A5024170319- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Neurological Disorders and Treatments
- Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Cancer-related gene regulation
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- S100 Proteins and Annexins
- Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Neurological disorders and treatments
- Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications
The University of Texas at San Antonio
2014-2025
Neurosciences Institute
2016-2022
University of Washington
2009-2017
Institute of Behavioral Sciences
2013
University of California, San Francisco
2008-2009
Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center
2008-2009
University of Wisconsin–Madison
2001
Stress induces the release of peptide corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) into ventral tegmental area (VTA), and also increases dopamine levels in brain regions receiving dense VTA input. Therefore, stress may activate mesolimbic system part through actions CRF VTA. Here, we explored mechanism by which affects neuron firing. Using patch-clamp recordings from slices first determined that presence I(h) is an excellent predictor content mice. We next showed dose-dependently increased firing,...
Rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) that are thought to serve as situation-dependent affective signals and accomplish important communicative functions. In appetitive situations, rats produce 50 kHz USVs, whereas 22 USVs occur in aversive situations. Reception of induces social approach behavior, while lead freezing behavior. These opposite behavioral responses paralleled by distinct brain activation patterns, with but not activating neurons the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). The NAcc...
Abstract The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a heterogeneous midbrain structure, containing neurons and astrocytes, that coordinates behaviors by integrating activity from numerous afferents. Within neuron-astrocyte networks, astrocytes control signals distinct afferents in circuit-specific manner, but whether this capacity scales up to drive motivated behavior has been undetermined. Using genetic optical dissection strategies we report VTA tune glutamatergic signaling selectively on local...
A novel surface modification procedure for the creation of sulfhydryl-terminated alkanethiol monolayers that can be used attachment biomolecules onto gold surfaces is described. self-assembled monolayer amine-terminated 11-mercaptoundecylamine (MUAM) reacted with heterobifunctional cross-linker N-succinimidyl S-acetylthiopropionate (SATP) in order to create a protected monolayer. This then deprotected an alkaline solution active sulfhydryl surface. Compounds have been modified contain...
Efficient reward seeking is essential for survival and invariably requires overcoming costs, such as physical effort delay, which are constantly changing in natural settings. Dopamine transmission has been implicated decisions weighing the benefits costs of obtaining a reward, but it still unclear how dynamically delay affect dopamine signaling to rewards related stimuli. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry, we examined phasic release nucleus accumbens (NAcc) core shell during reward-seeking...
Initiating a reward-seeking behavior involves deciding on an action, how fast to initiate the action (initiation vigor), as well much effort exert. These processes are thought involve mesolimbic dopamine system. Dopamine levels in ventral striatum rise before initiating reliably reinforced behavior. However, it is unknown whether similarly involved with unreinforced actions (inactive lever presses, premature food port entries, insufficient number of active presses). Furthermore, does...
Signaling through N-methyl-D-aspartate-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs) is essential for the development of behavioral sensitization to psychostimulants such as amphetamine (AMPH). However, cell type and brain region in which NMDAR signaling required AMPH remain unresolved. Here we use selective inactivation Grin1, gene encoding NR1 subunit NMDARs, dopamine neurons or their medium spiny neuron (MSN) targets, address this issue. We show that not AMPH. Conversely, removing NMDARs from MSNs...
Learning to avoid aversive outcomes is an adaptive strategy limit one's future exposure stressful events. However, there considerable variance in active avoidance learning across a population. The mesolimbic dopamine system contributes behaviors elicited by stimuli, although it unclear if the heterogeneity explained differences transmission. Furthermore, not known how signals evolve throughout learning. To address these questions, we performed voltammetry recordings of release ventral medial...
Phasic dopamine (DA) transmission encodes the value of reward-predictive stimuli and influences both learning decision-making. Altered DA signaling is associated with psychiatric conditions characterized by risky choices such as pathological gambling. These observations highlight importance understanding how neuron activity modulated. While excitatory drive onto neurons critical for generating phasic responses, emerging evidence suggests that inhibitory also modulates these responses. To...
Learning associations between cues and rewards require the mesolimbic dopamine system. The response to signals differences in reward value well trained animals. However, these value-related responses are absent during early training sessions when signal rate. These findings suggest cue-evoked release conveys outcomes only after extensive training, though it is unclear whether this unique rate, or also evident other parameters such as size. To address this, we used a Pavlovian conditioning...
Pavlovian conditioning tasks have been used to identify the neural systems involved with learning cue-outcome relationships. In delay conditioning, conditioned stimulus (CS) overlaps or co-terminates delivery of unconditioned (US). Prior studies demonstrate that dopamine in nucleus accumbens (NAc) regulates behavioral responding during conditioning. Furthermore, response CS reflects relative value upcoming reward these tasks. contrast trace involves a 'trace' period separating end and US...
Stress produces transient physiological responses that lead to long-lasting changes in cue-driven behavior. In particular, a single exposure stress facilitates reward learning male rats. Since can produce distinct behavioral phenotypes between males and females, it is critical additionally determine how impacts females. To address this, female rats were exposed restraint immediately prior training on an appetitive Pavlovian conditioning task with food rewards. Females categorized based their...
Acute stress transiently increases vigilance, enhancing the detection of salient stimuli in one's environment. This increased perceptual sensitivity is thought to promote association rewarding outcomes with relevant cues. The mesolimbic dopamine system critical for learning cue-reward associations. Dopamine levels ventral striatum are elevated following exposure stress. Together, this suggests that could mediate influence acute on learning. To address possibility, we examined how a single...
The dopamine system responds to reward-predictive cues reflect a prospective estimation of reward value, although its role in encoding retrospective reward-related information is unclear. We report that cue-evoked release the nucleus accumbens core encodes time elapsed since previous or rather wait time. Specifically, cue always follows preceding with short elicits greater response relative distinct long Differences between and were evident even when these never experienced together within...