A5034771875- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Metabolism and Genetic Disorders
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Diet and metabolism studies
- Birth, Development, and Health
- Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
- Early Childhood Education and Development
- Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Resilience and Mental Health
- Tryptophan and brain disorders
- GABA and Rice Research
Sapienza University of Rome
2016-2025
Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico
2013-2024
Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele
2023-2024
IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele
2023-2024
Fondazione Santa Lucia
2014-2023
European Brain Research Institute
2007-2019
University of L'Aquila
2006-2012
University of Perugia
2005
Emory University
2005
Neurobehavioral Systems
2005
Parents' stressful experiences can influence an offspring's vulnerability to many pathological conditions, including psychopathologies, and their effects may even endure for several generations. Nevertheless, the cause of this phenomenon has not been determined, only recently have scientists turned epigenetics answer question. There is extensive literature on epigenetics, but no consensus exists with regard how what (and must) be considered study define processes inheritance. In work, we...
Increasing evidence points to a major involvement of cortical areas in addictive mechanisms. Noradrenergic transmission the medial prefrontal cortex (mpFC) has been shown affect motor effects amphetamine, although there is no its rewarding this psychostimulant. The present experiments were aimed at investigating possibility selective norepinephrine (NE) rewarding-reinforcing amphetamine. To do so, we evaluated mpFC NE depletion mice C57BL/6J inbred strain, background commonly used molecular...
Recent evidence suggests that rewarding and aversive stimuli affect the same brain areas, including medial prefrontal cortex nucleus accumbens. Although accumbens is known to respond salient stimuli, regardless of their hedonic valence, with selective increased dopamine release, little about role in reward- aversion-related motivation or neurotransmitters involved. Here we find norepinephrine depletion mice abolished increase release by induced food, cocaine, lithium chloride impaired place...
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction/communication, stereotypic behaviors, restricted interests, and abnormal sensory-processing. Several studies have reported significantly elevated urinary foecal levels of
Abstract The mechanisms of communication between the brain and immune cells are still largely unclear. Here, we characterize populations resident natural killer (NK) innate lymphoid (ILC) 1 in meningeal dura layer adult mice. We describe that ILC1/NK cell-derived interferon-γ acetylcholine can contribute to modulation homeostatic functions, shaping synaptic neuronal transmission neurotransmitter levels with effects on mice behavior. In detail, plays a role formation non-spatial memory,...
Although the medial prefrontal cortex (mpFC) appears to constrain stress responses, indirect evidences suggest that it might determine response of mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) system. To test this hypothesis, we first evaluated dynamics norepinephrine (NE) and DA release in mpFC nucleus accumbens (NAc) acutely stressed rats. Then, tested effects selective depletion NE or (by local 6-hydroxydopamine infusion following desipramine...
Increasing evidence suggests that in addition to the mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) system other neurotransmitter and brain systems are also involved opiate addiction. Recent points a major involvement of norepinephrine (NE) behavioral central effects opiates and, more specifically, indicates NE prefrontal cortex may have critical role rewarding opiates. Moreover, body data regions within medial (mpFC) acting as final common pathway drug relapse behavior. The present experiments were aimed at...
Background In man, many different events implying childhood separation from caregivers/unstable parental environment are associated with heightened risk for panic disorder in adulthood. Twin data show that the occurrence of such contributes to explaining covariation between anxiety disorder, panic, and related psychobiological trait CO2 hypersensitivity. We hypothesized early interference infant-mother interaction could moderate interspecific response through genetic control sensitivity...
Stress-related psychiatric disorders, including anxiety, are complex diseases that have genetic, and environmental causes. Stressful experiences increase the release of prefrontal amygdala neurotransmitters, a response is relevant to cognitive, emotional, behavioral coping. Moreover, exposure stress elicits anxiety-like behavior dendritic remodeling in amygdala. Members miR-34 family been suggested regulate synaptic plasticity neurotransmission processes, which mediate stress-related...
Fragile X syndrome is an X-linked form of mental retardation including, among others, symptoms such as stereotypic behaviour, hyperactivity, hyperarousal, and cognitive deficits. We hypothesized that hyperactivity and/or compromised attentional, functions may lead to impaired performance in tasks Fmr1 knockout mice, the most widely used animal model fragile syndrome, suggested psychostimulant treatment improve by acting on one or both components. Since have been depend striatal prefrontal...
Intense motivational salience attribution is considered to have a major role in the development of different psychopathologies. Numerous brain areas are involved "normal" processes; however, it not clear whether common or neural mechanisms also underlie intense attribution. To elucidate this area and system had be envisaged that were only highly salient stimuli. Using intracerebral microdialysis, we found natural stimuli induced an increase norepinephrine release medial prefrontal cortex...
Evidence shows that maternal care and postnatal traumatic events can exert powerful effects on brain circuitry development but little is known about the impact of early experiences processing rewarding aversive stimuli related to medial prefrontal cortex (mpFC) function in adult life. In this study, unstable environment induced by repeated cross-fostering (RCF) impaired palatable food conditioned place preference disrupted natural for sweetened fluids saccharin test. By contrast, RCF...
Abstract Background The accumulation of α‐synuclein (α‐syn) fibrils in intraneuronal inclusions called Lewy bodies and neurites is a pathological signature Parkinson's disease (PD). Although several aspects linked to α‐syn–dependent pathology (concerning its spreading, aggregation, activation inflammatory neurodegenerative processes) have been under intense investigation, less attention has devoted the real impact α‐syn overexpression on structural functional properties substantia nigra pars...
Highlights•Platelets are key link in body-brain communication homeostasis•Platelets tune parvalbumin neuron activity and long-term potentiation the hippocampus•Natural killer cells release IL-13 gut with effects on serotonin uptake by platelets•Platelets NK fear memory miceSummarySeveral lines of evidence have shown that platelet-derived factors molecules brain-body pathological conditions. Here, we identify platelets as actors modulation behaviors mice through control inhibitory...
Clinical data suggest that brain catecholamines and serotonin are deficient in phenylketonuria (PKU), an inherited metabolic disorder causes severe mental retardation neurological disturbances. To test this hypothesis, tissue levels of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) their metabolites were evaluated the genetic mouse model PKU (Pahenu2). Results indicated a significant reduction 5-HT metabolism prefrontal cortex (pFC), cingulate (Cg), nucleus accumbens (NAc),...
Motivational salience regulates the strength of goal seeking, amount risk taken, and energy invested from mild to extreme. Highly motivational experiences promote highly persistent memories. Although this phenomenon is adaptive in normal conditions, with extremely high levels can development memories that be re-experienced intrusively for long time resulting maladaptive outcomes. Neural mechanisms mediating attribution are, therefore, very important individual species survival well-being....
Abstract Background Eating disorders are multifactorial psychiatric disorders. Chronic stressful experiences and caloric restriction the most powerful triggers of eating in human animals. Although compulsive behavior is considered to characterize pathological excessive food intake, our knowledge, no evidence has been reported continued seeking/intake despite its possible harmful consequences, an index behavior. Brain monoamine transmission have a key role vulnerability disorders,...
Although phenylketonuria (PKU) is the most common genetic cause of mental retardation, cellular mechanisms underlying impaired brain function are still unclear. Using PAHenu2 mice (ENU2), mouse model PKU, we previously demonstrated that high phenylalanine levels interfere with tryptophan hydroxylase activity by reducing availability serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT), crucial for maturation neuronal connectivity in prefrontal cortex (PFC), around third postnatal week, a critical period...