Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Brancato, Valentina Castelli, Gianluca Lavanco, Giuseppe Tringali, Vincenzo Micale, Martin Kuchar, Cesare D'Amico, Giuseppe Pizzolanti, Salvatore Feo, Carla Cannizzaro
Summary: Binge alcohol consumption among adolescents can have long-lasting effects on the neural networks in NAc and stress processing, leading to decreased sensitivity to positive stimuli and dysfunctional stress-axis functionality. Cannabidiol shows promise in counteracting the harmful effects of alcohol, reducing negative behaviors and adjusting neuroplasticity.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Anna Brancato, Valentina Castelli, Gianluca Lavanco, Cesare D'Amico, Salvatore Feo, Giuseppe Pizzolanti, Martin Kuchar, Carla Cannizzaro
Summary: The functioning of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which is responsible for processing reward and aversive responses, can be compromised by alcohol binge drinking. This study investigated the effects of social stress on rats during withdrawal from binge-like alcohol exposure, and found abnormal behavioral, neuroendocrine, and molecular plasticity. The administration of cannabidiol (CBD) was able to rescue these effects, suggesting its potential therapeutic value in alcohol- and stress-related harms.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jenya Kolpakova, Vincent van der Vinne, Pablo Gimenez-Gomez, Timmy Le, In-Jee You, Rubing Zhao-Shea, Cristina Velazquez-Marrero, Andrew R. Tapper, Gilles E. Martin
Summary: The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a brain region responsible for mediating the positive-reinforcing properties of drugs of abuse, including alcohol. Research indicates that inputs from the prefrontal cortex (PFCx) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) in NAc medium spiny neurons (MSNs) reciprocally inhibit each other in a time-dependent manner. Binge alcohol drinking disrupts this reciprocal inhibition, altering the integration of executive and emotional information in MSNs.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Marissa B. Borrego, Kolter B. Grigsby, Kayla G. Townsley, Amy Chan, Evan J. Firsick, Alex Tran, Antonia Savarese, Angela R. Ozburn
Summary: The study demonstrates that manipulating neuronal activity from the central amygdala to the nucleus accumbens core can reduce binge-like ethanol intake in mice. Additionally, intra-NAc core CRF injection can mimic the effects of this pathway's chemogenetic stimulation, further decreasing binge drinking behavior. However, testing shows that the effects of NPY and SST on binge drinking are minimal, while intra-NAc CRF antagonism can prevent reductions in drinking induced by CeA to NAc core projections.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Pierre Sauton, Jerome Jeanblanc, Farid Benzerouk, Fabien Gierski, Mickael Naassila
Summary: Binge drinking is a predictive factor for alcohol addiction and is harmful to health. Weak decision-making capacities may contribute to vulnerability to binge drinking, leading to impaired decision-making and perpetuating binge drinking. Longitudinal preclinical studies are lacking in understanding this complex relationship.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Allen L. Ho, Austin Y. Feng, Daniel A. N. Barbosa, Hemmings Wu, Monique L. Smith, Robert C. Malenka, Peter A. Tass, Casey H. Halpern
Summary: The study found that CRS stimulation can reduce binge-like alcohol drinking behavior effectively, with CRS targeting NAc significantly decreasing binge drinking without interfering with social and locomotor activities.
Article
Neurosciences
Stacey L. Robinson, Todd E. Thiele
Summary: Somatostatin (SST), a neuropeptide expressed in the central nervous system, has gained attention for its role in modulating alcohol use disorders and neuropsychiatric disorders. This study examines the role of SST in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in binge ethanol intake, using a mouse model.
Article
Substance Abuse
Rishi Sharma, Vaibhav Mishra, Meet Parikh, Anshul Soni, Pradeep Sahota, Mahesh Thakkar
Summary: Alcohol consumption significantly increased CBP expression in the NAcSh, while bilateral infusion of CBP antisense oligodeoxynucleotides significantly reduced Per1 expression in the NAcSh and alcohol consumption without affecting sucrose intake. These results suggest that CBP may regulate Per1 expression in the NAcSh, possibly modulating alcohol consumption.
ALCOHOL-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Kelle E. Nett, Alexa R. Zimbelman, Matthew S. McGregor, Vanessa Alizo Vera, Molly R. Harris, Ryan T. LaLumiere
Summary: Previous evidence suggests that the infralimbic cortex (IL) plays a role in inhibiting cocaine seeking behavior in rats. In this study, the researchers investigated whether IL activity and its outputs to the nucleus accumbens shell (NAshell) and amygdala are involved in encoding extinction contingencies following cocaine self-administration. They used optogenetic techniques to silence IL-NAshell or IL-amygdala activity after an unreinforced lever press during extinction training and found that inhibition of IL-NAshell or IL-amygdala activity impaired extinction retention.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rajani Maiya, Matthew B. Pomrenze, Thi Tran, Gayatri R. Tiwari, Andrea Beckham, Madison T. Paul, R. Dayne Mayfield, Robert O. Messing
Summary: Repeated alcohol exposure leads to changes in gene expression that may contribute to alcohol dependence, with LMO4 identified as a potential regulator in this process. Knockdown of Lmo4 in the nucleus accumbens increases alcohol consumption, while knockdown in the basolateral amygdala decreases alcohol consumption and preference. Transcriptome profiling reveals different targets of LMO4 in these brain regions, indicating a complex regulatory network underlying alcohol consumption.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Elizabeth M. Avegno, Nicholas W. Gilpin
Summary: Alcohol dependence is characterized by a shift in motivation from positive reinforcement to negative reinforcement, involving neural adaptations in VTA and extended amygdala, particularly in chronic alcohol responses. The exact mechanisms of this transition are not fully understood, but preclinical models play a significant role in studying this phenomenon.
