The mesolimbic dopamine system—which originates in the ventral tegmental area and
projects to the striatum—has been shown to be involved in the expression of sex-specific …

Gonadal hormones contribute to the sexual differentiation of brain and behavior throughout
the lifespan, from initial neural patterning to “activation” of adult circuits. Sexual behavior is …

Alcohol use disorder remains a substantial social, health, and economic problem and
problem drinking levels in women have been increasing in recent years. Understanding …

Neuroscience research has historically demonstrated sex bias that favors male over female
research subjects, as well as sex omission, which is the lack of reporting sex. Here we …

Nuclear-and membrane-initiated estrogen signaling cooperate to orchestrate the pleiotropic
effects of estrogens. Classical estrogen receptors (ERs) act transcriptionally and govern the …

The striatal brain regions encompassing the nucleus accumbens core (NAcc), shell (NAcs)
and caudate-putamen (CPu) regulate cognitive functions including motivated behaviors …

Sex is fundamental for the evolution and survival of most species. However, sex can also
pose danger, because it increases the risk of predation and disease transmission, among …

Background Glutamate signaling within the nucleus accumbens underlies motivated
behavior and is involved in psychiatric disease. Although behavioral sex differences in these …

The μ-opioid receptor regulates reward derived from both drug use and natural experiences,
including social interaction, through actions in the nucleus accumbens. Here, we studied …

Background Reward system dysfunction is evident across neuropsychiatric conditions. Here
we present data from a double-blinded pharmaco-fMRI study investigating the triggering of …