Seminars & Events
Monday, September 19, 2011: Dr. R. Christopher Pierce (University of Pennsylvania) will speak on "Epigenetic Inheritance of a Cocaine Resistance Phenotype" at 4:45 pm in Goodpaster 195.
Friday, November 4, 2011: Dr. Paul Shepard (University of Maryland Baltimore) will speak at 3:00 pm in Schaefer Hall 106.
Friday, November 11, 2011: Dr. Mark Bouton (University of Vermont) will speak at 3:00 pm in Goodpaster Hall 195.
Alumni Highlight
Dr. Erin Johnson '02 recently received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and was inducted as an alumni member of Nu Rho Psi.
SMP Spotlight
Ron Saul, "Chronic activation of the substantia nigra nociceptin/orphanin receptor induces motor deficits similar to Parkinson's disease," 2008. Saul, the 2008 winner of the Neuroscience Award, infused a drug into the substantia nigra of rats and measured the resulting motor behaviors, mood disturbances, and cognitive abilities.
McGill, Jacquelyn (2007). The Effects of Diazepam on Anxiety with Repeated Testing in Rats. Winner of a Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid of Research and a Psi Chi Undergraduate Research Grant.
Dr. Anne Marie Brady
Abstract
The locus coeruleus (LC) and the amygdala are two areas of the brain involved in anxiety. Benzodiazepines, such as diazepam, decrease anxiety behaviorally. Histological data using cFos also supports diazepam’s role in reducing anxiety, through possible regulation by the LC and amygdala. It was hypothesized that a dose-dependent decrease in anxiety after administration of 0, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg of diazepam would be seen both on the elevated plus maze and open field after repeated testing and on anxiety-induced cFos expression in both the LC and amygdala. No significant effects of dose were seen behaviorally or in the number of activated cells, suggesting either these areas do not influence anxiety or that different experiments are needed to see their effects.
