Research activities Experimental approches Neuropharmacology Dopamine Members Publications Contact us
Dopamine in the healthy and Diseased brain
Our laboratory focuses its attention on a population of cells in the brain that are amongst the most fascinating in the central nervous system: the neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. These neurons play a key role in a number of normal brain functions. They are also implicated in the physiopathological mechanisms of diseases such as Parkinson's, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorders and Huntington’s disease.
Some of the world’s most prescribed drugs, including antipsychotics and psychostimulants have as a primary target this neurotransmitter or its receptors. The dopamine system is also the target of drugs of abuse including cocaine and amphetamine. Within this context, our team is interested in understanding the multiple regulatory mechanisms that control the functions of these neurons in the brain, as well as their ability to release dopamine and other chemical messengers. We pay special attention to the function of the dopamine receptors as well as the basic properties of the axon terminals and dendrites of these neurons.
We are presently trying to understand how the functions of dopamine neurons are perturbed in Parkinson's disease. Our work is contributing to the discovery of new fundamental knowledge about dopamine-producing neurons. We hope that one day our discoveries will contribute to the development of new strategies to treat the various diseases that implicate this particularly challenging neuronal population.
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
We are interested in many mechanisms regulating release of dopamine in the brain :
EXPERIMENTAL APPROCHES
Our experiments are realized principally on mice or rat brain. We are studying neurons with many cellular and molecular biology techniques:
