To understand brain function, it is essential that we discover how cellular signaling specifies
normal and pathological brain function. In this regard, chemogenetic technologies represent …

Compulsive drug seeking that is associated with addiction is hypothesized to follow a
heuristic framework that involves three stages (binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect …

Lateral hypothalamus (LH) neurons containing the neuropeptide hypocretin (HCRT; orexin)
modulate affective components of arousal, but their relevant synaptic inputs remain poorly …

Technological advances over the last decade are changing the face of behavioral
neuroscience research. Here we review recent work on the use of one such transformative …

The brain anxiety network is composed of a number of interconnected cortical regions that
detect threats and execute appropriate defensive responses via projections to the shell of …

Drugs of abuse cause persistent alterations in synaptic plasticity that may underlie addiction
behaviors. Evidence suggests glial cells have an essential and underappreciated role in the …

Stress is commonly regarded as an important trigger for relapse and a significant factor that
promotes increased motivation to drink in some individuals. However, the relationship …

Early work stressed the differing involvement of the central amygdala (CeA) and bed
nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in the genesis of fear versus anxiety, respectively. In …

It is widely thought that phasic and sustained responses to threat reflect dissociable circuits
centered on the central nucleus of the amygdala (Ce) and the bed nucleus of the stria …

The anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) has been recognized as a critical
structure in regulating trait anxiety, contextual fear memory, and appetitive behavior, and is …