A5010093730- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Tryptophan and brain disorders
- Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
- Birth, Development, and Health
- Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
- Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Study
- Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
- Adipose Tissue and Metabolism
- Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Gambling Behavior and Treatments
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Neonatal and fetal brain pathology
- Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
Istituto Superiore di Sanità
2015-2024
Institute of Genetics and Biophysics
2009
University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"
2009
Ministero della Salute
2004-2006
Sigma Tau (Italy)
2004-2006
Presidenza Del Consiglio Dei Ministri
2006
The Behaviouralist (United Kingdom)
2005
Binghamton University
1995
Azienda Sanitaria Locale Roma 3
1991
Dopamine (DA) controls many vital physiological functions and is critically involved in several neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The major function of the plasma membrane dopamine transporter (DAT) rapid uptake released DA into presynaptic nerve terminals leading to control both extracellular levels intracellular stores DA. Here, we present a newly developed strain rats which gene encoding DAT knockout Rats (DAT-KO) has been disrupted...
Abstract Prenatal stress (PS) can produce profound and long‐lasting perturbations of individual adaptive capacities, which in turn result an increased proneness to behavioural disorders. Indeed, PS rats there is evidence impaired social play behaviour, disturbances a variety circadian rhythms , enhanced anxiety hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity. This study was designed experimentally investigate the degree reversibility PS‐induced HPA reactivity by assessing effect...
Epidemiological studies indicate that there is an increased likelihood for the development of nicotine addiction when cigarette smoking starts early during adolescence. These observations suggest adolescence could be a “critical” ontogenetic period, which drugs abuse have distinct effects responsible dependence later in life. We compared long-term behavioral and molecular repeated treatment either periadolescence or postadolescence rats. It was found exposure to periadolescence, but not...
Novelty seeking as well amphetamine sensitization were studied in adult (postnatal day "PND" > 60) and periadolescent (PND 3343) mice treated with saline or (2 10 mg/kg once per day) for 3 days a familiar environment. After 48-hr wash-out period, challenged either mg/kg) the same When given choice, animals showed preference novel environment, an effect more marked periadolescents. Acute strongly increased novelty adults, whereas it had opposite Adult chronic 2 group conditioned drug-paired...
Periadolescent rats have been reported to be affected differentially by catecholaminergic agents when compared with younger or adult animals. The present study evaluated the behavioral responsivity of periadolescent (34- 39-day-old) and (60- 70-day-old) Sprague-Dawley both sexes i.p. cocaine (Coc) administration (0, 10 20 mg/kg, once daily for 4 days). All animals received injections saline Coc every day paired a different context, one-half receiving drug in home cage (Coc-Home) other half...
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder affecting almost exclusively females, caused in the overwhelming majority of cases by loss-of-function mutations gene encoding methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2). High circulating levels oxidative stress (OS) markers patients suggest involvement OS RTT pathogenesis. To investigate occurrence brain damage Mecp2 mutant mouse models, several were evaluated whole brains Mecp2-null (pre-symptomatic, symptomatic, and rescued) Mecp2-308...
Alterations in dopamine neurotransmission are generally associated with diseases such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD). Such typically feature poor decision-making lack of control on executive functions, have been studied through the years using many animal models. Dopamine Transporter (DAT) knockout (KO) well heterozigous (HET) mice, particular, widely used to study ADHD. Recently, a strain DAT KO rats has developed (Leo et al. 2018). Here,...
Human adolescents may have experience with easily available psychoactive drugs. Impulsivity and/or peculiarities in reward systems play a role. These variables were studied adolescent (Postnatal Day [PND] 30-49) and adult (PND > 60) CD-1 mice. In Experiment 1 (impulsivity), food-restricted mice tested operant chambers 2 nose-poking holes that delivered food pellet immediately or 5 pellets after delay, respectively. Delay length was increased over days (0-100 s). Adolescent showed shift to...
The behavioral repertoire of male and female outbred CD-1 mice was characterized during development (postnatal Days 23-47). To assess the effects rearing condition, half subjects were individually housed (IC) at weaning (Day 21), while remaining in pairs (PC) same-sex siblings. occurrence 22 items scored nine social encounters, 3 days apart, between unfamiliar same-condition animals. Individually much more involved than paired solitary play interactions (affiliative, investigative,...
Abstract The capacity of an early environmental intervention to normalize the behavioural and immunological dysfunctions produced by a stressed pregnancy was investigated. Pregnant Sprague‐Dawley rats underwent three 45‐min sessions per day prenatal restraint stress (PS) on gestation days 11–21, their offspring were assigned either enriched‐environment or standard living cages throughout adolescence [postnatal (pnd) 22–43]. Juvenile from pregnancies had prominent depression...