Astrocytes play active roles in information processing by sensing synaptic activity and releasing neuroactive molecules – called gliotransmitters – that modulate neuronal activity, synaptic transmission, and behavior. My previous work found that astrocytes in the Nucleus accumbens (NAc) – a brain region involved in positive and negative reinforcement – mediate the synaptic effects of dopamine and amphetamine and contribute to amphetamine-induced locomotion, highlighting astrocytes as fundamental elements of the brain reward system. Astrocytes express type-1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1R), the main elements of the endocannabinoid system, which have been implicated in different forms of synaptic plasticity, however, the role of astroglial CB1R on the physiology of the NAc and their behavioural consequences are unknown. My current work investigates the role of astroglial CB1R in synaptic plasticity in the NAc core and their effects on amphetamine-induced locomotion.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ana-Covelo