Markus Heilig

Aug 7, 2024 | jneurosci.org | Michele Petrella |Esther Visser |Sofia Vellere |Markus Heilig

SubjectsWe used 206 Prkcd-hemizygotes (133 males and 73 females) and 174 wild types (88 males and 86 females) for molecular and behavioral experiments. Adult (7–9 weeks) male and female Prkcd-Cre rats weighing ∼350 and 250 g, respectively, at the beginning of the experiments were kept group housed (3–4 rats per cage) with ad libitum access to tap water and food pellets. Animals were housed in a temperature- and humidity-controlled vivarium on a 12 h light/dark cycle (lights off at 7:00 A.M.).

Jul 5, 2024 | jneurosci.org | Michele Petrella |Esther Visser |Markus Heilig |Sofia Vellere

AbstractActivity of central amygdala (CeA) PKCδ expressing neurons has been linked to appetite regulation, anxiety-like behaviors, pain sensitivity, and addiction-related behaviors. Studies of the role that CeA PKCδ+ neurons play in these behaviors have largely been carried out in mice, and genetic tools that would allow selective manipulation of PKCδ+ cells in rats have been lacking.

Jun 3, 2024 | jci.org | Markus Heilig |Katie Witkiewitz |Lara A Ray |Lorenzo Leggio

AbstractAlcohol-related harm, a major cause of disease burden globally, affects people along a spectrum of use. When a harmful pattern of drinking is present in the absence of significant behavioral pathology, low-intensity brief interventions that provide information about health consequences of continued use provide large health benefits.

May 19, 2023 | nature.com | Elisabeth Paul |Markus Heilig |Helen S. Mayberg

AbstractBiological assay and imaging techniques have made visible a great deal of the machinery of mental illness. Over fifty years of investigation of mood disorders using these technologies has identified several biological regularities in these disorders. Here we present a narrative connecting genetic, cytokine, neurotransmitter, and neural-systems-level findings in major depressive disorder (MDD).