Jun Wang

Subregion-Specific Input Organization of Prefrontal-Projecting Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Neurons and Weakened Striatum-to-NBM Inhibitory Transmission in 5xFAD mice

The paper maps input organization of mPFC-projecting basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and identifies weakened striatal-NBM inhibitory transmission in 5xFAD mice.

Extended Amygdala CRF Projections to Striatal Striosomes Potentiate Dopamine Suppression During Fentanyl Withdrawal

This paper identifies a CRF pathway in the extended amygdala that enhances striosomal suppression of dopamine during fentanyl withdrawal.

Dual Engram Architecture within a Single Striatal Cell Type Distinctly Controls Alcohol Relapse and Extinction

The paper identifies two distinct engram ensembles within striatal medium spiny neurons that encode opposing memories for alcohol relapse and extinction.

Alcohol Attenuates CRF-Induced Excitatory Effects from the Extended Amygdala to Dorsostriatal Cholinergic Interneurons

This paper identifies a CRF-CIN pathway linking the extended amygdala to the dorsal striatum and shows alcohol disrupts CRF-induced cholinergic activity.

Striatal Acetylcholine Dip-Rebound Is Induced by Direct Pathway Neurons and Encodes Action-Outcome Contingency

The paper shows that direct pathway neurons in the striatum induce an acetylcholine dip-rebound that encodes action-outcome contingency during learning.

Early-Stage Corticostriatal Circuit Hyperactivity Impairs Cholinergic Function and Cognitive Flexibility in an Alzheimer's Model

This paper identifies hyperactivity in the mPFC-to-DMS circuit in 5xFAD mice as a cause of cognitive inflexibility, showing that inhibiting this circuit improves cognitive function and reduces Aβ accumulation.

bstinence and Extinction Drive Opposing Changes in Striatal Activity and Dopamine Signaling During Alcohol Relapse

This study shows that abstinence and extinction training lead to opposing changes in striatal activity and dopamine signaling during alcohol relapse, with extinction reducing relapse-like behavior.

Traumatic Brain Injury Exacerbates Alcohol Consumption and Neuroinflammation with Decline in Cognition and Cholinergic Activity

This study shows that traumatic brain injury increases alcohol consumption and impairs cognition by reducing cholinergic activity and increasing microglial cells in mice.

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Impairs Striatal Cholinergic Function and Cognitive Flexibility in Adult Offspring

This study shows that prenatal alcohol exposure reduces cholinergic interneurons and their activity in the striatum, leading to impaired cognitive flexibility and compulsive drinking behaviors in adult offspring.

Optogenetic inhibition of light-captured alcohol-taking striatal engrams facilitates extinction and suppresses reinstatement

The paper inhibits striatal engrams involved in alcohol-taking behaviors to show reduced future alcohol-seeking and enhanced extinction.

Dynamic Responses of Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons Control the Extinction and Updating of Goal-Directed Learning

This study shows that burst firing of striatal cholinergic interneurons promotes extinction learning, while their pause is critical for reversing goal-directed behavior, and alcohol disrupts this process.

Drug Reinforcement Impairs Cognitive Flexibility by Inhibiting Striatal Cholinergic Neurons

This paper shows that drug reinforcement impairs cognitive flexibility by inhibiting striatal cholinergic interneurons through enhanced inhibitory transmission from direct-pathway medium spiny neurons.

Striatal Mu-Opioid Receptor Activation Triggers Direct-Pathway GABAergic Plasticity to Induce Negative Affect

This study shows that chronic opioid use induces GABAergic plasticity in striatal neurons, leading to hypodopaminergic states and negative affect, which contribute to relapse.

Chronic alcohol drinking persistently suppresses thalamostriatal excitation of cholinergic neurons to impair cognitive flexibility

This study shows chronic alcohol consumption impairs cognitive flexibility by reducing thalamic excitation of cholinergic neurons in the dorsomedial striatum.