Marijuana exerts profound effects on human social behavior, but the neural substrates underlying such effects are unknown. Here we report that social contact increases, whereas isolation decreases, the mobilization of the endogenous marijuana-like neurotransmitter, anandamide, in the mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain structure that regulates motivated behavior. Pharmacological and genetic experiments show that anandamide mobilization and consequent activation of CB1 cannabinoid receptors are necessary and sufficient to express the rewarding properties of social interactions, assessed using a socially conditioned place preference test. We further show that oxytocin, a neuropeptide that reinforces parental and social bonding, drives anandamide mobilization in the NAc. Pharmacological blockade of oxytocin receptors stops this response, whereas chemogenetic, site-selective activation of oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus stimulates it. Genetic or pharmacological interruption of anandamide degradation offsets the effects of oxytocin receptor blockade on both social place preference and cFos expression in the NAc. The results indicate that anandamide-mediated signaling at CB1 receptors, driven by oxytocin, controls social reward. Deficits in this signaling mechanism may contribute to social impairment in autism spectrum disorders and might offer an avenue to treat these conditions.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1509795112 | DOI Listing |
J Surg Educ
January 2025
Washington University of St. Louis, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, St. Louis, Missouri.
Objective: Orthopedic residents are tasked with rapidly acquiring clinical and surgical skills, especially during their PGY-1 year. However, resource constraints and other factors frequently cause skills training to fall short of established guidelines. We aimed to design and evaluate a cross-institutional, month-long curriculum aimed at pooling resources to optimize training.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Nurs Adm
December 2024
Author Affiliations: Research Nurse Scientist (Dr Partridge), Roper St Francis Healthcare; Associate Professor (Dr Jorgenson), College of Nursing, Charleston Southern University; Associate Professor (Dr Johnson), College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina; and Director of Nursing Excellence (Dr Lott), Roper St Francis Healthcare, Charleston, South Carolina.
Objective: The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive study was to examine the relationship of professional governance, resilience, and empowerment among RNs in clinical practice in 1 healthcare system.
Background: Given the emotional and physical demands of nursing, especially in recent years, exploring ways that hope-inducing and resilience-building models can support professional practice is vital to the current and future nursing workforce.
Methods: An anonymous survey consisting of demographic questions, the Adult Hope Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire II was offered to 1450 RNs in a nonprofit community-based healthcare system for volunteer participation.
J Nurs Adm
December 2024
Author Affiliations: Assistant Professor (Dr Prothero) and Nurse (Sorhus and Huefner), College of Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.
Objective: This study explored nurse leaders' perspectives and experiences in supporting nurses following a serious medical error.
Background: Appropriate support is crucial for nurses following an error. Authentic leadership provides an environment of psychological safety and establishes a patient safety culture.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopmental research, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney 2050, Australia.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of Communication, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305.
There is a widespread perception that China's digital censorship distances its people from the global internet, and the Chinese Communist Party, through state-controlled media, is the main gatekeeper of information about foreign affairs. Our analysis of narratives about the Russo-Ukrainian War circulating on the Chinese social media platform Weibo challenges this view. Comparing narratives on Weibo with 8.
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