Pain is a multidimensional experience with sensory-discriminative, affective-motivational,
and cognitive-evaluative components. Pain aversiveness is one principal cause of suffering …

Opioids are powerful analgesics that elicit acute antinociceptive effects through their action
the mu opioid receptor (MOR). However opioids are ineffective for chronic pain …

Human fMRI studies show that insulin influences brain activity in regions that mediate
reward and motivation, including the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Insulin receptors are …

S-nitrosothiols exert multiple effects on neural processes in the central and peripheral
nervous system. This study shows that intravenous infusion of S-nitroso-L-cysteine (SNO-L …

Endogenous and exogenously administered S-nitrosothiols modulate the activities of central
and peripheral systems that control breathing. We have unpublished data showing that the …

Understanding the link between agonist-induced phosphorylation of the mu-opioid receptor
(MOR) and the associated physiological effects is critical for the development of novel …

Morphine and other mu-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists remain the mainstay treatment of
acute and prolonged pain states worldwide. The major limiting factor for continued use of …

The lateral septum (LS), a brain region typically associated with behaviors involving reward,
anxiety-like behavior, learning, and memory, has recently received increased interest due to …

Fentanyl elicits profound disturbances in ventilatory control processes in humans and
experimental animals. The traditional viewpoint with respect to fentanyl-induced respiratory …

Modulation of neuronal circuit activity is key to information processing in the brain. G protein-
coupled receptors (GPCRs), the targets of most neuromodulatory ligands, show extremely …