Yuki Nakamura

Operant training for highly palatable food alters translating mRNA in nucleus accumbens D2 neurons and reveals a modulatory role of Neurochondrin

This study shows that operant training with highly palatable food alters translating mRNA in NAc D2 neurons and that Ncdn downregulation modulates satiety-sensitive feeding behavior.

Dopamine D1 receptor-expressing neurons activity is essential for locomotor and sensitizing effects of a single injection of cocaine

This study shows that inhibiting D1-receptor neurons reduces cocaine-induced locomotor activity and prevents sensitization after repeated cocaine exposure.

Long-lasting tagging of neurons activated by seizures or cocaine administration in Egr1-CreERT2 transgenic mice

The paper describes a novel mouse model, Egr1-CreERT2, for permanently tagging neurons activated by seizures or cocaine, and shows that tagged neurons exhibit increased responsiveness to subsequent cocaine exposure.

Translational profiling of mouse dopaminoceptive neurons reveals a role of PGE2 in dorsal striatum

The paper identifies translational and splicing differences in dopaminoceptive neurons and highlights PGE2's role in enhancing D2 dopamine receptor function in the dorsal striatum.

fMRI detects bilateral brain network activation following unilateral chemogenetic activation of direct striatal projection neurons

This study uses chemogenetic activation of striatal neurons combined with fMRI to show increased thalamic and bilateral cortical activity and gamma-band oscillations.