Biological psychiatry
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Biological psychiatry · Jun 2016
Mapping Thalamocortical Functional Connectivity in Chronic and Early Stages of Psychotic Disorders.
There is considerable evidence that the thalamus is abnormal in psychotic disorders. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging has revealed an intriguing pattern of thalamic dysconnectivity in psychosis characterized by reduced prefrontal cortex (PFC) connectivity and increased somatomotor-thalamic connectivity. However, critical knowledge gaps remain with respect to the onset, anatomical specificity, and clinical correlates of thalamic dysconnectivity in psychosis. ⋯ Thalamocortical dysconnectivity is present in both chronic and early stages of psychosis, includes reduced thalamic connectivity with the executive control network, and is related to cognitive impairment.
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Biological psychiatry · Jun 2016
Mice Lacking GPR88 Show Motor Deficit, Improved Spatial Learning, and Low Anxiety Reversed by Delta Opioid Antagonist.
GPR88 is an orphan G protein coupled receptor highly enriched in the striatum, and previous studies have focused on GPR88 function in striatal physiology. The receptor is also expressed in other brain areas, and here we examined whether GPR88 function extends beyond striatal-mediated responses. ⋯ We demonstrate that GPR88 is implicated in a large repertoire of behavioral responses that engage motor activity, spatial learning, and emotional processing. Our data also reveal functional antagonism between GPR88 and DOR activities in vivo. The therapeutic potential of GPR88 therefore extends to cognitive and anxiety disorders, possibly in interaction with other receptor systems.