Endocannabinoid (eCB), 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG), the most abundant eCB in the
brain, regulates diverse neural functions. Here we linked multiple homozygous loss-of-function …

Visualizing neural activity from deep brain regions in freely behaving animals through
miniature fluorescent microscope (miniscope) systems is becoming more important for …

The globus pallidus externa (GPe) functions as a central hub in the basal ganglia for processing
motor and non-motor information through the creation of complex connections with the …

Growing evidence supports a critical role for the dorsal striatum in cognitive as well as motor
control. Both lesions and in vivo recordings demonstrate a transition in the engaged dorsal …

Parkinson's disease causes the most profound loss of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1-positive
(ALDH1A1 + ) nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuron (nDAN) subpopulation. The …

Long-term potentiation (LTP) of excitatory afferents to the dorsal striatum likely occurs with
learning to encode new skills and habits, yet corticostriatal LTP is challenging to evoke …

Background Multiple missense mutations in Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are
associated with familial forms of late onset Parkinson’s disease (PD), the most common age-…

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 (ALDH1A1), a retinoic acid (RA) synthase, is selectively
expressed by the nigrostriatal dopaminergic (nDA) neurons that preferentially degenerate in …

The basal ganglia is a brain region critically involved in reinforcement learning and motor
control. Synaptic plasticity in the striatum of the basal ganglia is a cellular mechanism …

Key points Both endogenous opioids and opiate drugs of abuse modulate learning of
habitual and goal‐directed actions, and can also modify long‐term plasticity of corticostriatal …