Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental impairment characterized by
deficits in social interaction skills, impaired communication, and repetitive and restricted …

The nucleus accumbens is a major input structure of the basal ganglia and integrates
information from cortical and limbic structures to mediate goal-directed behaviors. Chronic …

The last decades have seen a major gain in understanding the action of cannabinoids and
the endocannabinoid system in reward processing and the development of addictive …

Addictive drugs have in common that they are voluntarily self-administered by laboratory
animals (usually avidly), and that they enhance the functioning of the reward circuitry of the …

In animal models of drug addiction, cocaine exposure has been shown to increase levels of
calcium-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) in two brain regions that are critical for …

A key deficit in alcohol dependence is disrupted prefrontal function leading to excessive
alcohol seeking, but the molecular events underlying the emergence of addictive responses …

Along with its ability to directly regulate gene expression, estradiol influences cell signaling
and brain functions via rapid, membrane-initiated events. In the female rat striatum, estradiol …

Drug addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disorder. Multiple neural networks in the brain
including the reward system (eg, the mesocorticolimbic system), the anti-reward/stress …

Cue-induced cocaine craving is a major cause of relapse in abstinent addicts. In rats, cue-
induced craving progressively intensifies (incubates) during withdrawal from extended …

Historically, most pharmacological approaches to the treatment of addictive disorders have
utilized either substitution-based methods (ie, nicotine replacement or opioid maintenance) …