Publications

Oliveira GVM, Suzuki GMF, Soriano RF, Alves LVC, de Carvalho MLC, Hernandes PM, Wotjak CT, Coimbra NC, Almada RC. Differential modulation of contextual fear conditioning by orexin receptors in the dorsal hippocampus. Behav Brain Res. 2025 Dec 25;501:116010. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2025.116010. Epub ahead of print.

Hernandes PM, Nascimento-Silva JMD, Buzzo MC, Oliveira GVM, Lovick TA, Almada RC, Zangrossi H Jr. Investigating panic-like defensive behaviors in mice using the beetle mania task. Behav Brain Res. 2026; 500:115969. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2025.115969. 

Oliveira, GVM., Hernandes, PM, Santos, FH, Coimbra, NC, Wotjak CT, Almada, RC. Orexin mechanisms in the prelimbic cortex modulate the expression of contextual conditioned fear. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2025; 242(3):521-532. doi:10.1007/s00213-024-06701-x. 

Suzuki GM, Oliveira GVMO, Hernandes PM, Coimbra NC, Wotjak CT, Almada  RC. Orexin mechanisms in the prelimbic cortex modulate the expression of contextual conditioned fear. Neuroscience Applied, 2024, Volume 2, Supplement 2. doi: 10.1016/j.nsa.2024.104778

Vilela-Costa HH, Hernandes PM, Nascimento-Silva JM, Frias AT, Almada RC, Lovick TA, Zangrossi H Jr. Neonatal limited bedding and nesting experience may lead to a sex-dependent increase in panic-like defensive behaviours in adult mice. Eur J Neurosci. 2024; 60(8):5900-5911. doi: 10.1111/ejn.16532. 

Coimbra NC, Hernandes PM, Dos Santos DHSP, Dos Santos Sampaio MF, de Freitas RL, Ullah F, Salmon CEG, Almada RC. In Vivo Neural Tract Tracing Procedures: Unravelling Neural Hodology Using Fluorescent and Non-fluorescent Neural Tract Tracers, Optogenetic Approach, and Diffusion Tensor Neurotractography Protocols. Methods Mol Biol. 2024; 2831:351-375. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3969-6_24

Falconi-Sobrinho LL, Anjos-Garcia TD, Rebelo MA, Hernandes PM, Almada RC, Tanus-Santos JE, Coimbra NC. The anterior cingulate cortex and its interface with the dorsal periaqueductal grey regulating nitric oxide-mediated panic-like behaviour and defensive antinociception. Neuropharmacology. 2024; 245:109831. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109831

Oliveira GVM, Dos Santos FH, Soares VPMN, Hernandes PM, Coimbra NC, Wotjak CT, Almada  RC. Orexin mechanisms in the prelimbic cortex modulate the expression of contextual conditioned fear. Neuroscience Applied, 2023, Volume 2, Supplement 2. doi: 10.1016/j.nsa.2023.103310

Falconi-Sobrinho LL, Dos Anjos-Garcia T, Hernandes PM, Rodrigues BMP, Almada RC, Coimbra NC. Unravelling the dorsal periaqueductal grey matter NMDA receptors relevance in the nitric oxide-mediated panic‑like behaviour and defensive antinociception organised by the anterior hypothalamus of male mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2023 Feb;240(2):319-335. doi: 10.1007/s00213-023-06309-7

Almada RC, Falconi-Sobrinho LL, da Silva JA, Wotjak CT, Coimbra NC. Augmented anandamide signalling in the substantia nigra pars reticulata mediates panicolytic-like effects in mice confronted by Crotalus durissus terrificus pit vipers. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2022 Sep;239(9):2753-2769. doi: 10.1007/s00213-022-06127-3

Soares VPMN, de Andrade TGCS, Canteras NS, Coimbra NC, Wotjak CT, Almada RC. Orexin 1 and 2 receptors in the prelimbic cortex modulate threat valuation. Neuroscience. 2021 Aug 1;468:158-167. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.06.006

Almada RC, Dos Anjos-Garcia T, da Silva JA, Pigatto GR, Wotjak CT, Coimbra NC. The modulation of striatonigral and nigrotectal pathways by CB1 signalling in the substantia nigra pars reticulata regulates panic elicited in mice by urutu-cruzeiro lancehead pit vipers. Behav Brain Res. 2021 Mar 5;401:112996. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112996 

da Silva JA, Almada RC, de Paiva YB, Coimbra NC. Endocannabinoid neuromodulation in the neostriatum decreases the GABAergic striato-nigral disinhibitory function and increases the nigro-collicular inhibitory pathway activity. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2020 Aug;127(8):1199-1208. doi: 10.1007/s00702-020-02217-8 

da Silva Soares R Jr, Falconi-Sobrinho LL, Almada RC, Coimbra NC. Dorsal raphe nucleus 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2A receptors are critical for the organisation of panic attack-like defensive behaviour and unconditioned fear-induced antinociception elicited by the chemical stimulation of superior colliculus neurons. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2019 Jul;29(7):858-870. doi: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.05.007

