BDNF and alcohol dependence: In another study by Moonat and colleagues (61) examining the role of HDAC2 in the development of alcohol dependence, investigators found lower baseline BDNF protein levels in the AMG (and also the bed nucleus of stria terminalis) of alcohol-preferring rats, a well-established model used to study the genetic predisposition to alcoholism (131), relative to the low-drinking NP rats.