Opioids are widely used as therapeutic agents against moderate to severe acute and
chronic pain. Still, these classes of analgesic drugs have many potential limitations as they …

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a center of integration for limbic information
and valence monitoring. The BNST, sometimes referred to as the extended amygdala, is …

The opioid epidemic has led to a serious examination of the use of opioids for the treatment
of pain. Opioid drugs are effective due to the expression of opioid receptors throughout the …

Abstract The United States is in the midst of an opioid addiction and overdose crisis
precipitated and exacerbated by use of prescription opioid medicines. The majority of opioid …

Chemical signaling through the release of neurotransmitters into the extracellular space is
the primary means of communication between neurons. More than four decades ago, Ralph …

Kappa opioid receptors (KORs) are involved in a variety of aversive behavioral states,
including anxiety. To date, a circuit-based mechanism for KOR-driven anxiety has not been …

The feeding process is required for basic life, influenced by environment cues and tightly
regulated according to demands of the internal milieu by regulatory brain circuits. Although …

Alcohol addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disease characterized by an impaired ability to
stop or control alcohol use despite adverse consequences. A main challenge of addiction …

World Health Organization data suggest that stress, depression, and anxiety have a
noticeable prevalence and are becoming some of the most common causes of disability in …

Pre-clinical and clinical evidence indicates that opioid drugs have stress-dampening effects.
In animal models, opioid analgesics attenuate responses to isolation distress, and in …