Behavioural Neuroscience
The Behavioural Neuroscience Team engages in the dissection of mechanisms involved in neuropsychiatric dysfunctions, from the behavioural to the molecular level.
Neuropsychiatric disorders are associated with quantitative phenotypes called "intermediate traits" or "endophenotypes", some of which, in contrast to the full complex disorder, can readily be modeled in mice. These traits are risk factors which are considered to be closer to the genetic etiology than the full syndrome. Examples are anxiety in depression, prepulse inhibition and working memory deficits in schizophrenia, and social interaction deficits in autism and schizophrenia (Seong et al., 2002; Gottesman & Gould, 2003; Inoue & Lupski, 2003). We are particularly interested in emotional, social and cognitive endophenotypes that are relevant for anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, schizophrenia, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease.
Phenotypes are influenced by genetic predisposition, developmental processes and environmental factors. We investigate the effects of these influences, and of their interaction, on behaviour and on neuronal function. To this end we subject genetic mouse models to different challenges and environmental conditions, and subsequently apply behavioural, pharmacological and histological analysis techniques.
Within the national genome research network (NGFN), we run the Behavioural Screen of the German Mouse Clinic. We invest in the development of new analysis tools and in the standardisation of behavioural testing procedures in the EU-Projects EUMORPHIA (FP5) and EUMODIC (FP6).
