Photobiomodulation Treatment with a Home-Use Device for COVID-19: A Randomized Controlled Trial for Efficacy and Safety.

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) using devices to deliver red and/or near-infrared light to tissues has shown promising effects in clinical settings for respiratory diseases, including potential benefits in managing symptoms associated with COVID-19. To determine if at-home self-administered PBMT for patients with COVID-19 is safe and effective. This was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) carried out at home during the COVID-19 pandemic (September 2020 to August 2021).

The effects of dopamine D4 receptor ligands on operant alcohol self-administration and cue- and stress-induced reinstatement in rats.

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter with 5 receptor subtypes, is critical to the dependence-forming properties of drugs of abuse. The role of the dopamine D receptor subtype in substance use disorders has remained somewhat elusive but the recent development of selective ligands holds promise for future investigations of this receptor subtype in substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder. The purpose of the present study was to further elucidate the effects of a selective antagonist (L-745,870) and agonist (PD 168,077) on alcohol self-administration and reinstatement induced either by cues or stress.

The Insula: A Brain Stimulation Target for the Treatment of Addiction.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a growing public health concern with only a limited number of approved treatments. However, even approved treatments are subject to limited efficacy with high long-term relapse rates. Current treatment approaches are typically a combination of pharmacotherapies and behavioral counselling.

Pulsed Near Infrared Transcranial and Intranasal Photobiomodulation Significantly Modulates Neural Oscillations: a pilot exploratory study.

Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) is the application of low levels of red or near-infrared (NIR) light to stimulate neural tissues. Here, we administer tPBM in the form of NIR light (810 nm wavelength) pulsed at 40 Hz to the default mode network (DMN), and examine its effects on human neural oscillations, in a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded trial. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we found that a single session of tPBM significantly increases the power of the higher oscillatory frequencies of alpha, beta and gamma and reduces the power of the slower frequencies of delta and theta in subjects in resting state.

Effects of disulfiram on choice behavior in a rodent gambling task: association with catecholamine levels.

Rationale: Gambling disorder is a growing societal concern, as recognized by its recent classification as an addictive disorder in the DSM-5. Case reports have shown that disulfiram reduces gambling-related behavior in humans.

Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether disulfiram affects performance on a rat gambling task, a rodent version of the Iowa gambling task in humans, and whether any changes were associated with alterations in dopamine and/or norepinephrine levels.

The Impact of Selective Dopamine D2, D3 and D4 Ligands on the Rat Gambling Task.

Gambling is an addictive disorder with serious societal and personal costs. To-date, there are no approved pharmacological treatments for gambling disorder. Evidence suggests a role for dopamine in gambling disorder and thus may provide a therapeutic target.

Involvement of the caudal granular insular cortex in alcohol self-administration in rats.

Animal models of substance abuse have established a role for the caudal granular insular cortex (CGIC) in drug taking behaviour for several addictive substances, yet nothing has thus far been reported for alcohol. The current research was undertaken to examine the involvement of the CGIC in a rat model of alcohol self-administration. We investigated the inactivating effects of local infusions of a γ-aminobutyric acid agonist mixture (baclofen/muscimol) into the CGIC on alcohol self-administration under a fixed ratio-3 (FR-3).

Differential Involvement of the Agranular vs Granular Insular Cortex in the Acquisition and Performance of Choice Behavior in a Rodent Gambling Task.

Substance-related and addictive disorders, in particular gambling disorder, are known to be associated with risky decision-making behavior. Several neuroimaging studies have identified the involvement of the insular cortex in decision-making under risk. However, the extent of this involvement remains unclear and the specific contributions of two distinct insular subregions, the rostral agranular (RAIC) and the caudal granular (CGIC), have yet to be examined.

Involvement of the rostral agranular insular cortex in nicotine self-administration in rats.

Our prior work demonstrated the involvement of the caudal granular subregion of the insular cortex in a rat model of nicotine self-administration. Recent studies in various animal models of addiction for nicotine and other drugs have identified a role for the rostral agranular subregion (RAIC). The current research was undertaken to examine the involvement of the RAIC in a rat model of nicotine self-administration.

