Sleep is universal, tightly regulated, and its loss impairs cognition. But why does the brain
need to disconnect from the environment for hours every day? The synaptic homeostasis …

Central sensitization represents an enhancement in the function of neurons and circuits in
nociceptive pathways caused by increases in membrane excitability and synaptic efficacy as …

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) regulates a diverse array of physiological
processes throughout the body. Despite its importance, cholinergic transmission in the …

It was suggested in 1986 that cue-induced drug craving in cocaine addicts progressively
increases over the first several weeks of abstinence and remains high for extended periods …

Histamine is a transmitter in the nervous system and a signaling molecule in the gut, the
skin, and the immune system. Histaminergic neurons in mammalian brain are located …

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) are important for intracellular signal transduction
and play critical roles in regulating neural plasticity and inflammatory responses. The MAPK …

Synaptic plasticity is the capacity of a preexisting connection between two neurons to
change in strength as a function of neural activity. Because synaptic plasticity is the major …

Stress is most often associated with aversive states. It rapidly induces the release of
hormones and neuropeptides including dynorphin, which activates kappa opioid receptors …

Summary SynGAP is a Ras-GTPase activating protein highly enriched at excitatory
synapses in the brain. Previous studies have shown that CaMKII and the RAS-ERK pathway …

Synaptic plasticity confers environmental adaptability through modification of the
connectivity between neurons and neuronal circuits. This is achieved through changes to …