Sulzer, David

<p>Sep 13, 2016 08:10 PM</p>

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see Stfd 2016 talk below on dopaminergic neurons.</p>

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We study plasticity of neurotransmission and the events involved in cell death, particularly how the cortex, striatum, and dopamine system of the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area work together to produce learning, memory, and decision making.

These circuits are involved in how habits are learned, chosen, and executed. At some level, decision making and habit execution occurs via activity in the nervous system causing some synapses to be activated and others to be depressed, and our new optical and electrochemical methods are being used to establish the rules by which this synaptic selection occurs.

These same synapses are abnormally selected during disease: rewarding and behavioral effects of psychostimulant drugs such as cocaine, amphetamine and alcoholare due to increased extraneuronal dopamine in the nucleus accumbens from the neurons of the ventral tegmental area. These neurons are also sites of action of the antipsychotic drugs administered for treatment of schizophrenia. Our studies on basic properties of neurotransmission provided several new insights in synaptic regulation in the brain. These mechanisms likely have important roles in the establishment of memories and behavior, as well as schizophrenia and drug dependence.

Our studies promise to lend insight into the etiology and treatment of Parkinson's disease, which is caused by the death of dopamine neurons of the substantia nigra. We have also adapted the use of postnatal culture systems for the study of methamphetamine-induced neurodegeneration and Huntington's disease. The modification of these synapses may underlie autistic disorders.</p>

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