Universidad del desarrollo

2 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Neuroscience

Use of Real-Time Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Neurofeedback to Downregulate Insular Cortex in Nicotine-Addicted Smokers

Mohit Rana^1,2, Sergio Ruiz^1,2, Andrea Sánchez Corzo^1,2, Axel Muehleck⁴, Sandra Eck⁴, César Salinas⁵, Francisco Zamorano^5,6, Claudio Silva⁵, Massimiliano Rea⁴, Anil Batra⁴, Niels Birbaumer^1,7,8, Ranganatha Sitaram^1,2,9

¹Departamento de Psiquiatría, Escuela de Medicina, Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, ²Laboratory for Brain-Machine Interfaces and Neuromodulation, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, ³Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, ⁴Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, ⁵Unidad de Imágenes Cuantitativas Avanzadas, Departamento de Imaágenes, Facultad de Medicina Clínica Alemana, Universidad del Desarrollo, ⁶División de Neurociencia, Centro de Investigación en Complejidad Social (neuroCICS), Facultad de Gobierno, Universidad del Desarrollo, ⁷Institute di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, ⁸Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering, ⁹Institute for Biological and Medical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

In real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI), brain activity is experimentally manipulated as an independent variable, and behavior is measured as a dependent variable. The protocol presented here focuses on the practical use of rtfMRI as a therapeutic tool for psychiatric disorders such as nicotine addiction.

Behavior

An Inescapable Cat Odor Exposure Protocol for Studying Innate and Contextual Threat Conditioning in Rats

María Rodríguez^1,2, Marco Contreras³, Marcos Domic-Siede⁴, Francisco Ceric⁵, Fernando Torrealba¹

¹Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, ²Instituto de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de O'Higgins, ³Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, ⁴Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, ⁵Laboratorio de Neurociencia Afectiva, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad del Desarrollo

Cat skin/fur odor exposure provides a reliable method to investigate neural circuits and mechanisms of defensive responses in rodents and may offer insight into mechanisms that mediate fear in humans. Here, we describe a protocol for investigating the role of the interoceptive cortex in threat responses in rats.