The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is best known for its robust dopaminergic projections to
forebrain regions and their critical role in regulating reward, motivation, cognition, and …

Colocalization of small-molecule and neuropeptide transmitters is common throughout the
nervous system of all animals. The resulting co-transmission, which provides conjoint …

Motivated behavior is influenced by neural networks that integrate physiological needs.
Here, we describe coordinated regulation of hypothalamic feeding and midbrain reward …

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are marked by heterogeneity in clinical symptomatology
and high relapse rates following treatment. Here, we describe specific peripheral and central …

Classic psychedelics refer to substances such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD),
psilocybin, ayahuasca, and mescaline, which induce altered states of consciousness by …

GABAA/glycine-mediated neuronal inhibition critically depends on intracellular chloride
(Cl−) concentration which is mainly regulated by the K+-Cl− co-transporter 2 (KCC2) in the …

As the technological hurdles are overcome and optogenetic techniques advance to have
more control over neurons, therapies based on these approaches will begin to emerge in …

Spinal disinhibition has been hypothesized to underlie pain hypersensitivity in neuropathic
pain. Apparently contradictory mechanisms have been reported, raising questions on the …

After spinal cord injury (SCI), the majority of individuals develop spasticity, a debilitating
condition involving involuntary movements, co-contraction of antagonistic muscles, and …

Both the ostensibly aversive effects of unpredictable episodes of social stress and the
intensely rewarding effects of drugs of abuse activate the mesocorticolimbic dopamine …