Long-lasting mechanical hypersensitivity and CRF receptor type-1 neuron activation in the BNST following adolescent ethanol exposure.

Background: Adolescent alcohol use can produce long-lasting alterations in brain function, potentially leading to adverse health outcomes in adulthood. Emerging evidence suggests that chronic alcohol use can increase pain sensitivity or exacerbate existing pain conditions, but the potential neural mechanisms underlying these effects require further investigation. Here, we evaluate the impact of chronic ethanol vapor on mechanical sensitivity over the course of acute and protracted withdrawal in adolescent and adult male and female mice, and its potential association with alterations in corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling within the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST).