Dopamine D2 receptors in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis modulate alcohol-related behaviors.

Dysregulation of the dopamine (DA) system is a hallmark of substance use disorders, including alcohol use disorder (AUD). Of the DA receptor subtypes, the DA D2 receptors (D2Rs) play a key role in the reinforcing effects of alcohol. D2Rs are expressed in numerous brain regions associated with the regulation of appetitive behaviors.

Gender and Sex Differences in Abdominal Pain, Fatigue, And Psychological Symptoms Among Adults with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Network Analysis.

Background And Aims: Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) experience a high symptom burden, including abdominal pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances; yet, little is known regarding the relationship between sex and gender on symptoms. We sought to report symptom severity for cisgender men, cisgender women, and transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals. In addition, we used network analysis to identify core symptoms and explore if symptoms and their relationships differ between cisgender men and cisgender women.

Molecular convergence of risk variants for congenital heart defects leveraging a regulatory map of the human fetal heart.

Congenital heart defects (CHD) arise in part due to inherited genetic variants that alter genes and noncoding regulatory elements in the human genome. These variants are thought to act during fetal development to influence the formation of different heart structures. However, identifying the genes, pathways, and cell types that mediate these effects has been challenging due to the immense diversity of cell types involved in heart development as well as the superimposed complexities of interpreting noncoding sequences.

Energy metabolism dysregulation, cerebrovascular aging, and time-restricted eating: Current evidence and proof-of-concept findings.

Dysregulated energy metabolism is a hallmark of aging, including brain aging; thus, strategies to restore normal metabolic regulation are at the forefront of aging research. Intermittent fasting, particularly time-restricted eating (TRE), is one of these strategies. Despite its well-established effectiveness in improving metabolic outcomes in older adults, the effect of TRE on preserving or improving cerebrovascular health during aging remains underexplored.

Phenotypes of sleep health among adults with chronic heart failure in a randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

Background: Poor sleep contributes to adverse health in heart failure. However, studies are limited to isolated sleep characteristics.

Purposes: To evaluate changes in sleep health phenotypes after cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia or attention control and associations between sleep health phenotypes, symptoms, stress, functional performance, and emergency department visits and hospitalizations.