Behavioral addictions share symptomatological features with substance addiction. From the associative learning perspective, these characteristics include excessive and unregulated self-administration of sensory and other reinforcers, potentially reflecting the transition from goal-directed actions (action → outcome associations) to habitual responses (stimulus → response associations). In laboratory mice, light stimulation at an optimal intensity possesses some incentive properties and a brief light pulse represents an effective reinforcer for persistent operant responding.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study provides preliminary evidence for real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback (rt-fMRI NF) as a potential intervention approach for internet gaming disorder (IGD). In a preregistered, randomized, single-blind trial, young individuals with elevated IGD risk were trained to downregulate gaming addiction-related brain activity. We show that, after 2 sessions of neurofeedback training, participants successfully downregulated their brain responses to gaming cues, suggesting the therapeutic potential of rt-fMRI NF for IGD (Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBacteriophages Biscayne, Bush and GreenIvy were isolated from soil samples in Miami, FL using NRRL B-24224 as host. Transmission electron microscopy shows siphoviral morphologies for all three phages. Based on gene content similarity to other actinobacteriophages, they are assigned to the EE, GA and EA5 clusters, respectively.
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