The development of cutting-edge techniques to study specific brain regions and neural
circuits that regulate sleep–wake brain states and general anesthesia (GA), has increased …

Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter that plays a biological role by binding to
dopamine receptors. The dopaminergic system regulates neural activities, such as reward …

Potential avenues for accelerating anesthetic emergence may be found through targeting
specific arousal-promoting pathways in the brain. Accumulating evidence from rodent …

The suppression of consciousness by anesthetics and the emergence of the brain from
anesthesia are complex and elusive processes. Anesthetics may exert their inhibitory effects …

We have published two special issues on pain and itch in Neuroscience Bulletin that cover
their peripheral, central, and glial mechanisms [1, 2]. The first special was published in 2012 …

For over 170 years, general anesthesia has played a crucial role in clinical practice, yet a
comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the induction of …

Background The ventral tegmental area (VTA) contains heterogeneous cell populations. The
dopaminergic neurons in VTA play a central role in reward and cognition, while CamKIIα …

Background Dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are crucially
involved in regulating arousal, making them a potential target for reversing general …

Aims General anesthesia has been used in surgical procedures for approximately 180
years, yet the precise mechanism of anesthetic drugs remains elusive. There is significant …

Since the clinical introduction of general anesthesia, its underlying mechanisms have not
been fully elucidated. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) and parabrachial nucleus (PBN) …