Calvo F, Almada RC, Dos Anjos-Garcia T, Falconi-Sobrinho LL, Paschoalin-Maurin T, Bazaglia-de-Sousa G, Medeiros P, Silva JAD, Lobão-Soares B, Coimbra NC. Panicolytic-like effect of µ1-opioid receptor blockade in the inferior colliculus of prey threatened by Crotalus durissus terrificus pit vipers. J Psychopharmacol. 2019 May;33(5):577-588. doi: 10.1177/0269881118822078

Almada RC, Genewsky AJ, Heinz DE, Kaplick PM, Coimbra NC, Wotjak CT. Stimulation of the nigrotectal pathway at the level of the superior colliculus reduces threat recognition and causes a shift from avoidance to approach behavior. Front Neural Circuits. 2018 May 7;12:36. doi: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00036

Dedic N, Kühne C, Jakovcevski M, Hartmann J, Genewsky AJ, Gomes KS, Anderzhanova E, Pöhlmann ML, Chang S, Kolarz A, Vogl AM, Dine J, Metzger MW, Schmid B, Almada RC, Ressler KJ, Wotjak CT, Grinevich V, Chen A, Schmidt MV, Wurst W, Refojo D, Deussing JM. Chronic CRH depletion from GABAergic, long-range projection neurons in the extended amygdala reduces dopamine release and increases anxiety. Nat Neurosci. 2018 Jun;21(6):803-807. doi: 10.1038/s41593-018-0151-z

Coimbra NC, Calvo F, Almada RC, Freitas RL, Paschoalin-Maurin T, Dos Anjos-Garcia T, Elias-Filho DH, Ubiali WA, Lobão-Soares B, Tracey I. Opioid neurotransmission modulates defensive behavior and fear-induced antinociception in dangerous environments. Neuroscience. 2017 Jun 23;354:178-195. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.04.032

Bassi GS, Carvalho MC, Almada RC, Brandão ML. Inhibition of substance P-induced defensive behavior via neurokinin-1 receptor antagonism in the central and medial but not basolateral nuclei of the amygdala in male Wistar rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2017 Jul 3;77:146-154. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.03.026

Coimbra NC, Paschoalin-Maurin T, Bassi GS, Kanashiro A, Biagioni AF, Felippotti TT, Elias-Filho DH, Mendes-Gomes J, Cysne-Coimbra JP, Almada RC, Lobão-Soares B. Critical neuropsychobiological analysis of panic attack- and anticipatory anxiety-like behaviors in rodents confronted with snakes in polygonal arenas and complex labyrinths: a comparison to the elevated plus- and T-maze behavioral tests. Braz J Psychiatry. 2017 Jan-Mar;39(1):72-83. doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1895

Reis FM, Almada RC, Fogaça MV, Brandão ML. Rapid activation of glucocorticoid receptors in the prefrontal cortex mediates the expression of contextual conditioned fear in rats. Cereb Cortex. 2016 Jun;26(6):2639-49. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhv103

Almada RC, Roncon CM, Elias-Filho DH, Coimbra NC. Endocannabinoid signaling mechanisms in the substantia nigra pars reticulata modulate GABAergic nigrotectal pathways in mice threatened by urutu-cruzeiro venomous pit viper. Neuroscience. 2015 Sep 10;303:503-14. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.06.048

Almada RC, Coimbra NC. Recruitment of striatonigral disinhibitory and nigrotectal inhibitory GABAergic pathways during the organization of defensive behavior by mice in a dangerous environment with the venomous snake Bothrops alternatus (Reptilia, Viperidae). Synapse. 2015 Jun;69(6):299-313. doi: 10.1002/syn.21814

Almada RC, Coimbra NC, Brandão ML. Medial prefrontal cortex serotonergic and GABAergic mechanisms modulate the expression of contextual fear: intratelencephalic pathways and differential involvement of cortical subregions. Neuroscience. 2015 Jan 22;284:988-997. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.11.001

de Oliveira AR, Colombo AC, Muthuraju S, Almada RC, Brandão ML. Dopamine D2-like receptors modulate unconditioned fear: role of the inferior colliculus. PLoS One. 2014 Aug 18;9(8):e104228. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104228

Almada RC, Albrechet-Souza L, Brandão ML. Further evidence for involvement of the dorsal hippocampus serotonergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic pathways in the expression of contextual fear conditioning in rats. J Psychopharmacol. 2013 Dec;27(12):1160-8. doi: 10.1177/0269881113482840

Albrechet-Souza L, Borelli KG, Almada RC, Brandão ML. Midazolam reduces the selective activation of the rhinal cortex by contextual fear stimuli. Behav Brain Res. 2011 Jan 20;216(2):631-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.09.006

Almada RC, Borelli KG, Albrechet-Souza L, Brandão ML. Serotonergic mechanisms of the median raphe nucleus-dorsal hippocampus in conditioned fear: Output circuit involves the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Behav Brain Res. 2009 Nov 5;203(2):279-87. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.05.017