Selected Publications

Sean Schrank, Joshua Sevigny, N. Ika Yunus, Katherine R. Vetter, Oscar Aguilar, Vivek Ily, Miki Valchinova, Alexandra T. Keinath, Dennis R. Sparta. (2024) Binge ethanol consumption enhances central amygdala neuroinflammation and can be attenuated by minocycline. Journal of Neuropharmacology. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110174

Rosa A.M. Marino, Kasey S. Girven, Antonio Figueiredo, Jovanna Navarrete, Carolyn Doty, Dennis R Sparta (2021) Binge drinking associated with sex-dependent plasticity of neurons in the insula that project to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Neuropharmacology. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108695

Sonia Aroni, Rosa A. M. Marino, Kasey S. Girven. James M. Irving, Joseph F. cheer, Dennis R. Sparta (2021) Repeated binge ethanol drinking enhances electrical activity of central amygdala corticotropin releasing factors in vivo.  Neuropharmacology. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108527

Kasey S. Girven, Sonia Aroni, Jovana Navarrete, Paige N. McKeon, Joseph F. Cheer, Dennis R. Sparta (2020) Glutamatergic input from the insula to the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis controls reward-related behavior. Addiction Biology. Doi: 10.1111/adb.12961

Kasey S. Girven, Dennis R. Sparta (2017) Probing deep brain circuitry: New advances in in vivo calcium imaging. ACS Chem Neuro. 15(8):243-51. Doi:10.1021/acschemneuro.6b00307

Dennis R. Sparta, Garret D. Stuber (2014) Cartography of serotonergic circuits.  Neuron.  83(3): 513-5. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.07.030

Dennis R. Sparta, Nanna Hovelso, Alex O. Mason, Pranish A. Kantak, Randall L. Ung, Heather K. Decot, Garret D. Stuber (2014)  Activation of prefrontal cortical parvalbumin interneurons during the presentation of reward-predictive cues facilitates extinction.  J Neurosci.  34(10):3699-705. Doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.0235-13.2014

Joshua H. Jennings*, Dennis R. Sparta*, Alice M. Stamatakis, Randall L. Ung, Kristen E. Pleil, Thomas L. Kash, Garret D. Stuber (2013) Distinct extended amygdala circuits for reward and aversion.  Nature496(7444): 224-8. Doi: 10.1038/nature12041

Dennis R Sparta, F. Woodward Hopf*, Stuart L. Gibb, Saemi L. Cho, Garret D. Stuber, Robert O. Messing, Dorit Ron, Antonello Bonci (2013) Binge ethanol-drinking potentiates corticotropin releasing factor R1 receptor activity in the ventral tegmental area.  ACER 37(10): 1680-7. Doi: 10.1111/acer.12153

Dennis. R. Sparta, Alice M. Stamatakis, Jana L. Phillips, Nanna Hovelso, Ruud van Zessen, Garret D. Stuber (2011) Construction of implantable optical fibers for long-term optogenetic manipulation of neural circuits.  Nature Protocols 7: 12-23. Doi: 10.1038/nprot.2011.413

Matthew J. Wanat*, Dennis R. Sparta*, F. Woodward Hopf, M. Scott Bowers, Miriam Melis, Antonello Bonci (2009) Strain specific synaptic modifications on VTA dopamine neurons after ethanol exposure.  Biological Psychiatry 65 (8): 646-653. Doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.10.042