Our research aims at identifying the psychological and neurobiological determinants of the different stages of addiction, drug choices and preferences in order to develop/improve strategies to prevent relapse.
To successfully tackle these goals, we compare drug- versus nondrug-preferring rats to elucidate the psychological and neurobiological substrates underlying the abnormal preference for the drug.
Our efforts are also concentrated in investigating the long-term preventive effects of a cue exposure procedure against relapse to reveal the brain regions that play a critical role in interoception, behavioral inhibition and motivation. Innovative techniques: in vivo recording, behavioral procedures for drug choices and preferences.
