A5002727698- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Neuroscience and Neural Engineering
- Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques
- Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
- Congenital heart defects research
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Ion channel regulation and function
- Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Epilepsy research and treatment
- Nerve injury and regeneration
- Hearing, Cochlea, Tinnitus, Genetics
- RNA Interference and Gene Delivery
- Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- MicroRNA in disease regulation
- Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications
- Advanced Memory and Neural Computing
- Connexins and lens biology
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
2013-2023
University of Montana
2013-2022
University of Colorado Denver
2015-2018
Children's National
2009-2012
Georgetown University
2005-2009
Georgetown University Medical Center
2005-2009
Stanford Medicine
1999-2006
Stanford University
2000-2006
Huntsman (United States)
1999
Molecular Research Institute
1999
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by variable cognitive impairment and behavioral disturbances such as exaggerated fear, anxiety gaze avoidance. Consistent with this, findings from human brain imaging studies suggest dysfunction of the amygdala. Underlying alterations in amygdala synaptic function <i>Fmr1</i> knock-out (KO) mouse model FXS, however, remain largely unexplored. Utilizing combination approaches, we uncover profound inhibitory...
Neuronal rhythmic activities within thalamocortical circuits range from partially synchronous oscillations during normal sleep to hypersynchrony associated with absence epilepsy. It has been proposed that recurrent inhibition the thalamic reticular nucleus serves reduce synchrony and thus prevents seizures. Inhibition in slices mice devoid of γ-aminobutyric acid type-A (GABA A ) receptor β 3 subunit were examined, because rodent thalamus, is largely restricted nucleus. In knockout mice, GABA...
The prefrontal cortex of schizophrenics is hypoactive and displays changes related to inhibitory, GABAergic neurons, synapses. These include decreased levels glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the enzyme for GABA synthesis, upregulation muscimol binding, downregulation benzodiazepine binding GABAA receptors. Studies in visual nonhuman primates have demonstrated that gene expression GAD several receptor subunit polypeptides under control neuronal activity, raising possibility similar...
The relative abundance of alternatively spliced long (gamma2L) and short (gamma2S) mRNAs the gamma2 subunit gamma-amino butyrate type A (GABAA) receptor was examined in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex schizophrenics matched controls by using situ hybridization histochemistry semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) amplification. cRNA probe identifying both showed that transcripts are normally expressed at moderately high levels cortex. Consistent with previous studies, overall...
Journal Article Activity-dependent Changes in GAD and Preprotachykinin mRNAs Visual Cortex of Adult Monkeys Get access D. L. Benson, Benson Department Anatomy Neurobiology, University California at IrvineIrvine, 92717 Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic PubMed Google Scholar M. Huntsman, Huntsman E. G. Jones Cerebral Cortex, Volume 4, Issue 1, January 1994, Pages 40–51, https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/4.1.40 Published: 01 1994
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by severe cognitive impairments, sensory hypersensitivity, and comorbidities with autism epilepsy. Fmr1 knockout (KO) mouse models of FXS exhibit alterations in excitatory inhibitory neurotransmission, but it largely unknown how aberrant function specific neuronal subtypes contributes to these deficits. In this study we show circuit dysfunction layer II/III somatosensory cortex KO mice. We demonstrate reduced activation...
Robust GABA-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in neurons of the thalamic relay (TC) nuclei are important sustaining oscillatory activity within and thalamocortical circuits. The biophysical properties pharmacological sensitivities these IPSCs both depend on subunit combination γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABA A ) receptors. Recombinant GABA receptors containing δ (heavily expressed TC nuclei) have been shown to exhibit slowed desensitization rates high affinity for heterologous...
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading cause of inherited intellectual disability. Comorbidities FXS such as autism are increasingly linked to imbalances in excitation and inhibition (E/I) well dysfunction GABAergic transmission a number brain regions including amygdala. However, link between E/I imbalance deficits amygdala poorly understood. Here we reveal that normal tonic GABAA receptor-mediated neurotransmission principal neurons (PNs) basolateral (BLA) comprised both δ-...
