Kent E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Hutchison
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Haughey
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niculescu
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schacht
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stitzel
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Filbey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000235:genetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D023281:Genomics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1