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.
Ward, Caitlin (2007). Conditioned Place Preference and the Effect of Dopamine Antagonism on Cocaine Reward in Adolescent and Adult Rats.
Mentor: Dr. Anne Marie Brady
Abstract
Drug addiction is regulated by dopamine pathways in the human brain. Based on developmental differences between the adult and adolescent brain, it was hypothesized that adolescent and adult rats would respond differentially to treatment with drugs intended for cocaine anti-abuse. It was hypothesized that flupenthixol would block place preference in rats, and would be less effective in adolescent rats. Results show that rats demonstrated place preference, but found no differences between adolescents and adults, or groups receiving saline or flupenthixol prior to testing. Flupenthixol suppressed activity and movement, and had a greater affect on the suppression of movement in adult rats. These results suggest that behavioral responses to dopamine antagonism are different in adult and adolescent subjects.
