Optogenetic manipulation of the prelimbic cortex during fear memory reconsolidation alters fear extinction in a preclinical model of comorbid PTSD/AUD.

Rationale And Objective: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are disorders of learning and memory that often occur comorbidly. Exposure to trauma-related cues can increase alcohol intake in PTSD patients that are using alcohol to self-medicate. The recurrence of anxiety symptoms with subsequent alcohol use may initiate a destructive cycle where stress and alcohol exposure impair the function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC).

The infralimbic cortex and mGlu5 mediate the effects of chronic intermittent ethanol exposure on fear learning and memory.

Rationale And Objectives: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often occur comorbidly. While the incidence of these disorders is increasing, there is little investigation into the interacting neural mechanisms between these disorders. These studies aim to identify cognitive deficits that occur as a consequence of fear and ethanol exposure, implement a novel pharmaceutical intervention, and determine relevant underlying neurocircuitry.

Reducing concussion symptoms among teenage youth: Evaluation of a mobile health app.

Objective: To evaluate whether a mobile health application that employs elements of social game design could compliment medical care for unresolved concussion symptoms.

Design: Phase I and Phase II (open-label, non-randomized, ecological momentary assessment methodology).

Setting: Outpatient concussion clinic.

Prefrontal Cortex K2 Channels Regulate mGlu-Dependent Plasticity and Extinction of Alcohol-Seeking Behavior.

Identifying novel treatments that facilitate extinction learning could enhance cue-exposure therapy and reduce high relapse rates in alcoholics. Activation of mGlu receptors in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex (IL-PFC) facilitates learning during extinction of cue-conditioned alcohol-seeking behavior. Small-conductance calcium-activated potassium (K2) channels have also been implicated in extinction learning of fear memories, and mGlu receptor activation can reduce K2 channel function.

Deficits in the extinction of ethanol-seeking behavior following chronic intermittent ethanol exposure are attenuated with positive allosteric modulation of mGlu5.

Alcoholism is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by periods of heavy alcohol consumption and unsuccessful attempts at abstinence. Relapse is one of the most problematic aspects in the treatment of alcoholism and is triggered by ethanol-associated cues. Extinction-based cue exposure therapies have proven ineffective in the treatment of alcoholism.