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Distinct µ-opioid ensembles trigger positive and negative fentanyl reinforcement

Fentanyl is a powerful painkiller that elicits euphoria and positive reinforcement1. Fentanyl also leads to dependence, defined by the aversive withdrawal syndrome, which fuels negative reinforcement2,3 (that is, individuals retake the drug to avoid withdrawal). Positive and negative reinforcement maintain opioid consumption, which leads to addiction in one-fourth of users, the largest fraction for all addictive drugs4. Among the opioid receptors, µ-opioid receptors have a key role5, yet the induction loci of circuit adaptations that eventually lead to addiction remain unknown. Here we injected mice with fentanyl to acutely inhibit γ-aminobutyric acid-expressing neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), causing disinhibition of dopamine neurons, which eventually increased dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. Knockdown of µ-opioid receptors in VTA abolished dopamine transients and positive reinforcement, but withdrawal remained unchanged. We identified ....

National Comorbidity , Computational Framework ,

Your Gut Microbiome Might be Giving You Social Anxiety

Recent scientific research has shown that bacteria in the gut microbiome is related to having Social Anxiety Disorder. The research is anticipated to revolutionize future treatment. ....

Nordrhein Westfalen , John Cryan , University Of Bonn , National Comorbidity , Institute Of Human Genetics , Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement Report , Social Anxiety Disorder , Human Genetics , Professor John Cryan , Translational Psychiatry ,