Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties.The harmful use of alcohol causes a large social and economic burden in societies.In 2012,about 3.3 million deaths,or 5.9%of all global deaths,w...Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties.The harmful use of alcohol causes a large social and economic burden in societies.In 2012,about 3.3 million deaths,or 5.9%of all global deaths,were attributable to alcohol consumption.Our incomplete understanding of mechanisms underlying aversion and negative affect associated with alcohol addiction impedes finding new treatment strategies.Repeated cycles of excessive alcohol drinking and withdrawal often result in a serious aberrant behavior disorder,inclusive of elevated anxiety level,increased pain sensitivity,and response to stress.This negative affective state is believed to play a critical role in the development of alcohol dependence and relapse.However,the underlying neuronal bases have not been well explored.A goal of my laboratory is to identify mechanisms underlying alcohol addiction,particularly the brain regions,circuits and synaptic targets responsible for the aversive consequences of alcohol withdrawal.We and others have shown that the Lateral Habenula(LHb)is a key brain structure that responds to various aversive signals,including those triggered by alcohol use.Research carried out in my lab has focused on exploring the role of LHb in alcohol dependence and its related repercussions.We made key discoveries regarding the effects of alcohol on the LHb,providing evidence for significantly increased activity and glutamatergic transmission in the LHb neurons in brain slices of alcohol-withdrawn rats,which is accompanied by significantly increased anxiety levels,pain sensitivity,and depressive-like behaviors.Importantly,these aberrant behaviors were diminished by suppression of activity or glutamatergic transmission in the LHb.Current work in my lab is to identify the role of synaptic inputs,particularly glutamatergic,to the LHb in the chronic alcohol drinking and withdrawal-induced neuronal and behavioral changes.The LHb receives significant synaptic inputs from the Globus Pallidus(GPh),and Lateral Hypothalamus(LH),among other bra展开更多
文摘Alcohol is a psychoactive substance with dependence-producing properties.The harmful use of alcohol causes a large social and economic burden in societies.In 2012,about 3.3 million deaths,or 5.9%of all global deaths,were attributable to alcohol consumption.Our incomplete understanding of mechanisms underlying aversion and negative affect associated with alcohol addiction impedes finding new treatment strategies.Repeated cycles of excessive alcohol drinking and withdrawal often result in a serious aberrant behavior disorder,inclusive of elevated anxiety level,increased pain sensitivity,and response to stress.This negative affective state is believed to play a critical role in the development of alcohol dependence and relapse.However,the underlying neuronal bases have not been well explored.A goal of my laboratory is to identify mechanisms underlying alcohol addiction,particularly the brain regions,circuits and synaptic targets responsible for the aversive consequences of alcohol withdrawal.We and others have shown that the Lateral Habenula(LHb)is a key brain structure that responds to various aversive signals,including those triggered by alcohol use.Research carried out in my lab has focused on exploring the role of LHb in alcohol dependence and its related repercussions.We made key discoveries regarding the effects of alcohol on the LHb,providing evidence for significantly increased activity and glutamatergic transmission in the LHb neurons in brain slices of alcohol-withdrawn rats,which is accompanied by significantly increased anxiety levels,pain sensitivity,and depressive-like behaviors.Importantly,these aberrant behaviors were diminished by suppression of activity or glutamatergic transmission in the LHb.Current work in my lab is to identify the role of synaptic inputs,particularly glutamatergic,to the LHb in the chronic alcohol drinking and withdrawal-induced neuronal and behavioral changes.The LHb receives significant synaptic inputs from the Globus Pallidus(GPh),and Lateral Hypothalamus(LH),among other bra
