Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Fatemeh Khani, Ali Pourmotabbed, Mozhgan Veisi, Narges Hosseinmardi, Yaghoub Fathollahi, Hossein Azizi
Summary: Adolescence is a critical period for neurodevelopmental processes, and opioid exposure during this stage can have lasting effects on cognitive abilities. This study found that adolescent morphine exposure led to decreased weight gain, impaired avoidance memory, and disrupted synaptic plasticity in the ventral hippocampal CA1 region. These findings suggest that adolescent morphine exposure can have long-term effects on memory function and synaptic activity.
Article
Cell Biology
Yong Zhou, Zhenrong Xie, Zunyue Zhang, Jiqing Yang, Minghui Chen, Fengrong Chen, Yuru Ma, Cheng Chen, Qingyan Peng, Lei Zou, Jianyuan Gao, Yu Xu, Yiqun Kuang, Mei Zhu, Dingyun You, Juehua Yu, Kunhua Wang
Summary: This study found that plasma metabolites undergo significant changes during heroin withdrawal, with the majority recovering after months but some not fully recovering. The findings suggest a link between metabolic perturbations and heroin withdrawal.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Samantha M. Ayoub, Fabiana Piscitelli, Cristoforo Silvestri, Cheryl L. Limebeer, Erin M. Rock, Reem Smoum, Mathew Farag, Hannah de Almeida, Megan T. Sullivan, Sebastien Lacroix, Besma Boubertakh, Nayudu Nallabelli, Aron H. Lichtman, Francesco Leri, Raphael Mechoulam, Vincenzo Di Marzo, Linda A. Parker
Summary: The endocannabinoidome mediators OlGly and OlAla have been shown to reduce acute naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal affective and somatic responses. OlAla may be more effective than OlGly in suppressing chronic opiate withdrawal responses, and their brain concentrations respond to chronic opiate treatment and withdrawal concomitantly with changes in colon microbiota composition.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Olivia Uddin, Carleigh Jenne, Megan E. Fox, Keiko Arakawa, Asaf Keller, Nathan Cramer
Summary: Research on rats and mice showed that they differ in experiencing withdrawal and pain, with rats more likely to express ongoing pain and mice exhibiting thermal hyperalgesia. These species differences highlight strengths as model systems and can guide experimental design in opioid withdrawal studies.
PHARMACOLOGY BIOCHEMISTRY AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Sabrina de Carvalho Cartagenes, Cinthia Cristina Sousa de Menezes da Silveira, Bruno Goncalves Pinheiro, Luanna Melo Pereira Fernandes, Sarah Viana Farias, Natalia Harumi Correa Kobayashi, Pablo Henrique Franco Santos de Souza, Alejandro Ferraz do Prado, Maria Karolina Martins Ferreira, Rafael Rodrigues Lima, Edivaldo Herculano Correa de Oliveira, Francisco Caninde Ferreira de Luna, Rommel Mario Rodriguez Burbano, Eneas Andrade Fontes-Junior, Cristiane do Socorro Ferraz Maia
Summary: Recreational use of ketamine among adolescents may result in negative emotional and behavioral outcomes, accompanied by oxidative stress in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
Article
Neurosciences
Kechun Yang, Ian McLaughlin, Jessica K. Shaw, Natalia Quijano-Cardre, John A. Dani, Mariella De Biasi
Summary: Nicotine, the active component in tobacco, acts on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) to cause addiction. The CHRNA5 gene, which encodes the a5 subunit of nAChR, is associated with nicotine use and dependence. Studies on rodents have shown that a5-containing nAChRs in dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) play a significant role in nicotine reward and reinforcement. However, the specific contributions of a5-containing nAChRs to the cellular adaptations associated with long-term nicotine exposure are still unknown. To investigate this, researchers conducted electrophysiological experiments on VTA neurons and found that CHRNA5 mutation led to profound changes in nAChR function during chronic nicotine exposure and withdrawal. The results highlight the importance of VTA a5-nAChRs in the response to nicotine and suggest their involvement in the withdrawal process.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ahmet O. Ceceli, Yuefeng Huang, Greg Kronberg, Pias Malaker, Pazia Miller, Sarah G. King, Pierre-Olivier Gaudreault, Natalie McClain, Lily Gabay, Devarshi Vasa, Jeffrey H. Newcorn, Defne Ekin, Nelly Alia-Klein, Rita Z. Goldstein
Summary: Opiate and stimulant addictions have significant impacts on society, resulting in numerous deaths each year. This study found that individuals with heroin use disorder have lower grey matter volume in the corticostriatal and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, while those with cocaine addiction have lower grey matter volume in the inferior frontal gyrus. These results suggest substance-specific volumetric changes in human psychostimulant or opiate addiction, highlighting the importance of biomarker development and targeted treatments.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiaohui Bai, Kun Zhang, Chaopeng Ou, Yanyu Mu, Dongmei Chi, Jianxing Zhang, Jingxiu Huang, Xile Li, Yingjun Zhang, Wan Huang, Handong Ouyang
Summary: This study found that the expression of AKAP150 in the NAc is upregulated during morphine withdrawal, and inhibiting AKAP150 has a positive effect on alleviating withdrawal symptoms and improving test performance. AKAP150 in NAc D1R-MSNs is related to the performance of morphine withdrawal tests, while AKAP150 in NAc D2R-MSNs is relevant to the severity of physical responses.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Hideto Nakayama, Michiyuki Kawakami, Yoko Takahashi, Kunitsugu Kondo, Eiji Shimizu
Summary: This study aimed to investigate changes in spinal reciprocal inhibition (RI) during motor imagery (MI) involving the lower extremity. The results showed that there was no significant change in RI during MI of ankle dorsiflexion compared to resting, while RI during ankle plantarflexion MI significantly decreased. Additionally, after MI practice with an ISI of 20 ms, the difference between the rest condition and the MI-DF condition significantly increased.
NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Marie-Line Fournier, Angelique Faugere, Olga Barba-Vila, Catherine Le Moine
Summary: Gender differences have been observed in vulnerability to drug abuse and in different stages of the addictive process. In a study on opiate dependence in rats, it was found that there were no significant differences between males and females in the expression and extinction of aversive memory of opiate withdrawal. These findings suggest that persistent withdrawal-related memories may be a strong driver of opiate dependence, regardless of gender.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elyssa M. Barrick, Mark A. Thornton, Diana Tamir
Summary: Research shows that in the presence of masks, people tend to rely more on visual cues from the eye area to judge others' emotional similarity, indicating a shift in how people process facial information.
Article
Neurosciences
Kristyn N. Borrelli, Kelly K. Wingfield, Emily J. Yao, Catalina A. Zamorano, Katherine D. Sena, Jacob A. Beierle, Michelle A. Roos, Huiping Zhang, Elisha M. Wachman, Camron D. Bryant
Summary: Prenatal opioid exposure is a major health concern in the United States, with the incidence of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS) escalating in recent years. Research found that injection of morphine during the neonatal period can cause significant behavioral and transcriptomic adaptations, but has no significant long-term effects on adult behaviors.
Article
Neurosciences
Vida Alipour, Amir Shojaei, Mahmoud Rezaei, Javad Mirnajafi-Zadeh, Hossein Azizi
Summary: Drug addiction is a global issue, with more than half of drug abusers starting their substance abuse during adolescence. Chronic exposure to morphine during this crucial period can have long-lasting effects on the brain, even extending to the next generation. This study examined the intergenerational effects of paternal morphine exposure during adolescence on learning and memory.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Jiande Li, Hongxuan Wang, Dandan Liu, Xiangpen Li, Lei He, Jingrui Pan, Qingyu Shen, Ying Peng
Summary: Alcohol exposure during late adolescence can cause anxiety development by activating microglia in the prefrontal cortex. Activation of the cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R) can ameliorate the anxiety-like behaviors and microglial activation induced by alcohol exposure in mice.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Geoffrey A. Dilly, Cory W. Kittleman, Tony M. Kerr, Robert O. Messing, R. Dayne Mayfield
Summary: This study used single-nuclei RNA sequencing to identify differential gene expression in astrocytes and GABAergic neurons in the CeA induced by alcohol withdrawal. It revealed that a subtype of CeA GABAergic neurons, the PKC delta expressing neurons, have a unique sensitivity to alcohol exposure and may play an important role in alcohol withdrawal.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Megan E. Fox, Ramesh Chandra, Miriam S. Menken, Emily J. Larkin, Hyungwoo Nam, Michel Engeln, T. Chase Francis, Mary Kay Lobo
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jason B. Alipio, Adam T. Brockett, Megan E. Fox, Stephen S. Tennyson, Coreylyn A. deBettencourt, Dina El-Metwally, Nikolas A. Francis, Patrick O. Kanold, Mary Kay Lobo, Matthew R. Roesch, Asaf Keller
Summary: This study found that perinatal exposure to fentanyl in mice resulted in withdrawal behavior and behavioral abnormalities in early adulthood, similar to humans born with NOWS. These effects were seen in terms of changes in behavior and physiology that normalized as the mice reached adulthood.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michel Engeln, Yang Song, Ramesh Chandra, Ashley La, Megan E. Fox, Brianna Evans, Makeda D. Turner, Shavin Thomas, T. Chase Francis, Ronna Hertzano, Mary Kay Lobo
Summary: The study suggests that motor stereotypies in early-onset neuropsychiatric diseases may be associated with dysregulated basal ganglia direct-pathway activity, with neurobiological mechanisms leading to direct-pathway neuron disconnectivity in stereotypy remaining poorly understood. The research uncovers phenotype-specific molecular alterations in D1-MSNs associated with morphological adaptations in mice displaying stereotypy behavior.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Megan E. Fox, Antonio Figueiredo, Miriam S. Menken, Mary Kay Lobo
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Michel Engeln, Megan E. Fox, Mary Kay Lobo
Summary: Stress exposure has a lasting impact on motivated behavior and drug reward, often shaping drug-related behaviors bidirectionally. Social housing conditions can influence cocaine-related behaviors after psychosocial stress, with pair-housed mice showing increased social avoidance after CSDS and decreased cocaine intake. Single-housed mice, on the other hand, exhibit stress-sensitive cocaine intake and increased social avoidance after CSDS.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Olivia Uddin, Carleigh Jenne, Megan E. Fox, Keiko Arakawa, Asaf Keller, Nathan Cramer
Summary: Research on rats and mice showed that they differ in experiencing withdrawal and pain, with rats more likely to express ongoing pain and mice exhibiting thermal hyperalgesia. These species differences highlight strengths as model systems and can guide experimental design in opioid withdrawal studies.
