November 02, 2022
Meghan O'Toole
Jean-Marie Maddux researches treatment for co-morbid alcohol and tobacco use disorders
Assistant Professor of Psychology Jean-Marie Maddux recently published an article, “β2* nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes mediate nicotine-induced enhancement of Pavlovian conditioned responding to an alcohol cue,” in the journal Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.
“Substance use disorders affect a significant portion of the world’s population, prompting the need for effective treatment strategies,” Maddux wrote in her“Contribution to the Field” statement for the journal.“Although a variety of factors contribute to substance use, cues associated with drug use can trigger behavioral responses through Pavlovian conditioning. Hence, behavioral frameworks that incorporate Pavlovian conditioning are important to understanding continued substance use.”
Frontiers is the 3rd most-cited and 6th largest research publisher and open science platform. The publisher strives to make all science openly available.
The article Maddux published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience explores the relationship between alcohol and nicotine use.
“This research contributes to our understanding of potential targets for pharmacological treatment of co-morbid alcohol and tobacco use disorders,” Maddux said.“I hope readers will understand the utility of using simplified and controlled lab paradigms to address questions of societal relevance.”
Maddux was assisted by Leslie Gonzales ’21 and Nathaniel Kregar ’22, who supported the study design and methodology, conducted behavioral experiments, and performed statistical analyses.
The article was published in October 2022.
Related links
- Learn more about Jean-Marie Maddux
- Explore the Department of Psychology
- Explore the Department of Neuroscience