The etiology of schizophrenia (SCZ) remains elusive, though dopaminergic and genetic influences have been established as contributing factors to the disease’s pathophysiology. Current treatments for …
Adverse experiences in childhood, ranging from neglect to resource scarcity to abuse, alter developmental trajectories and increase risk for reward-related psychopathologies. In humans, exposure to …
Afferent inputs to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) control reward-related behaviors through regulation of dopamine neuron activity. Although the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has long been …
A wealth of research shows how the dopaminergic frontostriatal system incrementally learns from<br/> rewards and punishments. Midbrain dopamine cells show phasic firing rate changes in …
Midbrain dopamine neurons are functionally heterogeneous as demonstrated by the wide variety of behaviors they support and brain circuits they participate in, including reward signaling, …
Psychostimulant drugs including amphetamines have been employed for a wide range of applications across diverse populations. These include prescription medications for conditions such as ADHD …
Work in the last ten years has demonstrated the existence of a third class of light-sensing neurons in the mammalian retina, intrinsically-photosensitive retinal ganglion cells …
The brain's neurotransmitter system is of vital importance to the proper functioning of the brain. In particular, neurotransmitter dopamine has drawn considerable research interest in …
Maintaining a healthy body weight is increasingly difficult in our obesogenic environment since adopted preference and intake of energy dense foods constrain dieting efforts. While …
Why should an animal move? Given that actions have time, energy, and opportunity costs, all behavior should benefit an animal, maximizing its current or future …
Abstract of Mechanisms of Monoaminergic Control of Orbitofrontal Cortex Function and Disruption by Cocaine Experience, by Andrew McCabe Wright, Ph.D., Brown University, May 2022. As …
Opiate abuse is a major health concern and economic burden on society with overdose deaths rising dramatically in the past decade. Synaptic plasticity within the …
Abstract of “Ventral Tegmental Area Regulation of Dynamic Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability” by Sinda Fekir, Ph.D., Brown University, May 2024 The ability to optimize behavior depends …
Prefrontal cortical dysfunction is well-established in schizophrenia and is thought to contribute to working memory (WM) impairment, which occurs early in development before the onset …
