Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences

University of Kentucky

Theses/Dissertations

2019

Nucleus Accumbens

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Rapid No• Measures In Rat Nucleus Accumbens And Frontal Cortex Following Nasal Administration Of Nitroglycerin, Victoria A. Scott Jan 2019

Rapid No• Measures In Rat Nucleus Accumbens And Frontal Cortex Following Nasal Administration Of Nitroglycerin, Victoria A. Scott

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

Nitric Oxide (NO) is a powerful endogenous free radical that has numerous biological functions including vasodilation and serves as a post synaptic second messenger in the central nervous system (CNS). Numerous studies implicate NO• involvement in CNS disorders such as schizophrenia and drug abuse. These studies address the direct in vivo determination of an FDA-approved NO• donor (nitroglycerin) on extracellular levels of NO• in the frontal cortex and core of the nucleus accumbens in a lightly anesthetized rat. State-of-the-art in vivo amperometric recording techniques coupled with a novel 4-channel low noise pre-amplifier system and new generation microelectrode arrays (MEAs) will …


Neurobehavioral Measurements Of Natural And Opioid Reward Value, Aaron Paul Smith Jan 2019

Neurobehavioral Measurements Of Natural And Opioid Reward Value, Aaron Paul Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

In the last decade, (non)prescription opioid abuse, opioid use disorder (OUD) diagnoses, and opioid-related overdoses have risen and represent a significant public health concern. One method of understanding OUD is as a disorder of choice that requires choosing opioid rewards at the expense of other nondrug rewards. The characterization of OUD as a disorder of choice is important as it implicates decision- making processes as therapeutic targets, such as the valuation of opioid rewards. However, reward-value measurement and interpretation are traditionally different in substance abuse research compared to related fields such as economics, animal behavior, and neuroeconomics and may be …