Neurobiology of emotion

Neurobiology

Life experiences have a profound impact on the brain. Our lab is interested in (1) understanding the neurocircuitry of emotion, (2) its modulation by experience and (3) the alterations in emotional neurocircuitry that underlie complex psychiatric disorders like depression. Using animal models of depression, some of which are based on perturbations of early life experience, we study the molecular, epigenetic and cellular changes that contribute to persistent alterations in behavior. We also study the molecular and cellular adaptations that arise from sustained antidepressant treatment. One such adaptation is the regulation of adult neural stem cells and we are interested in the pathways that regulate adult neurogenesis and their contribution to depression-related behavior. Our lab uses pharmacological and genetic approaches, and tools such as microarrays, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and behavioral tests to understand the neurocircuitry of emotion.

Publications

1. Desouza LA, Sathanoori M, Kapoor R, Rajadhyaksha N, Gonzalez LE, Kottmann AH, Tole S, Vaidya VA (2011) Thyroid Hormone Regulates the Expression of the Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in the Embryonic and Adult Mammalian Brain. Endocrinology (in press).
2. Benekareddy M#, Goodfellow NM#, Lambe EK*, Vaidya VA* (2010) Enhanced function of prefrontal serotonin 5-HT2 receptors in a rat model of psychiatric vulnerability. Journal of Neuroscience 30(36):12138. (# equal first authors, * equal corresponding authors)
3. Yanpallewar SU, Fernandes K, Marathe SV, Vadodaria KC, Jhaveri D, Rommelfanger K, Ladiwala U, Jha S, Muthig V, Hein L, Bartlett P, Weinshenker D, Vaidya VA (2010) alpha-2-adrenoceptor blockade accelerates the neurogenic, neurotrophic, and behavioral effects of chronic antidepressant treatment. Journal of Neuroscience 30: 1096.
4. Jha S, Rajendran R, Fernandes KA, Vaidya VA (2008) Regulation of adult hippocampal progenitor proliferation by serotonin 2A/2C receptors- implications for the actions of antidepressants and hallucinogens. Neuroscience Letters 441: 210.
5. Nair A, Vadodaria KC, Banerjee SB, Benekareddy M, Dias BG, Duman RS, Vaidya VA (2007) Stressor-specific regulation of distinct brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) transcripts and cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) expression in the postnatal and adult rat hippocampus. Neuropsychopharmacology 32: 1504.