Preclinical approaches for understanding changes in basal ganglia function and flexible behaviour relevant to psychiatric disorders
Speaker: Dr Lizzie Manning
Senior Lecturer
University of Newcastle
Preclinical approaches for understanding changes in basal ganglia function and flexible behaviour relevant to psychiatric disorders
Disturbances in flexible behaviour are a core feature of many psychiatric disorders including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), substance use disorder and depression. While the symptoms associated with this inflexibility differ between these disorders (e.g. compulsive rituals, drug relapse and rumination), there is evidence for convergence at the level of the basal ganglia.
This presentation will focus on work from my team aimed at understanding inflexible behaviours relevant to OCD, using advanced in vivo neuroscience tools including miniature microscopes and optogenetics, combined with translational tasks in preclinical models. My team’s work has examined differential contributions of striatal direct and indirect pathway to compulsive behaviour, and new studies are extending this to understand how striatal activity contributes to inflexible decision making and avoidance relevant to OCD. We are also studying pathways that exacerbate inflexible behaviours during stress, and how established and emerging treatments can correct neural activity patterns associated with inflexible behaviours.
Ultimately, we aim to develop new neuroscience guided treatment for inflexible behaviour, with the potential for transdiagnostic efficacy to restore flexible behaviour across different disorders.
About Neuroscience Seminars
Neuroscience seminars at the QBI play a major role in the advancement of neuroscience in the Asia-Pacific region. The primary goal of these seminars is to promote excellence in neuroscience through the exchange of ideas, establishing new collaborations and augmenting partnerships already in place.
Seminars in the QBI Auditorium on Level 7 are held on Wednesdays at 12-1pm, which are sometimes simulcast on Zoom (with approval from the speaker). We also occassionally hold seminars from international speakers via Zoom. The days and times of these seminars will vary depending on the time zone of the speaker. Please see each seminar listed below for details.
