Abstract: Johnson
Neural Pathways that Medicate Reduced Motivation During Peripheral Inflammation
Dr. John Johnson (Biomedical Sciences, 麻豆影院)
Depression is the leading cause of disability affecting over 264 million people worldwide and projected to become the leading cause of global disease burden by 2030. For decades, scientists have searched for the causes of depression by focusing on structural and chemical abnormalities within the brain. While many differences have been reported, our understanding of the etiology of depression remains limited. Recent research has found a significant associate between depression and elevation in peripheral inflammation. Research in this proposal will utilize chemogenetic approaches to investigate the neural pathways by which peripheral inflammatory signals communicate with the brain to initiate a sickness response. We will focus on proposed pathways that mediate changes in motivation and mood with the goal to better understand these pathways to provide new treatment targets for depression.