A5021612648- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Neonatal and fetal brain pathology
- EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Neuroscience, Education and Cognitive Function
- Birth, Development, and Health
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Magnesium in Health and Disease
- Bone and Joint Diseases
- Diabetes and associated disorders
- Public Health in Brazil
- Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Epilepsy research and treatment
- Diabetes, Cardiovascular Risks, and Lipoproteins
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Parathyroid Disorders and Treatments
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
University of Minho
2020-2025
University of Coimbra
2020-2023
Clinical Academic Center of Braga
2023
Universidade do Porto
2011
Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública
2009
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a key brain region for motivated behaviors, yet how distinct neuronal populations encode appetitive or aversive stimuli remains undetermined. Using microendoscopic calcium imaging in mice, we tracked NAc shell D1- D2-medium spiny neurons' (MSNs) activity during exposure to of opposing valence and associative learning. Despite drift individual coding, both D2-population was sufficient discriminate unconditioned stimuli, but not predictive cues. Notably, D2-MSNs...
The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a key region in motivated behaviors. NAc medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are divided into those expressing dopamine receptor D1 or D2. Classically, D1- and D2-MSNs have been described as having opposing roles reinforcement, but recent evidence suggests more complex role for D2-MSNs. Here, we show that optogenetic modulation of D2-MSN to ventral pallidum (VP) projections during different stages behavior has contrasting effects motivation. Activation D2-MSN-VP...
Abstract To survive, individuals must learn to associate cues in the environment with emotionally relevant outcomes. This association is partially mediated by nucleus accumbens (NAc), a key brain region of reward circuit that mainly composed GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs), express either dopamine receptor D1 or D2. Recent studies showed both populations can drive and aversion, however, activity these during appetitive aversive Pavlovian conditioning remains be determined. Here, we...
<h3>Background:</h3> The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) is a crucial brain region for emotionally relevant behaviours. NAcc mainly composed of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) expressing either dopamine receptor D1 (D1-MSNs) or D2 (D2-MSNs). D1-MSNs project to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and pallidum (VP), whereas D2-MSNs only VP. D1- have been associated with depression-like behaviours, but their contribution anxiety remains be determined. <h3>Methods:</h3> We used optogenetic tools selectively...
Abstract The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a key brain region for motivated behaviors, yet how distinct neuronal populations encode appetitive or aversive stimuli remains undetermined. Using microendoscopic calcium imaging, we tracked NAc shell D1- D2-medium spiny neurons’ (MSNs) activity during exposure to of opposing valence and associative learning. Despite drift in individual coding, both D2-population was sufficient discriminate unconditioned stimuli, but not predictive cues. Notably,...
Diabetes during pregnancy has been shown to affect the central nervous system (CNS) of offspring, resulting in short- and long-term adverse effects. Children diabetic mothers are more likely develop cognitive impairment, also having increased susceptibility psychiatric disorders. Microglia, immune cells CNS, work as sensors environmental changes, namely metabolic challenges, early intrauterine period. During this period, microglia is actively involved processes neurogenesis, synaptic pruning...
Abstract Daily, individuals select actions based on cost-benefit to allocate resources into goal-directed actions. Different brain regions coordinate this complex decision, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and ventral tegmental area (VTA). In utero exposure synthetic glucocorticoids (iuGC), such as dexamethasone, triggers prominent motivation deficits but impact of in ACC-NAc and/or ACC-VTA circuits is unknown. Here, we show that iuGC causes decreased...
Abstract The laterodorsal tegmentum (LDT) is a brainstem nucleus classically involved in REM sleep and attention, that has recently been associated with reward‐related behaviors, as it controls the activity of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons, modulating dopamine release accumbens. To further understand role LDT–VTA inputs reinforcement, we optogenetically manipulated these during different behavioral paradigms male rats. We found two‐choice instrumental task, optical...
Abstract The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a crucial brain region for emotionally-relevant behaviors. NAc mainly composed of medium spiny neurons (MSN) expressing either dopamine receptor D1 (D1-MSNs) or D2 (D2-MSNs). D1-MSNs project to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and pallidum (VP), while D2-MSNs only VP. In this work, we selectively manipulated D1-MSN projections VP VTA, D2-MSN during classical anxiety behavioral paradigms in naïve mice. We found that optogenetic activation VTA did not...
Abstract The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a key region in motivated behaviors. NAc medium spiny neurons (MSNs) are divided into those expressing dopamine receptor D1 or D2. Classically, D1- and D2-MSNs have been described as having opposing roles reinforcement but recent evidence suggests more complex role for D2-MSNs. Here we show that optogenetic modulation of D2-MSN to ventral pallidum (VP) projections during different stages behavior has contrasting effects motivation. Activation D2-MSN-VP...
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a cause of secondary osteoporosis. The loss bone mass after SCI happens throughout the skeleton with greater affection inferior extremities. This quicker in first 4 months following SCI. It continues, however to lesser degree, over years. A 56-year-old male patient suffered an automobile accident 1986 concomitant fracture-luxation C5-C6 vertebrae from which resulted – classified as Tetraplegia B the! American Cord Injury Association!(ASIA) Scale, C4 neurological...