Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic relapsing disorder that, whilst initially driven by
activation of brain reward neurocircuits, increasingly engages anti-reward neurocircuits that …

There is increasing evidence in humans and laboratory animals for biologically based sex
differences in every phase of drug addiction: acute reinforcing effects, transition from …

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 …

Background Despite initial reports of a decline in use in the early 2000s, methamphetamine
remains a significant public health concern with known neurotoxic and neurocognitive …

Opiates are among the oldest medications available to manage a number of medical
problems. Although pain is the current focus, early use initially focused upon the treatment of …

The opioid system consists of three receptors, mu, delta, and kappa, which are activated by
endogenous opioid peptides processed from three protein precursors, proopiomelanocortin …

Upon receipt in the dorsal horn (DH) of the spinal cord, nociceptive (pain-signalling)
information from the viscera, skin and other organs is subject to extensive processing by a …

Prolactin is a protein hormone of the anterior pituitary gland that was originally named for its
ability to promote lactation in response to the suckling stimulus of hungry young mammals …

The highly disagreeable sensation of pain results from an extraordinarily complex and
interactive series of mechanisms integrated at all levels of the neuroaxis, from the periphery …

The type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2R) was initially regarded as a peripheral cannabinoid
receptor. However, recent technological advances in gene detection, alongside the …