Rodents (especially Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus) have been the most widely used
models in biomedical research for many years. A notable shift has taken place over the last …

In recent years, animal models in psychiatric research have been criticized for their limited
translational value to the clinical situation. Failures in clinical trials have thus often been …

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES and LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER “Brilliant... riveting,
scary, cogent, and cleverly argued.”—Beth Macy, author of Dopesick, as heard on Fresh Air …

High rates of relapse to drug use during abstinence is a defining feature of drug addiction. In
abstinent drug users, drug relapse is often precipitated by acute exposure to the self …

Background Addiction is supposedly characterized by a shift from goal-directed to habitual
decision making, thus facilitating automatic drug intake. The two-step task allows …

The main characteristic of alcohol use disorder is the consumption of large quantities of
alcohol despite the negative consequences. The transition from the moderate use of alcohol …

The laboratory rat was the first mammal domesticated for research purposes. It is descended
from wild Norway rats, Rattus norvegicus, which despite their name likely originated in Asia …

One of the major functions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is to promote flexible motivated
behavior. It is no surprise, therefore, that recent work has demonstrated a prominent impact …

Findings from animal experiments are often difficult to transfer to humans. In this perspective
article I discuss two questions. First, why are the results of animal experiments often so …

Calcium imaging using GCaMP indicators and miniature microscopes has been used to
image cellular populations during long timescales and in different task phases, as well as to …