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

Aggression is a phylogenetically stable behavior, and attacks on conspecifics are observed
in most animal species. In this review, we discuss translational models as they relate to …

At the core of value-based learning is the nucleus accumbens (NAc). D1- and D2-receptor-containing
medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc core are hypothesized to have …

Cocaine use disorder represents a public health crisis with no FDA-approved medications
for its treatment. A growing body of research has detailed the important connections between …

In this direct replication of Mueller and Oppenheimer’s (2014) Study 1, participants watched
a lecture while taking notes with a laptop (n = 74) or longhand (n = 68). After a brief …

The primary psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ 9 -THC),
has medicinal value but also produces unwanted deleterious effects on cognitive function, …

In pursuit of safer controlled-deactivation cannabinoids with high potency and short duration
of action, we report the design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of novel C9- and …

Rationale The attraction to alcohol can be greatly increased when it is consumed in a social
context. While pro-social interactions can potentiate voluntary alcohol drinking under some …

Behavioral strategies are often classified based on whether reinforcer value controls
reinforcement. Value-sensitive behaviors, in which animals update their actions when reinforcer …

Rationale Exposure to intermittent social defeat stress elicits corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)
release into the VTA and induces long-term modulation of mesocorticolimbic dopamine …