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decision neuroscience
Jamie Donahey Roitman
RESEARCH
Anchor 6
Adolescent substance use
Substance use during adolescence has the potential to alter the developing prefrontal cortex and the behaviors that rely on mature prefrontal signaling. We study how opioids, cannabinoids, alcohol, and psychostimulant use during adolescence affects prefrontal activity and choices about probabilistic and delayed rewards in adulthood.
Food insecurity
Lack of predictable access to healthy food is a risk factor for overweight/obesity and impulsivity. We model the effects of food insecurity across the lifespan on physiology and behavior.
Modulation of reward
​We compare sensitivities to different modalities of reward - e.g. palatable food, brain stimulation - and examine how these sensitivities are modified by physiological and pharmacological signals.
Techniques
Behavior
Progressive ratio
Delay discounting
Probabilistic discounting
Reversal learning
Go/NoGo
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Neural measurements
Fiber photometry
Single unit recordings
Commonly Used Substances
Voluntary consumption of alcohol
Adolescent treatment with opioids, cannabinoids, stimulants
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Brain stimulation reward
Rate-frequency sensitivity
Reward for behavioral tasks
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Chemogenetics
Excitatory and inhibitory DREADDS
Immunohistochemistry
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Science through art
Baking Bad: Good gingerbread gone wrong
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