University of Cagliari

About: University of Cagliari is a education organization based out in Cagliari, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Dopamine. The organization has 11029 authors who have published 29046 publications receiving 771023 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Cagliari & Universita degli Studi di Cagliari.

Biharmonic submanifolds in spheres

Abstract: We give some methods to construct examples of nonharmonic biharmonic submanifolds of the unitn-dimensional sphereS n . In the case of curves inS n we solve explicitly the biharmonic equation.

Plasma and platelet excitatory amino acids in psychiatric disorders

Abstract: Plasma and platelet levels of excitatory amino acids were measured in 38 psychiatric outpatients and in 1 9 comparison subjects; the patients had DSM-III-R diagnoses of organic mental disorders (N=3), mood disorders (N=1 5), schizophrenia (N=13), and anxiety disorders (N=7). The glutamate plasma levels were significantly higher in the patients with mood disorders than in the comparison group. (Am J Psychiatry 1993; 150:1731-1733)

Drug addiction as a disorder of associative learning. Role of nucleus accumbens shell/extended amygdala dopamine.

Abstract: Conventional reinforcers phasically stimulate dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens shell. This property undergoes one-trial habituation consistent with a role of nucleus accumbens shell dopamine in associative learning. Experimental studies with place- and taste-conditioning paradigms confirm this role. Addictive drugs share with conventional reinforcers the property of stimulating dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens shell. This response, however, undergoes one-trial habituation in the case of conventional reinforcers but not of drugs. Resistance to habituation allows drugs to repetitively activate dopamine transmission in the shell upon repeated self-administration. This process abnormally facilitates associative learning, leading to the attribution of excessive motivational value to discrete stimuli or contexts predictive of drug availability. Addiction is therefore the expression of the excessive control over behavior acquired by drug-related stimuli as a result of abnormal strenghtening of stimulus-drug contingencies by nondecremental drug-induced stimulation of dopamine transmission in the nucleus accumbens shell.