Cannabinoid function in the CNS is a new Gordon Conference whose aim is to bring together established scientists, post-docs, and graduate students interested in the roles that endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids have in modulating neuronal activity. It will be held at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine from July 17, 2005 through July 22, 2005. Recent work from a number of labs suggests that endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) play a major role in regulating short and long-term plasticity in many neural circuits. Simultaneously, it is becoming clear that endocannabinoids are involved in several forms of behavior, including specific forms of reward and aversion. Finally, the implications of the widespread recreational and therapeutic use of cannabinoids on the efficacy of endocannabinoid signaling are just beginning to be appreciated. It is the goal of this conference to explore and integrate these relationships in depth and to identify the most important areas to be investigated in the cannabinoid field for the next several years. Topics will include: 1.Pharmacological probes of the endocannabinoid system 2. Endocannabinoid synthesis and inactivation 3.Cannabinoid receptors and signal transduction 4. Cannabinoid interaction with other signaling systems 5.Cannabinoids and short term plasticity 6.Cannabinoids and long-term plasticity 7.Cannabinoids and reward: food, sex, & aversion 8. Adaptive changes following chronic cannabinoid use.
