Ventral Tegmental Area Disconnection Contributes Two Years Early to Correctly Classify Patients Converted to Alzheimer’s Disease: Implications for Treatment

MDMA Abuse in Relation to MicroRNA Variation in Human Brain Ventral Tegmental Area and Nucleus Accumbens

Aim 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is one of the most widespread illegal drugs, used particularly by young people in the 15-34 age group. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously synthesized, non-coding and small RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate their target genes’ expression by inhibiting protein translation or degradation. miRNAs are increasingly implicated in drug-related...

The Response of Ventral Tegmental Area Dopaminergic Neurons to Bupropion: Excitation or Inhibition?

Introduction: Antidepressants can modulate brain monoamines by acting on pre-synaptic and postsynaptic receptors. Autoreceptors can reduce the monoamines effect on the somatodendritic or pre-synaptic regions despite its postsynaptic counter effects. The direct effect of some antidepressants is related to its temporal and spatial bioavailability in the vicinity of these receptors (still a matter...

MDMA Abuse in Relation to MicroRNA Variation in Human Brain Ventral Tegmental Area and Nucleus Accumbens

Aim 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is one of the most widespread illegal drugs, used particularly by young people in the 15-34 age group. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously synthesized, non-coding and small RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate their target genes’ expression by inhibiting protein translation or degradation. miRNAs are increasingly implicated in drug-related...

Opioid Agonists Inhibit Glutamatergic Input to Ventral Tegmental Area Neurons”

Cognitive Neurostimulation: Learning to Volitionally Sustain Ventral Tegmental Area Activation

Activation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and mesolimbic networks is essential to motivation, performance, and learning. Humans routinely attempt to motivate themselves, with unclear efficacy or impact on VTA networks. Using fMRI, we found untrained participants' motivational strategies failed to consistently activate VTA. After real-time VTA neurofeedback training, however, participants v...