Paul E. M. Phillips

Nucleus accumbens dopamine encodes the trace period during appetitive Pavlovian conditioning

This study investigates how nucleus accumbens dopamine responds to reward-related stimuli during trace conditioning, finding bidirectional dopamine changes correlate with response latency.

Corticotropin-Releasing Factor in the Nucleus Accumbens Does Not Drive High Levels of Cocaine Consumption

This study investigates the role of CRF-R1 in the Nucleus Accumbens in cocaine consumption and finds that inhibiting or deleting CRF-R1 does not reduce cocaine escalation.

Kappa Opioid Receptors in Mesolimbic Terminals Mediate Escalation of Cocaine Consumption

This study shows that KOR on VTA neurons, not NAcC neurons, prevents cocaine escalation by blocking the transition to SUD-like behavior.

Cocaine Seeking And Taking Are Oppositely Regulated By Dopamine

The paper shows that cocaine seeking and taking are oppositely regulated by dopamine in rats, with cue-evoked dopamine changes linked to relapse and escalated consumption.

Repetitive blast promotes chronic aversion to neutral cues encountered in the peri-blast environment

This study shows that repetitive blast exposure in mice leads to chronic aversive responses to environmental cues, unlike single exposures, highlighting the complex effects of repeated trauma.