Alcohol Use Disorder should be viewed as a complicated
neurobiological disease going beyond the level of a voluntary
choice. In this regard, this manuscript considers the process of
developing AUD with respect to the involvement of NAc and its
interaction with PFC. It is important to note that the neuroimaging
techniques, such as PET scanning used for measuring the
availability of Dopamine D2 receptors are combined with the
Epigenome-Wide Association Study results concerning DNA
methylation. The findings provide an insight into the mechanisms
through which alcohol intake affects the circuits responsible for
survival and rewards in humans. Thus, in the initial period,
alcohol activates the dopamine system and provides the rewarding
experience. However, with time, it causes neuroadaptations
resulting in an individual’s dependence on alcohol intake since it
becomes necessary for the person to get rid of withdrawal effects
and negative emotional state. In addition, a specific attention is
paid to the adolescence age due to its importance as the period
when the circuits involved in rewards develop faster than those in
the frontal brain. Besides, alcohol consumption during this period
can enhance neuroadaptive changes because of epigenetics’ role
and certain neural networks activation.