Jordan G. McCall

A Wireless Wearable Platform for Intravenous Drug Self-Administration in Freely Behaving Rats

The paper introduces a wireless wearable device for intravenous drug delivery in freely moving rats, showing it does not disrupt behavior and enables reliable drug administration.

Spared nerve injury induces long-term and brain region-specific changes in oligodendrocyte density in mice

This study shows spared nerve injury causes long-term, brain region- and sex-specific changes in oligodendrocyte density in mice, with no effect on oligodendrocyte precursor cells.

Psychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonism: neuronal signatures and altered neurovascular coupling.

This study investigates the effects of the psychedelic 5-HT2A receptor agonist DOI on neuronal activity, hemodynamics, and neurovascular coupling in mice using wide-field optical imaging.

Aging reduces motivation through decreased Bdnf expression in the ventral tegmental area

This study shows that aging reduces motivation in mice by decreasing Bdnf expression in the ventral tegmental area, and that this effect can be replicated by Bdnf knockdown in young mice.

Maternal separation disrupts noradrenergic control of adult coping behaviors

This study shows that maternal separation stress disrupts noradrenergic signaling in the locus coeruleus, leading to altered coping behaviors in adulthood.

Diverse ancestral brainstem noradrenergic neuron activity across species and biological factors

This study analyzes LC neuron firing patterns across species and biological factors, revealing diverse activity patterns and subregions enriched for specific factors and disease models.

Monosynaptic ventral tegmental area glutamate projections to the locus coeruleus enhance aversive processing

The paper identifies a novel monosynaptic glutamatergic projection from the ventral tegmental area to the locus coeruleus that enhances aversive processing through synaptic integration during salient stimuli.

Neural circuit-selective, multiplexed pharmacological targeting of prefrontal cortex-projecting locus coeruleus neurons drives antinociception

The paper develops a pharmacological strategy to selectively target neural circuits in mice, demonstrating antinociception through inhibition of prefrontal cortex-projecting locus coeruleus neurons.

Neuropathic injury drives a generalized negative affective state in mice

This study shows that spared nerve injury in mice does not significantly affect negative affective behaviors in short-term tests but reveals reduced motivation for food rewards in long-term testing.

Mu opioid receptors gate the locus coeruleus pain generator

This study identifies mu opioid receptors in the locus coeruleus as critical regulators of pain, showing they gate the LC's role as a pain generator through bidirectional modulation of hyperalgesia.

Chronic striatal cholinergic interneuron excitation induces clinically-relevant dystonic behavior in mice

Chronic excitation of striatal cholinergic interneurons in mice induces clinically-relevant dystonic leg adduction variability, supporting their role in dystonia and suggesting therapeutic targets.

Spared nerve injury causes motor phenotypes unrelated to pain in mice

The paper uses DeepLabCut to analyze limb positioning in mice after spared nerve injury (SNI) and finds motor phenotypes not related to pain.

An electrochemical approach for rapid, sensitive, and selective detection of dynorphin

This paper develops microimmunoelectrodes for electrochemical detection of dynorphin, showing sensitivity in the attomolar range and selectivity over other opioids.

Punishment Risk Task: Monitoring anxiogenic states during goal directed actions in mice

The paper introduces a new behavioral task, the punishment risk task, to study anxiogenic behaviors in mice and shows that anxiolytic drugs reduce response latency to reward cues under punishment risk.

Peripheral kappa opioid receptor activation drives cold hypersensitivity in mice

This study identifies a role for peripheral kappa opioid receptors in driving cold hypersensitivity through modulation of TRPA1 channels in mice.

In vivo detection of optically-evoked opioid peptide release

The paper develops a system to measure opioid peptide release in vivo using optogenetics, microdialysis, and mass spectrometry in freely moving rodents.