This paper is the thirty-ninth consecutive installment of the annual review of research
concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2016 …

Several neurochemical systems converge in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to regulate cognitive
and motivated behaviors. A rich network of endogenous opioid peptides and receptors …

Aims General anesthesia has been used in surgical procedures for approximately 180
years, yet the precise mechanism of anesthetic drugs remains elusive. There is significant …

Pain management is the specialized medical practice of modulating pain perception and
thus easing the suffering and improving the life quality of individuals suffering from painful …

Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons presynaptic glutamate release plays
a very important role in the mechanism of morphine. Previously, a study from our lab found …

Glutamate receptors in mesolimbic areas such as the nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental
area, prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hippocampus (HIP) are a component of the mechanisms …

Drug addiction can be viewed as a chronic psychiatric disorder that is related to dysfunction
of neural circuits, including reward deficits, stress surfeits, craving changes, and …

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays a critical role in addictive drug‐induced behavioral
changes. d‐serine is present at high levels in the brain and is involved in the regulation of N …

Background: Chronic abuse of heroin leads to long-lasting and complicated cognitive
impairment. Dopamine receptors are critically involved in the impulsive drug-driven behavior …

Nucleus accumbens receives glutamatergic projection from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and
dopaminergic input from the Ventral tegmental area (VTA). Recent studies have suggested a …