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Full-Text Articles in Neurosciences
The Neural Encoding Of Reward In The Striatal-Pallidal Circuitry, Chung Lung Chan
The Neural Encoding Of Reward In The Striatal-Pallidal Circuitry, Chung Lung Chan
Dissertations (1934 -)
Humans and animals are constantly exposed to external stimuli. The ability to process reward value of a stimulus is critical to guiding appropriate behavior and essential for survival. These processes are regulated by neuronal activity and neurochemical signaling in the reward circuitry, particularly in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). The NAc receives dopaminergic inputs from the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) and sends GABAergic projections to the ventral pallidum (VP). Electrophysiological studies have characterized phasic neuronal responses in the NAc that differential encode appetitive and aversive taste stimuli. Exposure to an appetitive taste stimulus evoked predominantly phasic inhibitory responses in the …
A Neurobiological Pathway That Mediates Stress-Induced Drug Use, Oliver Vranjkovic
A Neurobiological Pathway That Mediates Stress-Induced Drug Use, Oliver Vranjkovic
Dissertations (1934 -)
Cocaine addiction represents a tremendous health and financial burden on our society and the high rate of relapse to cocaine use in abstinent addicts represents a major barrier to effective therapy. Thus, understanding the factors that contribute to relapse and the underlying neurobiological processes is important for guiding the development of treatment for addiction. Stressful life events often trigger drug use in recovering addicts. The contribution of stress to drug use is problematic due to the unpredictable and often uncontrollable nature of stress. A growing literature indicates that norepinephrine and corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) in the brain play key roles …
The Relationship Of Spasticity And Impairments In Force Regulation And Neuromuscular Fatigue Post Stroke, Reivian Berrios Barillas
The Relationship Of Spasticity And Impairments In Force Regulation And Neuromuscular Fatigue Post Stroke, Reivian Berrios Barillas
Dissertations (1934 -)
Hyperreflexia that causes muscle spasticity may contribute to limitations in force regulation and walking ability post stroke. Additionally, neuromuscular fatigue may reduce force regulation, which is important because fatigue can assist to strengthen muscles that control walking. Hyperreflexia may be caused by cortical disinhibition that allows Ia afferents to amplify excitatory synaptic inputs to motoneuron pools. Cortical disinhibition is presumably caused by stroke-related motor cortex damage. Although, other excitatory synaptic sources to motoneurons contribute to motor control, hyperreflexia may be one contributor that affects stroke survivors. However, hyperreflexia is reported infrequently to effect force regulation post stroke. The goal was …