High expression of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor in brain regions significant for emotional learning regulates fear extinction and stress. This experiment examined coping with unexpected reward devaluations following chronic cannabinoid administration. R...

Nausea and vomiting are distressing side effects of chemotherapy treatment for cancer. Currently available first-line anti-emetic therapies (in particular 5-HT3 antagonists) have been critical in reducing these side effects, however, nausea in particula...

Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases classified by the accumulation of tau aggregates in diverse brain areas leading to distinct clinical manifestations. Evidence suggests that the propagation and transmission of tau throughout the brai...

A number of recent in vitro studies have described a role for endogenous cannabinoids (“endocannabinoids”) as transsynaptic modulators of neuronal activity in the hippocampus and other brain regions. However, the impact that endocannabinoid signals may have on activity-dependent neural events in vivo remains mostly unknown and technically challenging to address because of the short half-life of these chemical messengers in the brain. Mice lacking the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase [FAAH (−/−) mice] are severely impaired in their ability to degrade the endocannabinoid anandamide and therefore represent a unique animal model in which to examine the function of this signaling lipid in vivo . Here, we show that the administration of anandamide dramatically augments the severity of chemically induced seizures in FAAH (−/−) mice but not in wild-type mice. Anandamide-enhanced seizures in FAAH (−/−) mice resulted in significant neuronal damage in the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus for the bicuculline an...

Aberrant endocannabinoid signaling is implicated in epilepsy, mood disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, all of which frequently present with sleep/wake and circadian disturbances indicating that the endocannabinoid system may be involved in daily ...

Addiction is a chronic disease characterized by the compulsive use of drugs. The treatments are not very effective; in fact, 60%-70% of the addicts relapse in the first year of abstinence. Stress and inhibitory control are a risk factor in both consumpt...

Neonatal seizures and seizures of infancy represent a significant cause of morbidity. 30-40% of infants and children with seizures will fail to achieve seizure remission with current anti-epileptic drug (AED) treatment. Moreover, less than half of elect...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The rapid emergence of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) as drugs of abuse poses a significant challenge to health care systems and policymakers worldwide. The morbidity and mortality associated with SC use highlights the need for a d...

T-type calcium channels (CaV3.X) are critical for many physiological processes, altering their activity contributes to disease states including cardiac arrhythmia, epilepsy and pain. Interestingly, clinical reports of some severe adverse reactions attri...

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance among pregnant women, yet the effects of prenatal cannabis exposure on cognitive functioning in offspring remain largely unknown. With recreational cannabis laws now in effect in 8 states and counting...