Mapping the Functional and Anatomical Pathways from the Anterior and Posterior Paraventricular Nucleus of the Thalamus to the Nucleus Accumbens: Implications for Opioid Use

The research will investigate how the PVT interacts with the NAc to modulate withdrawal symptoms during early and prolonged abstinence, impacting vulnerability to relapse in opioid use disorder. It builds on rodent studies suggesting glutamatergic projections from PVT to NAc are involved in negative affective states and relapse. The project will explore the heterogeneous nature of PVT and NAc, including subregions and neuron activity, to reveal complex neural mechanisms governing relapsing behaviors.