The long-term goal of this research is to gain a better understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying the hormonal control of behavior. This specific project is the initial step in determining if catecholaminergic neurotransmitters are involved in mediating the effects of hormones on behavior. The first goal of this project is to establish and validate methodology for delivering small amounts of drugs to into the ventricular circulation. Once the methodology is established, two studies will be run. They will serve both to validate the methodology and determine the effects of lowering catecholamine function on behavior. The first will examine the behavioral effects of decreasing norepinephrine levels primarily in telencephalic brain areas. The second will examine the effects of a more generalized depletion of both norepinephrine and dopamine. In both studies, norepinephrine and dopamine depletion in brain areas known to be involved in controlling the behaviors of interest will be monitored by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. This will allow examination of the relationship between catecholamine depletion in specific brain areas and alterations in normal behavior patterns. This work will serve as the foundation for a more extensive investigation of the involvement of the catecholamines in modulating hormone-sensitive behaviors. It is obvious that catecholamine dysfunction is involved in a number of serious mental health problems. This research seeks to clarify how catecholamines modulate normal behavior. The neuropharmacological studies will demonstrate how different brain areas respond to drug treatment and the behavioral consequences of neurochemical changes in specific areas.
| Barclay, S R; Harding, C F; Waterman, S A (1996) Central DSP-4 treatment decreases norepinephrine levels and courtship behavior in male zebra finches. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 53:213-20 |
