Kate A Lawson

Interrogating roles for VTA dopamine neurons in locomotion and ultrasonic vocalizations elicited by different classes of rewarding drugs.

Psychopharmacology July 14, 2026 Kate A Lawson, Stephen V Mahler

In humans, researchers can readily query the subjective states elicited by drugs of abuse, but no such introspective readout is currently available in rodents. Rats can convey information relevant to their internal states via ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). We sought to measure USVs and locomotor behavior as parallel behavioral indices of the effects of drugs and ventral tegmental area...