Alexis C. Thompson, PhD

Alexis C. Thompson, PhD.

Senior Research Scientist

Behavioral Neuroscience

Department of Psychology
College of Arts and Sciences

Contact Information

1021 Main Street
Buffalo, NY  14203-1016
Office Phone: (716) 887-2243
Lab Phone: (716) 887-2226
Email: athompso@ria.buffalo.edu

Primary Research Areas

Experience-induced or drug-induced neural adaptations associated with increased vulnerability to, or expression of, drug addiction, anxiety, and maternal behavior; mesolimbic cortical pathway function; neuropeptide regulation of monoamines; behavioral regulation of pain and analgesia.

Research Publications Expertise

Representative and Recent Publications

Curtin, L. I., Grakowsky, J. A., Suarez, M., Thompson, A. C., DiPirro, J. M., Martin, L. B. E., & Kristal, M. B. (2009). Evaluation of buprenorphine in a post-operative pain model in rats. Comparative Medicine, 59, 60-71.

Shippenberg, T. S., Chefer, V. I. and Thompson, A. C. (2009) Delta-opioid receptor antagonists prevent sensitization to the conditioned rewarding effects of morphine. Biological Psychiatry, 65,169-74.

Neumann, A., Hoey, R. F., Daigler, L. B., Thompson, A. C., & Kristal, M.B. (2009) Ingestion of Amniotic Fluid Enhances the Facilitative Effect of VTA Morphine on the Onset of Maternal Behavior in Virgin Rats. Brain Research, 1261, 29-36.
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.01.015

Shen, R. Y., Choong, K. C., & Thompson, A. C. (2007). Long-term reduction in ventral tegmental area dopamine neuron population activity following repeated stimulant or ethanol treatment. Biological Psychiatry, 61, 93-100.
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.03.018

Thompson, A. C., Kristal, M. B., Sallaj, A., Acheson, A., Martin, L. B. E., & Martin, T. (2004). Analgesic efficacy of orally administered buprenorphine in rats: Methodological considerations. Comparative Medicine, 54, 289-301.

Thompson, A. C., Zapata, A. Justice, J. B., Jr., Vaughan, R. A., Sharpe, L. G., & Shippenberg, T. S. (2000). Kappa-opioid receptor activation modifies dopamine uptake in the nucleus accumbens and opposes the effects of cocaine. Journal of Neuroscience, 20, 9333-9340.

Chen, L., He, M., Sibille, E., Thompson, A. C., Sarnyai, Z., Baker, H., Shippenberg, T., & Toth, M. (1999). Adaptive changes in postsynaptic dopamine receptors despite unaltered dopamine dynamics in mice lacking monoamine oxidase B. Journal of Neurochemistry, 73, 647-55.

Shippenberg, T. S., LeFevour, A., & Thompson, A. C. (1998). Sensitization to the conditioned rewarding effect of morphine and cocaine: Differential effects of kappa opioid receptor agonist U-69593. European Journal of Pharmacology, 345, 27-34.

Thompson, A. C., & Kristal, M. B. (1996). Opioid stimulation in the ventral tegmental area facilitates the onset of maternal behavior in rats. Brain Research, 743, 184-201.

Heidbreder, C. A, Thompson, A. C., & Shippenberg T. S. (1996). Role of extracellular dopamine in the initiation and long-term expression of behavioral sensitization to cocaine. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 278, 490-502.

Thompson, A. C., Justice, J. B., Jr., & McDonald, J. K. (1995). Quantitative microdialysis of neuropeptide Y. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 60, 189-198.