The central amygdala (CeA) plays a central role in physiologic and behavioral responses to
fearful stimuli, stressful stimuli, and drug-related stimuli. The CeA receives dense inputs from
cortical regions, is the major output region of the amygdala, is primarily GABAergic
(inhibitory), and expresses high levels of prostress and antistress peptides. The CeA is also
a constituent region of a conceptual macrostructure called the extended amygdala that is
recruited during the transition to alcohol dependence. We discuss neurotransmission in the …