Specialized astrocytes mediate glutamatergic gliotransmission in the CNS

Repetitive and Inflexible Active Coping and Addiction-like Neuroplasticity in Stressed Mice of a Helplessness–Resistant Inbred Strain

: Dysfunctional coping styles are involved in the development, persistence, and relapse of psychiatric diseases. Passive coping with stress challenges (helplessness) is most commonly used in animal models of dysfunctional coping, although active coping strategies are associated with generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic, and phobias as well as obsessive-compulsive and post-traumatic stress disorder. This paper analyzes the development of dysfunctional active coping stra...

Role of Stress-Related Dopamine Transmission in Building and Maintaining a Protective Cognitive Reserve

: This short review presents the hypothesis that stress-dependent dopamine (DA) transmission contributes to developing and maintaining the brain network supporting a cognitive reserve. Research has shown that people with a greater cognitive reserve are better able to avoid symptoms of degenerative brain changes. The paper will review evidence that: (1) successful adaptation to stressors involves development and stabilization of effective but flexible coping strategies; (2) this process requir...

Opposite genotype-specific effects of serotoninergic treatments on Pavlovian Conditioned Approach in mice of two inbred strains C57 BL/6J and DBA/2J

: Individual variability in the response to pharmacological therapies is a major problem in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Comparative studies of phenotypes expressed by mice of the C57BL/6J (C57) and DBA/2J (DBA) inbred strains can help identify neurobiological determinants of this variability at preclinical levels. We have recently demonstrated that whereas young adult mice of both strains develop sign-tracking in a Pavlovian Conditioned Approach (PCA), a trait associated with dysf...