While great progress has been made in the understanding of neurological illnesses, the
pathologies, and etiologies that give rise to these diseases still remain an enigma, thus, also …

Interest for the use of oxytocin as a treatment for addiction began over 40 years ago. Better
known for its roles in parturition, lactation and pair bonding, oxytocin also has anxiolytic …

Suppression of dangerous or inappropriate reward-motivated behaviors is critical for
survival, whereas therapeutic or recreational opioid use can unleash detrimental behavioral …

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 …

Abstract Background The nucleus accumbens (NAc) controls multiple facets of impulsivity
but is a heterogeneous brain region with diverse microcircuitry. Prior literature links …

Drug abuse changes neurophysiological functions at multiple cellular and molecular levels
in the addicted brain. Well-supported scientific evidence suggests that drugs negatively …

Synaptic plasticity is a key mechanism of learning and memory. Synaptic plasticity
mechanisms within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) mediate differential behavioral …

Complex circuit interactions within the nucleus accumbens (NAc) facilitate goal-directed
behavior. Medium spiny neurons (MSNs) mediate NAc output by projecting to functionally …

Reduced reward interest/learning and reward-to-effort valuation are distinct, common
symptoms in neuropsychiatric disorders for which chronic stress is a major aetiological …

Background Prelimbic cortical projections to the nucleus accumbens core are critical for cue-
induced cocaine seeking, but the identity of the accumbens neuron (s) targeted by this …