This project aims at studying and uncovering the allostatic adaptations occurring within the opioid system during pain and neuropsychiatric pathological states, to open new avenues for better management of pain conditions and psychiatric diseases.

We address and complete this mission using a combination of multidisciplinary approaches including molecular biology, pharmacology, neurophysiology, and genetic modeling of behavioral neuroscience.

Silencing dynorphin-containing neurons in the NAc reverses pain-induced negative affect. However, the nature of the downstream structures through which dynorphin-containing neurons mediates behavioral adaptations to pain remain to be determined.

The NAc dynorphin-containing neurons project densely to many structures involved in motivation including the Ventral Pallidum (VP), the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) and the Lateral Hypothalamus (LH).

Our current research aims at identifying the necessity for downstream brain centers in the development and maintenance of those behavioral adaptions induced by pain.