Sex differences in low-dose ethanol effects on motivated behavior and limbic corticostriatal activity in mice.

Key Points

• The research aims to explore how low-dose ethanol affects motivated behavior and brain activity in male and female mice.
• Investigated behavioral responses to reward value changes in female mice under low-dose ethanol exposure.
• Analyzed cFos induction in the prelimbic cortex and its projections to nucleus accumbens in both genders.
• Used mouse models to assess differences between sexes in response to ethanol.
• Low-dose ethanol altered behavioral strategy in female mice based on reward value changes.
• cFos induction was impacted in the prelimbic cortex of both genders after ethanol exposure.