PHARMACOLOGY BIOCHEMISTRY AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Jason B. Alipio, Catherine Haga, Megan E. Fox, Keiko Arakawa, Rakshita Balaji, Nathan Cramer, Mary Kay Lobo, Asaf Keller
Summary: The study reveals that perinatal fentanyl exposure has lasting consequences on sensory processing and function in mice, impacting their somatosensory function and behavior extending at least to adolescence. This exposure leads to abnormal changes in synaptic excitation, morphological structure, and mRNA expression in the brains of the exposed mice.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Daniela Franco, Andreas B. Wulff, Mary Kay Lobo, Megan E. Fox
Summary: Chronic stress may increase the risk of developing substance use disorders in vulnerable individuals. This study found that the consumption of fentanyl, a substance commonly used for pain management, was influenced by chronic psychosocial stress in mice, with sex and behavioral outcomes to stress playing a significant role.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Cali A. Calarco, Megan E. Fox, Saskia Van Terheyden, Makeda D. Turner, Jason B. Alipio, Ramesh Chandra, Mary Kay Lobo
Summary: The widespread use of fentanyl and in utero exposure to the drug can impact mitochondrial function, leading to altered reward-related behavior in adolescence. Gender also plays a role in the effects of developmental fentanyl exposure on mitochondrial function and behavior.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Marco Pagliusi, Daniela Franco, Shannon Cole, Gessynger Morais-Silva, Ramesh Chandra, Megan E. Fox, Sergio D. Iniguez, Cesar R. Sartori, Mary Kay Lobo
Summary: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays a critical role in stress response, exerting different plasticity effects through its receptors (TrkB and TrkB.t1). The study found that BDNF has an anti-stress effect in the hippocampus and a stress-susceptible effect in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Furthermore, overexpression of TrkB.t1 in specific projection neurons (D2-MSNs) in the NAc can prevent stress-induced social avoidance behavior.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michel Engeln, Megan E. Fox, Ramesh Chandra, Eric Y. Choi, Hyungwoo Nam, Houman Qadir, Shavin S. Thomas, Victoria M. Rhodes, Makeda D. Turner, Rae J. Herman, Cali A. Calarco, Mary Kay Lobo
Summary: The study identified the transcriptional mechanisms occurring in the VP following drug exposure and the important role of Nr4a1 in cocaine-related behaviors. Overexpression of Nr4a1 enhanced drug-seeking and drug-induced reinstatement, while Nr4a1 knockdown prevented self-administration acquisition and subsequent cocaine-mediated behaviors, highlighting the crucial role of the VP -> MDT circuit in drug intake and relapse-like behaviors.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Megan E. Fox, Andreas B. Wulff, Daniela Franco, Eric Y. Choi, Cali A. Calarco, Michel Engeln, Makeda D. Turner, Ramesh Chandra, Victoria M. Rhodes, Scott M. Thompson, Seth A. Ament, Mary Kay Lobo
Summary: Opioid discontinuation leads to withdrawal symptoms and increased negative affect. The neural mechanisms underlying these symptoms, especially in relation to synthetic opioids, are not fully understood.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Gessynger Morais-Silva, Rianne R. Campbell, Hyungwoo Nam, Mahashweta Basu, Marco Pagliusi, Megan E. Fox, C. Savio Chan, Sergio D. Iniguez, Seth Ament, Nathan Cramer, Marcelo Tadeu Marin, Mary Kay Lobo
Summary: The altered activity of the ventral pallidum (VP) is responsible for disrupted motivation in stress and drug exposure. To investigate the role of Neuronal PAS 1-positive (Npas1+) VP neurons, we analyzed their projection targets and conducted RNA sequencing on VP Npas1+ neurons to understand their molecular identities. Chemogenetic activation of VP Npas1+ neurons modulated susceptibility to social stressors and anxiety-like behavior. Our findings reveal the circuitry, molecular identity, and stress response role of VP Npas1+ neurons.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jimmy Olusakin, Gautam Kumar, Mahashweta Basu, Cali A. Calarco, Megan E. Fox, Jason B. Alipio, Catherine Haga, Makeda D. Turner, Asaf Keller, Seth A. Ament, Mary Kay Lobo
Summary: The use of fentanyl has significantly increased in the past decade, including among women of reproductive ages. Perinatal exposure to opioids, such as fentanyl, has been associated with adverse neonatal outcomes and long-term behavioral disruptions. This study investigated the molecular adaptations in various brain regions of perinatal fentanyl exposed mice, revealing distinct transcriptomes and differential gene expression between sexes.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Neurosciences
Olivier George
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2020)