Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biological Psychology Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Biological Psychology

Effects Of Optogenetic Activation And Pharmacological Modulation Of Dopamine Neurons, Remington J. Rice May 2016

Effects Of Optogenetic Activation And Pharmacological Modulation Of Dopamine Neurons, Remington J. Rice

All NMU Master's Theses

This study explored the use of optogenetic tools to better understand treatments used for schizophrenia. The “positive” symptoms (e.g., hallucinations, paranoia, etc.) of schizophrenia may come from overexpression of dopamine in mesolimbic dopamine neurons. Positive symptoms can be produced in healthy volunteers treated with amphetamine, a psychostimulant drug and dopamine releaser. Conversely, antipsychotic drugs may reduce positive symptoms by blocking dopamine receptors. This study used optogenetics to explore how drugs that alter neurotransmission, might alter behaviors occurring from activation of mesolimbic dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Light-induced activation of DA neurons in the VTA in male …


Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of 1.25 Mg/Kg Clozapine In Rats: Mediation By Serotonin 5-Ht2 And Dopamine D4 Receptors, Adam J. Prus, Laura Wise, Alan L. Pehrson, Scott D. Philibin, Benny Bang-Andersen, Jørn Arnt, Joseph H. Porter Jan 2016

Discriminative Stimulus Properties Of 1.25 Mg/Kg Clozapine In Rats: Mediation By Serotonin 5-Ht2 And Dopamine D4 Receptors, Adam J. Prus, Laura Wise, Alan L. Pehrson, Scott D. Philibin, Benny Bang-Andersen, Jørn Arnt, Joseph H. Porter

Journal Articles

The atypical antipsychotic drug clozapine remains one of most effective treatments for schizophrenia, given a lack of extrapyramidal side effects, improvements in negative symptoms, cognitive impairment, and in symptoms in treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The adverse effects of clozapine, including agranulocytosis, make finding a safe clozapine-like a drug a goal for drug developers. The drug dis- crimination paradigm is a model of interoceptive stimulus that has been used in an effort to screen experimental drugs for clozapine-like atypical antipsychotic effects. The present study was conducted to elucidate the receptor-mediated stimulus properties that form this clozapine discriminative cue by testing selective receptor ligands …