Psychostimulants and other drugs of abuse activate extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)
in the striatum, through combined stimulation of dopamine D 1 receptors (D1Rs) and …

Alcohol consumption is a moderately heritable trait, but the genetic basis in humans is
largely unknown, despite its clinical and societal importance. We report a genome-wide …

Dopamine orchestrates motor behaviour and reward-driven learning. Perturbations of dopamine
signalling have been implicated in several neurological and psychiatric disorders, and …

Addictive substances mediate positive and negative states promoting persistent drug use.
However, substrates for aversive effects of drugs remain elusive. We found that, in mouse …

Addictive drugs share the ability to increase dopamine (DA) levels and trigger synaptic
adaptations in the mesocorticolimbic system, two cellular processes engaged in the early stages …

The firing of mesolimbic dopamine neurons is important for drug-induced reinforcement,
although underlying genetic factors remain poorly understood. In a recent genome-wide …

Stress alters brain function by modifying the structure and function of neurons and astrocytes.
The fine processes of astrocytes are critical for the clearance of neurotransmitters during …

Gene transcription is essential for learning, but the precise role of transcription factors that
control expression of many other genes in specific learning paradigms is yet poorly understood…

Background: The mesolimbic dopamine system, composed primarily of dopaminergic neurons
in the ventral tegmental area that project to striatal structures, is considered to be the key …

Thalamocortical neurons (TCNs) play a critical role in the maintenance of thalamocortical
oscillations, dysregulation of which can result in certain types of seizures. Precise control over …