Parkinson's disease: Mechanisms and models

Schultz, Wolfram. Predictive reward signal of dopamine neurons. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1–27, 1998. The effects of lesions, receptor blocking, electrical self-stimulation, and drugs of abuse suggest t...

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Predictive Reward Signal of Dopamine Neurons

Missale, Cristina, S. Russel Nash, Susan W. Robinson, Mohamed Jaber, and Marc G. Caron. Dopamine Receptors: From Structure to Function. Physiol. Rev. 78: 189–225, 1998. — The diverse physiological actions of dopamine are mediated by at least five distinct G protein-coupled receptor subtypes. Two D1-like receptor subtypes (D1 and D5) couple to the G protein Gs and activate adenylyl cyclase. The other receptor subtypes belong to the D2-like subfamily (D2 , D3 , and D4) and are prototypic of G protein-coupled receptors that inhibit adenylyl cyclase and activate K+ channels. The genes for the D1 and D5 receptors are intronless, but pseudogenes of the D5 exist. The D2 and D3 receptors vary in certain tissues and species as a result of alternative splicing, and the human D4 receptor gene exhibits extensive polymorphic variation. In the central nervous system, dopamine receptors are widely expressed because they are involved in the control of locomotion, cognition, emotion, and affect as well as neuroendocrine s...

Dopamine Receptors: From Structure to Function

http://www.back-in-business-physiotherapy.com/images/files/DescendingControl.pdf

Descending control of pain.

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/gsas/g9600/2003/JavitchReadings/Schultz(Sulzer).pdf

Getting Formal with Dopamine and Reward

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized mainly by deficits in social communication and stereotyped and restricted interests. Deficits in social interactions in ASD animal models are generally analysed using the three chamber’s test paradigm that is simple to implement and use but fails to detect subtle social deficits or complex social behavior on an extended period of time within a group of mice. Here, we set up a novel procedure entitled the Live Mouse Tracker (LMT) that detects a great number of complex social behaviours that we recorded continuously for up to three days in groups of 4 mice. This was performed in the valproic acid (VPA) mouse model where VPA (450 mg/kg) was injected to pregnant females at E12.5. Studies were performed with a special focus on females given that ASD is 3-4 times more diagnosed in males than in females and that several ASD models failed to detect major social deficits in females, contrary to males. Comparisons were made within groups of 4 female animals with same treatment or within groups of different treatments (saline versus VPA). We report that VPA females show several types of social deficits and that are different in nature and magnitude in relation with time (from 1 hour to 3 days). These deficits were also different when VPA mice were tested together compared to when they were mixed with saline treated mice. Indeed, while social behavior was improved in VPA mice with the presence of saline mice that of saline mice was negatively affected by the presence of VPA mice. This study indicates that female VPA mice show several social deficits, contrary to the common knowledge. It further implies that ASD related behavior alters normal behavior in a mixed group of mice.

/pdf/complex-social-behaviour-during-an-extended-period-of-time-gyghqhva.pdf

Mohamed Jaber

Papers

Complex social behaviour during an extended period of time in a valproic acid animal model of autism spectrum disorder