Project Summary

Mark E. Jackson, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2002) of Yale University School of Medicine, will study the activity of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons under stress.  Dr. Jackson hypothesizes that dysfunction of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) together with concurrent activation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) during stress may lead to erroneous activation of NAc output neurons, resulting in aberrant affective behavior.  The BLA and mPFC are both suspected to contribute to the pathology of PTSD.  These experiments should prove insightful for the study of the pathology of conditions associated with reduced mPFC functioning leading to affective disorders, including PTSD and schizophrenia.

Program Area: ANXIETY DISORDERS\Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

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