Jacqueline F. McGinty

Corticostriatal ensemble dynamics across heroin self-administration to reinstatement

This study uses two-photon calcium imaging to analyze corticostriatal neuron activity in mice during heroin self-administration and relapse, identifying distinct neuronal ensembles and their role in drug-seeking behaviors.

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) modulates synaptic plasticity in the rat infralimbic cortex via Trk-B receptor activation to reduce drug-seeking

This study shows that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) enhances extinction learning and reduces drug-seeking in rats by increasing BDNF and modulating TrkB receptors in the infralimbic cortex.

Accumbens Nitrergic Interneurons Drive the Cell Type-Specific Synaptic Plasticity Required for Cue-Induced Cocaine Seeking

This paper identifies nitrergic interneurons as key mediators of cue-induced synaptic plasticity in D1 MSNs required for cocaine seeking, showing that targeting nNOS or mGluR5 blocks relapse.

Heroin self-administration and extinction increases prelimbic cortical astroglia-synapse proximity and alters dendritic spine morphometrics that are reversed by N-acetylcysteine

This study shows heroin self-administration and extinction alter astrocyte structure and dendritic spine morphology in the prelimbic cortex, effects reversed by N-acetylcysteine.

Cocaine Self-Administration and Time-dependent Decreases in Prelimbic Activity

This study shows that cocaine self-administration reduces prelimbic cortex neuronal activity over time, and this decrease is linked to learned drug-seeking behavior.