Dopamine D3 receptors in the basolateral amygdala and the lateral habenula modulate cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine seeking.

Dopamine D3 receptors are implicated in cue-induced relapse to drug seeking. We have previously shown that systemic administration of a selective D3 antagonist reduces cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine seeking in rats. The current study sought to investigate potential neural substrates mediating this effect.

Translational strategies for therapeutic development in nicotine addiction: rethinking the conventional bench to bedside approach.

Tobacco produces an impressive burden of disease resulting in premature death in half of users. Despite effective smoking cessation medications (nicotine replacement therapies, bupropion and varenicline), there is a very high rate of relapse following quit attempts. The use of efficient strategies for the development of novel treatments is a necessity.

Electrical stimulation of the insular region attenuates nicotine-taking and nicotine-seeking behaviors.

Pharmacological inactivation of the granular insular cortex is able to block nicotine-taking and -seeking behaviors in rats. In this study, we explored the potential of modulating activity in the insular region using electrical stimulation. Animals were trained to self-administer nicotine (0.

Extinction bursts in rats trained to self-administer nicotine or food in 1-h daily sessions.

Extinction bursts are characterized by a temporary increase in responding when drug access is withheld from rats trained to self-administer drugs of abuse. Thus far, one study has examined extinction bursts for nicotine self-administration using a 23-h access paradigm [1]. Here we examined extinction bursts using previously published and unpublished data in which rats were trained to self-administer nicotine (0.

Nicotine-taking and nicotine-seeking in C57Bl/6J mice without prior operant training or food restriction.

The ability to examine genetically engineered mice in a chronic intravenous (IV) nicotine self-administration paradigm will be a powerful tool for investigating the contribution of specific genes to nicotine reinforcement and more importantly, to relapse behavior. Here we describe a reliable model of nicotine-taking and -seeking behavior in male C57BL/6J mice without prior operant training or food restriction. Mice were allowed to self-administer either nicotine (0.

Blockade of dopamine d4 receptors attenuates reinstatement of extinguished nicotine-seeking behavior in rats.

Since cloning of the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4), its role in the brain has remained unclear. It has been reported that polymorphism of the DRD4 gene in humans is associated with reactivity to cues related to tobacco smoking. However, the role of DRD4 in animal models of nicotine addiction has seldom been explored.

Varenicline decreases nicotine self-administration and cue-induced reinstatement of nicotine-seeking behaviour in rats when a long pretreatment time is used.

Effects of varenicline (Champix), a nicotinic partial agonist, were evaluated on subjective effects of nicotine (drug discrimination), motivation for nicotine taking (progressive-ratio schedule of intravenous nicotine self-administration) and reinstatement (cue-induced reinstatement of previously extinguished nicotine-seeking behaviour). Effects on motor performance were assessed in rats trained to discriminate nicotine (0.4 mg/kg) from saline under a fixed-ratio (FR 10) schedule of food delivery and in rats trained to respond for food under a progressive-ratio schedule.

Noradrenergic alpha1 receptors as a novel target for the treatment of nicotine addiction.

Nicotine is the main psychoactive ingredient in tobacco and its rewarding effects are considered primarily responsible for persistent tobacco smoking and relapse. Although dopamine has been extensively implicated in the rewarding effects of nicotine, noradrenergic systems may have a larger role than previously suspected. This study evaluated the role of noradrenergic alpha(1) receptors in nicotine and food self-administration and relapse, nicotine discrimination, and nicotine-induced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens in rats.

Granular insular cortex inactivation as a novel therapeutic strategy for nicotine addiction.

Background: Nicotine is the principal component of tobacco smoke, resulting in addiction, and recent evidence suggests that damage to the insular cortex (insula) disrupts tobacco addiction in human smokers. However, the effect of an inactivation of this structure in an animal model of nicotine addiction has yet to be evaluated.

Methods: To study this question, we investigated the effects of reversible inactivation of the granular insula by local injection of a gamma-aminobutyric acid agonists mixture (baclofen/muscimol) on nicotine self-administration (SA) under fixed and progressive ratio and on reinstatement of nicotine seeking induced by nicotine priming or nicotine-associated cues in rats.