Mice with an inactivated GABA(A) receptor beta(3) subunit gene have features of Angelman syndrome, including absence-like seizures. This suggests the occurrence abnormal hypersynchrony in thalamocortical system. Within thalamus, efficacy inhibitory synapses between thalamic reticular (RE) neurons is selectively compromised, and oscillations vitro are prolonged lack spatial phase gradients (). Here we used computational models to examine how intra-RE inhibition regulates intrathalamic...
In the developing mammalian basal telencephalon, neural progenitors from subpallium generate majority of inhibitory medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in striatum, while both pallial- and subpallial-derived contribute to excitatory neuronal diversity amygdala. Using a combination approaches, including genetic fate mapping, cell birth dating, migration assays, electrophysiology, we find that cells derived Emx1 lineage two distinct populations mature forebrain: MSNs striatum functionally subclasses...
The cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern the response of perinatal brain to injury remain largely unexplored. We investigated role white matter astrocytes in a rodent model diffuse produced by exposing neonatal mice chronic hypoxia—a paradigm mimics premature infants. demonstrate absence reactive gliosis immature following hypoxia, as determined astrocyte proliferation index glial fibrillary acidic protein levels. Instead, Nestin expression is transiently increased, glial-specific...
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder thought to arise from disrupted synaptic communication in several key brain regions, including the amygdala, central processing center for information with emotional and social relevance. Recent studies reveal defects both excitatory inhibitory neurotransmission mature amygdala circuits Fmr1 −/ y mutants, animal model of FXS. However, whether these are result altered development or simply faulty remains unknown. Using...
Abnormal cortical circuits underlie some cognitive and psychiatric disorders, yet the molecular signals that generate normal networks remain poorly understood. Semaphorin 7A (Sema7A) is an atypical member of semaphorin family GPI-linked, expressed principally postnatally, enriched in sensory cortex. Significantly, SEMA7A deleted individuals with 15q24 microdeletion syndrome, characterized by developmental delay, autism, perceptual deficits. We studied role Sema7A plays establishing...
The medial subnucleus of the amygdala (MeA) plays a central role in processing sensory cues required for innate behaviors. However, whether there is link between developmental programs and emergence inborn behaviors remains unknown. Our previous studies revealed that telencephalic preoptic area (POA) embryonic niche novel source MeA destined progenitors. Here, we show POA comprised distinct progenitor pools complementarily marked by transcription factors Dbx1 Foxp2. As determined molecular...
Inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) mediated by GABA A receptors are much slower in neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus (RTN) versus those ventrobasal complex (VB) young rats. Here we confirm and extend findings regarding response heterogeneity especially relation to development. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings were used investigate spontaneous electrically evoked IPSCs (sIPSCs/eIPSCs) RTN VB cells different aged Consistent with earlier findings, sIPSC duration at P8–12 was...
Long-term whisker removal alters the balance of excitation and inhibition in rodent barrel cortex, yet little is known about contributions individual cells synapses this process. We studied synaptic four major types neurons live tangential slices that isolate layer 4 posteromedial subfield. Voltage-clamp recordings reveal fast decay requires alpha1-containing GABA(A) receptors. After 7 weeks deprivation, we found GABA(A)-receptor-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs)...
Tonic inhibition mediated by extrasynaptic gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA A) receptors is a powerful conductance that controls cell excitability. Throughout the CNS, tonic expressed at varying degrees across different types. Despite rich history of cortical interneuron diversity, little known about in classes cells cerebral cortex. We therefore examined cell-type specificity and functional significance layer 4 mouse somatosensory barrel In situ hybridization immunocytochemistry showed...
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) plays a vital role in associating sensory stimuli with salient valence information. Excitatory principal neurons (PNs) undergo plastic changes to encode this association; however, local BLA inhibitory interneurons (INs) gate PN plasticity via feedforward inhibition (FFI). Despite literature implicating parvalbumin expressing (PV+) INs FFI cortex and hippocampus, prior anatomical experiments implicate somatostatin (Sst+) INs. lateral entorhinal (LEC) projects...
Subcortical and corticothalamic inputs excite thalamic neurons via a diversity of glutamate receptor subtypes. Differential expression alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA), kainate, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subunits (GluR1-4; GluR5-7; NR1, NR2A-D) on nucleus- cell type-specific basis was examined by quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry immunocytochemical staining for colocalized gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) or calcium binding proteins. Levels NMDA...