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Article
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) modulates dependence-induced alcohol drinking and anxiety-like behavior in male rats
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a devastating illness defined by periods of heavy drinking and withdrawal, often leading to a chronic relapsing course. Initially, alcohol is consumed for its positive reinforcing...
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Article
Reward sensitivity deficits in a rat model of compulsive eating behavior
Compulsive eating behavior is hypothesized to be driven in part by reward deficits likely due to neuroadaptations to the mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess deficits...
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Article
Small molecule modulators of σ2R/Tmem97 reduce alcohol withdrawal-induced behaviors
Repeated cycles of intoxication and withdrawal enhance the negative reinforcing properties of alcohol and lead to neuroadaptations that underlie withdrawal symptoms driving alcohol dependence. Pharmacotherapie...
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Article
The Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1 Agonist RO5256390 Blocks Compulsive, Binge-like Eating in Rats
Compulsive, binge eating of highly palatable food constitutes a core feature of some forms of obesity and eating disorders, as well as of the recently proposed disorder of food addiction. Trace amine-associate...
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Article
Pathological Overeating: Emerging Evidence for a Compulsivity Construct
Compulsive eating behavior is a transdiagnostic construct that is characteristic of medical and psychiatric conditions such as forms of obesity and eating disorders. Although feeding research is moving toward ...
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Chapter
Sigma Receptors and Alcohol Use Disorders
Although extensive research has focused on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying alcohol addiction, pharmacological treatments for alcohol use disorders are very limited and not always effect...
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Article
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) in the central nucleus of the amygdala induces anxiety via melanocortin receptors
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders in the USA. Characterized by feelings of uncontrollable apprehension, they are accompanied by physical, affective, and behavioral symptoms. The neuropepti...
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Article
Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide induces a depressive-like phenotype in rats
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic, life-threatening psychiatric condition characterized by depressed mood, psychomotor alterations, and a markedly diminished interest or pleasure in most activities ...
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Article
Diet-induced obesity and diet-resistant rats: differences in the rewarding and anorectic effects of d-amphetamine
Obesity is a leading public health problem worldwide. Multiple lines of evidence associate deficits in the brain reward circuit with obesity.
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Article
Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Peptide in the Central Amygdala Causes Anorexia and Body Weight Loss via the Melanocortin and the TrkB Systems
Growing evidence suggests that the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)/PAC1 receptor system represents one of the main regulators of the behavioral, endocrine, and autonomic responses to...
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Article
The Uncompetitive N-methyl-D-Aspartate Antagonist Memantine Reduces Binge-Like Eating, Food-Seeking Behavior, and Compulsive Eating: Role of the Nucleus Accumbens Shell
Binge-eating disorder is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable consumption of palatable food within brief periods of time. The role of the glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor system in hedonic...
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Article
High Trait Impulsivity Predicts Food Addiction-Like Behavior in the Rat
Impulsivity is a behavioral trait frequently seen not only in drug-addicted individuals but also in individuals who pathologically overeat. However, whether impulsivity predates the development of uncontrollab...
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Article
CRF–CRF1 Receptor System in the Central and Basolateral Nuclei of the Amygdala Differentially Mediates Excessive Eating of Palatable Food
Highly palatable foods and dieting are major contributing factors for the development of compulsive eating in obesity and eating disorders. We previously demonstrated that intermittent access to palatable food...
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Article
Rimonabant Precipitates Anxiety in Rats Withdrawn from Palatable Food: Role of the Central Amygdala
The anti-obesity medication rimonabant, an antagonist of cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor, was withdrawn from the market because of adverse psychiatric side effects, including a negative affective state. We inve...
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Article
CRF Mediates the Anxiogenic and Anti-Rewarding, But Not the Anorectic Effects of PACAP
Anxiety disorders represent the most common mental disturbances in the world, and they are characterized by an abnormal response to stress. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and its re...
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Article
The uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonists ketamine and memantine preferentially increase the choice for a small, immediate reward in low-impulsive rats
Impulsive behavior is categorically differentiated between impulsive action, the inability to withhold from acting out a response, and impulsive choice, the greater preference for an immediate and smaller rewa...
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Article
Antagonism of Sigma-1 Receptors Blocks Compulsive-Like Eating
Binge eating disorder is an addiction-like disorder characterized by episodes of rapid and excessive food consumption within discrete periods of time which occur compulsively despite negative consequences. Thi...
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Article
A modified adjusting delay task to assess impulsive choice between isocaloric reinforcers in non-deprived male rats: effects of 5-HT2A/C and 5-HT1A receptor agonists
Existing animal models of impulsivity frequently use food restriction to increase subjects’ motivation. In addition, behavioral tasks that assess impulsive choice typically involve the use of reinforcers with ...
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Article
Activation of σ-Receptors Induces Binge-like Drinking in Sardinian Alcohol-Preferring Rats
Sigma (σ) receptors have been implicated in the behavioral and motivational effects of alcohol and psychostimulants. Sigma receptor antagonists reduce the reinforcing effects of alcohol and excessive alcohol inta...
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Article
Selective reduction of alcohol drinking in Sardinian alcohol-preferring rats by a sigma-1 receptor antagonist
Sigma receptors have been implicated in appetitive effects of psychostimulants and in high levels of ethanol intake. This study tested the hypothesis that the sigma-1 receptor subtype (Sig-1R) may modulate eth...
