BDNF and Anxiety: While acute ethanol exposure caused an upregulation of BDNF–Arc signaling pathway and subsequently increased dendritic spine densities in the central and medial AMG nuclei, withdrawal from prolonged ethanol exposure or binge ethanol consumption potently inhibited BDNF and Arc expression and reduced dendritic arborization in these nuclei and other regions, leading to increased anxiety-like and drinking behaviors (66, 129, 130).