TRAPing Context- and Region-Specific Ensemble Activity Induced by (±) 3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- (±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has gained considerable traction as a novel therapeutic avenue for treatment-resistant psychiatric illness. Prior research suggests MDMA exerts its prosocial therapeutic effects via discrete nuclei in the striatum. Yet, the anatomical and functional features of these neuronal populations remain unclear. Using transgenic mice enabling activity-dependent neuronal labeling, we examine the region- and context-specific characteristics of neuronal ensembles generated following systemic MDMA delivery. This approach reveals MDMA-induced ensembles in unique segments of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) alongside the extended dorsal endopiriform cortex and claustrum (DEn/Cl). Ensembles in the NAc lateral shell are comparable following drug administration in social or nonsocial environments. By contrast, ensemble densities in the NAc medial shell and DEn/Cl are more robust when MDMA is delivered in social versus nonsocial conditions. This effect is replicated by d-fenfluramine (FEN), a selective serotonin-releasing compound. In describing the anatomical and context-dependent features of distinct MDMA ensembles, we set the foundation for broader functional studies.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Date modified | December 5, 2022 |
| Publication date | May 6, 2022; May 2022 |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | López, Ricardo |
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1136-9511
(unverified)
|
|---|---|---|
| Thesis advisor | Heifets, Boris | |
| Thesis advisor | Malenka, Robert |
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5428-5211
(unverified)
|
| Thesis advisor | Chen, Xiaoke |
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9032-9093
(unverified)
|
| Degree granting institution | Stanford University, Department of Biology |
Subjects
| Subject | MDMA, fenfluramine, methamphetamine, TRAP, neurobiology, biology, psychiatry |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
| Genre | Thesis |
Bibliographic information
Access conditions
- License
- This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 4.0 International license (CC BY-NC).
Preferred citation
- Preferred citation
- López, R. and Heifets, B. (2023). TRAPing Context- and Region-Specific Ensemble Activity Induced by (±) 3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at https://purl.stanford.edu/fk541qf4793
Collection
Undergraduate Theses, Department of Biology, 2021-2022
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