Daniel F. Cardozo Pinto

Local control of dopamine release in nucleus accumbens gates opioid withdrawal aversion

The paper identifies Tshz1 neurons in the nucleus accumbens as critical for withdrawal aversion by modulating dopamine release and mGluR8 activity, offering a new therapeutic target for opioid use disorder.

Opponent regulation of striatal output pathways by dopamine and serotonin

The paper shows dopamine and serotonin regulate striatal output pathways through distinct neuronal populations, achieving opponent effects.

5-HT2C receptors in the nucleus accumbens constrain the rewarding effects of MDMA

This paper investigates how 5-HT2C receptors in the nucleus accumbens modulate MDMA's rewarding effects and prosocial behaviors through interactions with serotonin and dopamine release.

Striatal integration of inverse dopamine and serotonin signals gates learning

This study shows that integrating inverse dopamine and serotonin signals in the striatum is essential for associative learning.

Striatal dopamine integrates cost, benefit and motivation

This study shows that striatal dopamine release encodes cost, benefit, and motivation during operant tasks, with motivation inversely correlated with reward-evoked dopamine.

Distinct neural mechanisms for the prosocial and rewarding properties of MDMA

This study identifies distinct neural mechanisms for MDMA's prosocial effects and rewarding properties in mice, showing serotonin transporter and dopaminergic signaling play separate roles.