Article
Neurosciences
Elizabeth A. Sneddon, Kristen M. Schuh, John W. Frankel, Anna K. Radke
Summary: The study found that inhibiting the NAc core can reduce compulsive ethanol intake in mice, but exciting the NAc core has no effect. Inhibiting neurons expressing D-1 or D-2 receptors does not alter compulsive ethanol intake.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rishi Sharma, Meet Parikh, Vaibhav Mishra, Pradeep Sahota, Mahesh Thakkar
Summary: This study found that the Per1 gene in the medial shell region of the nucleus accumbens is involved in the increase in alcohol consumption induced by dopamine D2 receptor activation.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Tala Al-Rousan, Alison A. Moore, Benjamin H. Han, Roxanne Ko, Joseph J. Palamar
Summary: Binge drinking has increased among older men in the United States while it has remained stable among older women. Although tobacco and cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of binge drinking among both older men and women, demographic correlates tend to differ by sex.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Substance Abuse
Rishi Sharma, Hunter Puckett, Micaela Kemerling, Meet Parikh, Pradeep Sahota, Mahesh Thakkar
Summary: The study found that knockdown of clock genes in the NAcSh resulted in significantly lower alcohol consumption on day 4, suggesting a crucial role of clock genes in binge drinking. No differences were observed in sucrose or water consumption.
ALCOHOL-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Substance Abuse
Abigail E. Agoglia, Sarah E. Holstein, Grant Reid, Clyde W. Hodge
ALCOHOLISM-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2015)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Reginald Cannady, Kristen R. Fisher, Caitlin Graham, Jesse Crayle, Joyce Besheer, Clyde W. Hodge
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Sara Faccidomo, Grant T. Reid, Abigail E. Agoglia, Sherifat A. Ademola, Clyde W. Hodge
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2016)
Article
Neurosciences
Michael C. Salling, Sara P. Faccidomo, Chia Li, Kelly Psilos, Christina Galunas, Marina Spanos, Abigail E. Agoglia, Thomas L. Kash, Clyde W. Hodge
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2016)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Abigail E. Agoglia, Sarah E. Holstein, Vallari R. Eastman, Clyde W. Hodge
PHARMACOLOGY BIOCHEMISTRY AND BEHAVIOR
(2016)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Michael C. Salling, Christopher J. Hodge, Kelly E. Psilos, Vallari R. Eastman, Sara P. Faccidomo, Clyde W. Hodge
PHARMACOLOGY BIOCHEMISTRY AND BEHAVIOR
(2017)
Article
Neurosciences
Sara Faccidomo, Katarina S. Swaim, Briana L. Saunders, Taruni S. Santanam, Seth M. Taylor, Michelle Kim, Grant T. Reid, Vallari R. Eastman, Clyde W. Hodge
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Abigail E. Agoglia, Sarah E. Holstein, Amanda T. Small, Marina Spanos, Brainard M. Burrus, Clyde W. Hodge
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Rebekah A. Stevenson, Jessica L. Hoffman, Antoniette M. Maldonado-Devincci, Sara Faccidomo, Clyde W. Hodge
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2019)
Article
Neurosciences
Tyler S. Nelson, Sarah E. Holstein, John-Paul Baird, David W. Pittman
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Sara Faccidomo, Sarah E. Holstein, Taruni S. Santanam, Briana L. Saunders, Katarina S. Swaim, Grant T. Reid, Conor O'Neill, Vallari R. Eastman, Clyde W. Hodge
BEHAVIOURAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Substance Abuse
Sarah E. Holstein, Gillian A. Barkell, Megan R. Young
Summary: This study found that caffeine enhances the positive reinforcing effects of alcohol, leading to increased alcohol intake, but this effect is independent of D-2 receptor function.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sara Faccidomo, Elizabeth S. Cogan, Olivia J. Hon, Jessica L. Hoffman, Briana L. Saunders, Vallari R. Eastman, Michelle Kim, Seth M. Taylor, Zoe A. McElligott, Clyde W. Hodge
Summary: The findings suggest that CP-AMPAR activity and GluA1 trafficking in the basolateral amygdala mechanistically regulate the reinforcing effects of sweetened alcohol. Pharmacotherapeutic targeting these mechanisms of maladaptive neuroplasticity may aid in the medical management of alcohol use disorder.