Kyle S. Smith

This study investigates how CeA neurons encode behavioral features during habit formation in rats performing a maze task, finding increased cFos expression and specific outcome-related activity.

This study shows that cue-evoked dopamine in the nucleus accumbens persists despite reward loss, encoding incentive salience rather than reward outcome.

The paper tests the CTC hypothesis by showing that a third of striatal neurons exhibit phase-dependent excitability in the delta frequency band.

This study shows that nucleus accumbens acetylcholine receptors differentially regulate flexibility and persistence in sign-tracking behavior without affecting cue motivational value.

This study investigates the effects of chronic chemogenetic manipulation of ventral pallidum neurons in rats on an obesogenic diet, finding unexpected weight gain despite hypothesized reductions in food consumption.

This study shows that NAcLSh to VP connections regulate sign-tracking behavior, while VP to NAcLSh connections do not, suggesting directional circuit roles in reward cue motivation.