Shining light on an amygdala-brainstem connection relevant for attention processing

University Of Texas El Paso, El Paso TX

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Abstract

Abstract As a Hispanic graduate student with professional goals in the field of neuroscience, I am highly interested in contributing to the understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders afflicting the Hispanic minority in the U.S., such as anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. In recent years, novel biotechnologies have enabled a better understanding of the nervous system. However, critical gaps in the knowledge of the neural substrates and pathways impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders still remain. Therefore, my ultimate professional goal is to become a PI focused on identifying abnormal substrates and mechanisms associated with anxiety, depression or schizophrenia at a molecular and neural level. Moreover, I aim to understand how molecular and neural abnormalities lead to pathological behaviors in these disorders. This will allow scientists to identify targets and develop strategies to treat, cure or prevent these neurological disorders. Currently, in my pre-doctoral training, I am investigating the neural basis of sensorimotor gating (SG), a pre-attentive filtering mechanism that facilitates sensory information processing. SG depends on neuronal inhibitory mechanisms that help us focus attention by suppressing irrelevant sensory information in the brain. SG deficits are a hallmark of schizophrenia, but are also found in patients suffering from anxiety, ADHD, and OCD, among others. In addition, SG deficits compromise attention span, and are related to psychosis, hallucinations, delusions, obsessions and other symptoms. Despite this, there is no treatment for SG deficits mainly because the neural substrates and pathways underlying pre- attentive processing are not completely characterized. Interestingly, amygdalar function is impaired in many diseases associated with SG deficits, however, the SG targets of the amygdala are still ill defined. By using tract- tracing, immunoassays, and electrophysiological recordings with optogenetics in vitro and in vivo in mice, I characterized in more details the role of the amygdala to SG pathway. Results from this project will contribute to fill a critical gap in the knowledge of attention processes, and offer novel and potential therapeutic targets. During the F99 phase, I will further characterize this connection in vitro and add to my technical skills. In addition, I will attend scientific meetings, dissertation and grant writing workshops, submit manuscripts for publication, and expand my professional network. All these technical skills and professional qualifications will be essential to transition to a post-doctoral training. For the K00 phase, I plan to obtain a position in a laboratory focusing on the use of biomolecular strategies to investigate the basis of neurological disorders affecting the Hispanic minority. Similarly, during the K00 phase, I will continue to acquired professional skills and knowledge that will ultimately help me achieve my long-term professional goal of becoming a PI in an academic institution. Therefore, if awarded, this NIH transition award will greatly help me complete my dissertation research project, transition to the postdoctoral level, and continue growing as a neuroscientist.