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Faculty Lisa H. Conti
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
conti@psychiatry.uchc.edu
- B.A., University of Rhode Island
- Ph.D., University of Vermont
- Neuroscience
Graduate Program
- Accepting Lab Rotation Students: Summer '08, Fall '08, Spring '09
In my laboratory, we use behavioral neuroscience methods, and a
systems approach, to investigate the involvement of particular brain
regions and neurotransmitters in animal models of psychiatric disorders.
We study behaviors that model information processing deficits, such as
those seen in patients with schizophrenia, and fear-related behaviors,
such as those seen in post-traumatic stress disorder.
Rodent models are commonly used to study the neurobiology of specific
aspects of psychiatric disorders. These models allow us to investigate
the potential roles of particular brain systems in such disorders, as
well as the interaction among systems. One of my major interests is the
effects of stress, and the neuropeptides that are released during
stress, on behaviors that are endophenotypes of characteristics of
psychiatric disorders. The neuropeptide, corticotropin-releasing factor
(CRF) is released during stress, and is thought to be involved in
depression and anxiety. We have found that central administration of
this peptide neurotransmitter to rats diminishes a form of information
processing called prepulse inhibition (PPI). PPI is the decrease in the
startle response that results from brief presentation of a non-startling
stimulus. PPI is diminished in patients with schizophrenia and
post-traumatic stress disorder. One goal of our research is to study
how, and in which parts of the brain, CRF acts to diminish PPI. One
possibility we are examining is whether the effect of CRF on PPI is due
to a CRF-induced release of the monoamine neurotransmitters. We are also
examining the interaction between CRF and the monoamines on other
behavioral endophenotypes that model complex disorders. Additionally, we
have found that a particular inbred rat strain shows very low levels of
PPI, suggesting that this rat strain is a potential genetic model for
the types of information processing deficits seen in some psychiatric
disorders. Therefore, a second goal is to further characterize the
nature of the PPI deficit in this rat strain, and to examine whether
this strain displays other phenotypes informative for the neurobiology
of psychiatric disorders.
Selected Publications:
Conti, L.H. Central administration of low-dose corticotropin-releasing
factor (CRF) decreases prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle
response in Brown Norway but not in Wistar-Kyoto rats: Lack of effect of
peripheral CRF administration. (submitted)
Conti, L.H., Costill, J.E., Newcomb, J.D., Jaworski, R.L. Induction
of brain Fos by contexts following differential conditioning with
restraint stress: Additional effect of the stressor. (submitted)
Conti, L.H., Jirout, M., Schork, N.J., Breen, L., Vanella, J.J.,
Printz, M. P. (2004) Identification of quantitative trait loci for
anxiety-like and locomotion phenotypes in rat recombinant inbred
strains. Behavior Genetics, 34: 93-103.
Conti, L.H., Printz, M.P. (2003) Rat strain-dependent effects of
repeated stress on the acoustic startle response. Behavioral Brain
Research, 144: 11-18.
Palmer, A.A., Breen, L.L., Flodman, P., Conti, L.H., Spence, M.A.,
Printz, M.P. (2003) Identification of quantitative trait loci for
prepulse inhibition in rats. Psychopharmacology, 165: 270-279.
Conti, L.H., Murry, J.D., Ruiz, M.A., Printz, M.P. (2002) Effects of
corticotropin-releasing factor on prepulse inhibition of the acoustic
startle response in two rat strains. Psychopharmacology, 161: 296-303.
Conti, L.H., Palmer, A.A., Vanella, J.J., Printz, M.P. (2001) Latent
inhibition and conditioning in rat strains which show differential
prepulse inhibition. Behavior Genetics, 31: 325-333. |
