About this Research Topic
The discovery of endogenous opioid peptides and receptors revolutionized biomedical research and clinical care. Since these discoveries several decades ago, opioid receptor pharmacology and the role of endogenous opioid systems in regulating specific areas of the brain and behaviors has been an area of intense research. These studies have revealed a plethora of behaviors that endogenous opioid systems regulate, including pain perception, affective behavior, motivation, cognition, social behavior, and homeostatic and autonomic control. Endogenous opioid systems regulate such diverse behaviors by virtue that these systems are embedded in circuits subserving specific aspects of behavior. This is of relevance as dysfunction in endogenous opioid systems has been implicated in a plethora of neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by alterations in many of the behaviors described above. To date, opioid receptor systems remain a promising therapeutic target for a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders and is an area of on-going development.
Recent advances in systems neuroscience have revealed that information processing within neuronal networks is managed by complex microcircuits within nodes of distributed, interconnected long-range-circuits. Despite significant advances, there is still a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how endogenous opioid systems are embedded in neuronal circuits. However, technical, and computational advances have recently made it possible to start dissecting their cellular pathways in various cell types and the role of opioid in regulating neural systems in animal models or Human.
In this Research Topic, our goal is to encapsulate a collection of articles that synthesize the state of opioid systems in Systems Neuroscience. We welcome contributions that cover diverse neural systems and/or behaviors where endogenous opioids serve a function, including but not limited to pain perception, affective behavior, motivation, cognition, social behavior, and homeostatic and autonomic control. Articles describing tools for studying opioid systems in animal models and/or humans are also welcome. Pre-clinical and clinical articles and reviews that advance our understanding of the role of endogenous opioid systems in regulating neural networks and microcircuits to ultimately influence behavior are welcome to be considered for publication. Contributions providing cellular and molecular viewpoints of opioid system function that provide context for systems neuroscience will also be considered.
Recent advances in systems neuroscience have revealed that information processing within neuronal networks is managed by complex microcircuits within nodes of distributed, interconnected long-range-circuits. Despite significant advances, there is still a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how endogenous opioid systems are embedded in neuronal circuits. However, technical, and computational advances have recently made it possible to start dissecting their cellular pathways in various cell types and the role of opioid in regulating neural systems in animal models or Human.
In this Research Topic, our goal is to encapsulate a collection of articles that synthesize the state of opioid systems in Systems Neuroscience. We welcome contributions that cover diverse neural systems and/or behaviors where endogenous opioids serve a function, including but not limited to pain perception, affective behavior, motivation, cognition, social behavior, and homeostatic and autonomic control. Articles describing tools for studying opioid systems in animal models and/or humans are also welcome. Pre-clinical and clinical articles and reviews that advance our understanding of the role of endogenous opioid systems in regulating neural networks and microcircuits to ultimately influence behavior are welcome to be considered for publication. Contributions providing cellular and molecular viewpoints of opioid system function that provide context for systems neuroscience will also be considered.
Keywords: Enkephalin, Mu-opioid receptor, Delta-opioid receptor, Kappa-opioid receptor, Dynorphin, Endorphin, Pain, Reward, Aversion, Cognition, Social behavior, Addiction, Compulsive, Stress Affect, Emotions, Learning and Memory, Limbic circuits
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