Author Archives: samweiss

Adolescence is a critical period of developmental changes in neurobiological and psychological systems, rendring it both a period of vulnerability for the emergence of risk factors associated with psychopathology and a period of opportunity for the implementation of targeted prevention and interventions. Anhedonia (i.e., the reduced ability to anticipate or...

Background: Neuroimmune dysfunction in alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with activation of myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88)-dependent Toll-like receptors (TLR) resulting in overexpression of the chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2). MCP-1 overexpression in the brain is linked to anxiety, higher alcohol intake, neuronal death, and activation of microglia...

Our laboratory has previously shown that chronic ethanol exposure elicits enhanced working memory performance in female, but not male, adult Sprague-Dawley rats, indicative of a fundamental sex difference in cortical plasticity. Recent studies have furthermore revealed that females display markedly reduced HCN-mediated channel activity in inhibitory Martinotti interneurons after chronic...

This study investigates the impact of allopregnanolone ([3α,5α]3-hydroxypregnan-20-one or 3α,5α-tetrahydroprogesterone (3α,5α-THP); 10 mg/kg, IP) on fractalkine/CX3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) levels, associated signaling components, and markers for microglial and astrocytic cells in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of male and female alcohol-preferring (P) rats. Previous research suggested that 3α,5α-THP enhances...

CHAPEL HILL, NC – Anhedonia, the inability to anticipate or experience pleasure, can emerge during adolescence and often precedes the onset of more severe psychopathology such as mood disorders and psychosis. The condition is difficult to treat, but UNC Psychiatry researchers hope that by examining the physiological and neural response...

Dr. Johnson is a geriatric psychiatrist who specializes in treating mental health concerns and neurocognitive disorders in older adults. She works in inpatient , outpatient , and long term care settings. Her areas of interest include the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia , caregiver burnout , and resident education.