Publications by authors named "Elizabeth A Gilles-Thomas"
Article Synopsis
- - The study investigates how the insular cortex (IC) influences rats' sensitivity to the negative effects of ethanol, particularly in terms of conditioned taste (CTA) and place avoidance (CPA) responses.
- - Rats with lesions in the IC showed weaker responses to ethanol, failing to demonstrate significant avoidance behaviors compared to neurologically intact rats, indicating the IC's crucial role in processing these adverse effects.
- - Findings suggest that proper functioning of the IC is essential for detecting and responding to the negative sensations associated with ethanol consumption, which might be affected by chronic alcohol use.
Article Synopsis
- Nicotine dependence is closely linked with opioid use disorders (OUDs), and using both nicotine and opioids simultaneously can lead to more effective treatment outcomes than treating OUDs alone.
- The study explored how nicotine influences the self-administration of remifentanil (a synthetic opioid) in rats, focusing on their behavior under both rewarded and punished conditions.
- Results showed that nicotine increased the rats' consumption of remifentanil and made them less responsive to punishment, suggesting that nicotine not only boosts the desire to use opioids but also makes it harder for individuals to resist such cravings.
Background: Intermittent access to ethanol drives persistent escalation of intake and rapid transition from moderate to compulsive-like drinking. Intermittent ethanol drinking may facilitate escalation of intake in part by altering aversion-sensitive neural substrates, such as the insular cortex (IC), thus driving greater approach toward stimuli previously treated as aversive.
Methods: We conducted a series of experiments in rats to examine behavioral and neural responses associated with escalation of ethanol intake.