A5021211592- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis
- Psychedelics and Drug Studies
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
- Pain Mechanisms and Treatments
- Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity
- Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments
- Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Pharmacological Receptor Mechanisms and Effects
- Hormonal and reproductive studies
- Infant Health and Development
- Estrogen and related hormone effects
- Neurological Disorders and Treatments
- Cholinesterase and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Medical University of South Carolina
2015-2024
University of Charleston
2024
Yale University
2020
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
2020
Université Laval
2020
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans
2020
Westmont College
2017
Furman University
2017
Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba University
2012
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
2005-2010
Cocaine addiction remains without an effective pharmacotherapy and is characterized by inability of addicts to inhibit relapse drug use. Vulnerability arises from enduring impairment in cognitive control motivated behavior, manifested part dysregulated synaptic potentiation extracellular glutamate homeostasis the projection prefrontal cortex nucleus accumbens. Here we show rats trained self-administer cocaine that cocaine-induced changes are mechanistically linked through group II...
Previous evidence in an animal model of drug self-administration and seeking showed that acute oxytocin decreased methamphetamine (meth) male rats, suggesting potential clinical efficacy for the treatment psychostimulant addiction. However, based on well-established role reproduction pair bond formation, it is important to know how this effect extrapolates females. Here, we tested whether (1mg/kg, IP) would decrease meth female rats across various stages estrous cycle (Experiment 1). Freely...
The cysteine prodrug <i>N</i>-acetylcysteine (NAC) has been shown to reduce reinstatement of cocaine seeking by normalization glutamatergic tone. However, enduring inhibition produced NAC not explored under different withdrawal conditions. Thus, the present study determined whether chronic administered during daily extinction training or abstinence after from self-administration would seeking. Rats self-administered intravenous 2-h sessions for 12 days, followed sessions. During this period,...
Oxytocin has been shown to decrease cocaine taking and seeking in male rats, suggesting potential treatment efficacy for drug addiction. In the present study, we extended these findings assessment of female rats. Further, made direct comparisons oxytocin's impact on induced locomotor activity both males females. females, systemic oxytocin (0.3, 1.0, 3.0 mg/kg) attenuated lever pressing during self-administration (1.0 cue-induced following extinction. Cocaine increased baseline a greater...
Oxytocin reduces cued reinstatement of cocaine seeking in male and female rats, but the underlying neurobiology has not been uncovered. The majority effort on this task focused oxytocin dopamine interactions nucleus accumbens core. core is a key neural substrate relapse, administration to methamphetamine cues. Further, strong glutamatergic innervation from numerous regions including prefrontal cortex. Thus, we hypothesize that regulates presynaptic glutamate terminals core, thereby affecting...
Abstract Preclinical and clinical research has shown that females are more vulnerable to the rewarding effects of stimulants, it been proposed estrogens may play a role in this enhanced sensitivity; however sex differences methamphetamine (METH)-induced neuroplasticity have not explored. To address gap knowledge, we recorded from prelimbic area prefrontal cortex (PL-PFC) male female rats following long access METH self-administration (SA) investigated resulting long-term synaptic...
Introduction Empathic behaviors are driven by the ability to understand emotional states of others along with motivation improve it. Evidence points towards forms empathy, like targeted helping, in many species including rats. There several variables that may modulate sex, sensory modalities, and activity multiple neural substrates. Methods Using a model social contact-independent we first tested whether sex differences exist helping behavior. Next, explored affective signaling, direct...
Methamphetamine (meth) is a highly addictive and widely abused psychostimulant. Repeated use of meth can quickly lead to dependence, may be accompanied by variety persistent psychiatric symptoms cognitive impairments. The neuroadaptations underlying motivational deficits produced chronic intake remain poorly understood. Altered glutamate neurotransmission within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) striatum has been linked both drug-seeking dysfunction. Therefore, current study investigated changes...
Females are at higher risk for certain opioid addictive behaviors, but the influence of ovarian hormones is unknown. In our rat model heroin self-administration, females exhibited relapse rates that correlated with seeking on first extinction session. We administered estradiol alone, or in combination progesterone, 30 min prior to session freely cycling, heroin-seeking female rats. Although neither treatment produced long-term effects relapse, each regulated distinct aspects seeking....