Robert C. Malenka

Jun 5, 2024 | nature.com | Belgin Yalçın |Matthew B. Pomrenze |Kiarash Shamardani |Isabelle Chau |Kathryn Taylor |Robert C. Malenka

AbstractAll drugs of abuse induce long-lasting changes in synaptic transmission and neural circuit function that underlie substance-use disorders1,2. Another recently appreciated mechanism of neural circuit plasticity is mediated through activity-regulated changes in myelin that can tune circuit function and influence cognitive behaviour3,4,5,6,7. Here we explore the role of myelin plasticity in dopaminergic circuitry and reward learning.

Aug 17, 2023 | nature.com | Charu Ramakrishnan |Robert C. Malenka

AbstractAnimals must continually evaluate stimuli in their environment to decide which opportunities to pursue, and in many cases these decisions can be understood in fundamentally economic terms. Although several brain regions have been individually implicated in these processes, the brain-wide mechanisms relating these regions in decision-making are unclear.