A5022433731- Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Infant Health and Development
- Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Alzheimer's disease research and treatments
- Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Sex work and related issues
- Crime, Deviance, and Social Control
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
University of Mississippi Medical Center
2025
G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center
2025
Florida State University
1992-2024
Energy deprivation triggers food seeking to ensure homeostatic consumption, but the neural coding of motivational vigor in during physical hunger remains unknown. Here, we report that ablation dopamine (DA) neurons zona incerta (ZI) not ventral tegmental area potently impaired after fasting. ZI DA and their projections paraventricular thalamus (PVT) were quickly activated for approach inhibited consumption. Chemogenetic manipulation bidirectionally regulated feeding motivation control meal...
Oxytocin receptors (OTR) have been found in the paraventricular thalamus (PVT) for regulation of feeding and maternal behaviors. However, functional projections OTR-expressing PVT neurons remain largely unknown. Here, we used chemogenetic optogenetic tools to test role their food intake both male female OTR-Cre mice. We activation promoted seeking under trials with a progressive ratio schedule reinforcement. Using Feeding Experimentation Devices real-time meal measurements, increased...
Rostral zona incerta (ZIR) evokes feeding by sending GABA transmission to paraventricular thalamus (PVT). Although central serotonin (5-HT) signaling is known play critical roles in the regulation of food intake and eating disorders, it remains unknown whether raphe 5-HT neurons functionally innervate ZIR-PVT neural pathway for control. Here, we sought reveal how regulates both ZIR PVT We used retrograde tracers map projections Sert-Cre mice slice electrophysiology examine mechanism which...
Paraventricular thalamus (PVT) plays important roles in the regulation of emotion and motivation through connecting many brain structures including midbrain limbic system. Although acetylcholine (ACh) neurons were reported to send projections PVT, little is known about how cholinergic signaling regulates PVT neurons. Here, we used both RNAscope slice patch-clamp recordings characterize receptor expression ACh modulation mice. We found excited a majority anterior (aPVT) but predominantly...
Energy deprivation triggers food seeking to ensure homeostatic consumption, but the neural coding of motivational vigor in during physical hunger remains unknown. Here, we report that ablation dopamine (DA) neurons zona incerta (ZI) not ventral tegmental area potently impaired after fasting. ZI DA were quickly activated for approach inhibited consumption. Chemogenetic manipulation bidirectionally regulated feeding motivation control meal frequency size intake. In addition, activation and...