Course: What's New In Brain Research? Drugs, Genes and Neuroanatomy

Genes, The Brain, & New Medicines

Assignment.

Due last day of class.

If you are taking the course for credit or for a letter grade, you must complete the assignment.

Write a 2 to 3 page summary of a scientific research article on a topic related to the course.

In your summary, describe the background or justification for the research, the objective of the research, the methods used, the results, the conclusions, and your own thoughts on the validity and utility of the results.

Hand in a copy of the article with your summary.

Course Syllabus

Introduction: molecular biology, neuroanatomy, and drugs that affect the brain

Silva, Alcino J. and Giese, Karl Peter.

Gene targeting: A Novel Window into the Biology of Learning and Memory.

Chapter 3 in " Neurobiology of Learning and Memory ",

J.L. Martinez and R.P. Kesner, editors.

Academic Press. 1998.

White, N.M. and Salinas, J.A.

Pharmacological approaches to the study of learning and memory.

Chapter 4 in " Neurobiology of Learning and Memory ",

J.L. Martinez and R.P. Kesner, editors.

Academic Press. 1998.

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Genes that affect memory and learning

Alberini, C.M.

Genes to remember.

The Journal of Experimental Biology 202, 2887–2891 (1999)

Bliss TV

Young receptors make smart mice.

Nature. 1999 Sep 2;401(6748):25-7.

Tang YP, Shimizu E, Dube GR, Rampon C, Kerchner GA, Zhuo M, Liu G, Tsien JZ.

Genetic enhancement of learning and memory in mice.

Nature. 1999 Sep 2;401(6748):63-9.

Greenspan RJ.

RNA and memory: from feeding to localization.

Curr Biol. 2003 Feb 18;13(4):R126-7.

Dubnau J, Chiang AS, Grady L, Barditch J, Gossweiler S, McNeil J, Smith P, Buldoc F, Scott R, Certa U, Broger C, Tully T.

The staufen/pumilio pathway is involved in Drosophila long-term memory.

Curr Biol. 2003 Feb 18;13(4):286-96.

Egan MF, Kojima M, Callicott JH, Goldberg TE, Kolachana BS, Bertolino A, Zaitsev E, Gold B, Goldman D, Dean M, Lu B, Weinberger DR.

The BDNF val66met polymorphism affects activity-dependent secretion of BDNF and human memory and hippocampal function.

Cell. 2003 Jan 24;112(2):257-69.

Hill L, Chorney MJ, Lubinski D, Thompson LA, Plomin R.

A quantitative trait locus not associated with cognitive ability in children: a failure to replicate.

Psychol Sci. 2002 Nov;13(6):561-2.

Dubnau J, Chiang AS, Tully T.

Neural substrates of memory: from synapse to system.

J Neurobiol. 2003 Jan;54(1):238-53.

Walker, M.G., Volkmuth,W, and Klingler, T.M.

Pharmaceutical target discovery using Guilt-By-Association: schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease genes.

Intelligent Systems in Molecular Biology, pp. 282-286, 1999.

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Drugs that affect memory and learning

Lockhart BP, Lestage PJ.

Cognition enhancing or neuroprotective compounds for the treatment of cognitive disorders: why? when? which?

Exp Gerontol. 2003 Jan-Feb;38(1-2):119-28.

Fukui K, Omoi NO, Hayasaka T, Shinnkai T, Suzuki S, Abe K, Urano S.

Cognitive impairment of rats caused by oxidative stress and aging, and its prevention by vitamin E.

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002 Apr;959:275-84.

Gold PE, Cahill L, Wenk GL.

The lowdown on Ginkgo biloba.

Sci Am. 2003 Apr;288(4):86-91.

Yesavage JA et al.

Donepezil and flight simulator performance: Effects on retention of complex skills.

Neurobiology 2002;59:123-125.

Connemann, BJ.

Donepezil and flight simulator performance: effects on retention of complex skills.

Neurology. 2003 Sep 9;61(5):721; letter to the editor; author reply.

Tully T, Bourtchouladze R, Scott R, Tallman J.

Targeting the CREB pathway for memory enhancers.

Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2003 Apr;2(4):267-77.

Barad M.

Later developments: molecular keys to age-related memory impairment.

Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord. 2003 Jul-Sep;17(3):168-76.

Farr SA, Poon HF, Dogrukol-Ak D, Drake J, Banks WA, Eyerman E, Butterfield DA, Morley JE.

The antioxidants alpha-lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine reverse memory impairment and brain oxidative stress in aged SAMP8 mice.

J Neurochem. 2003 Mar;84(5):1173-83.

Liu R, Liu IY, Bi X, Thompson RF, Doctrow SR, Malfroy B, Baudry M.

Reversal of age-related learning deficits and brain oxidative stress in mice with superoxide dismutase/catalase mimetics.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Jul 8;100(14):8526-31.

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Genetic mutations that affect pain sensitivity and response

Zubieta et al.

COMT val158met Genotype Affects ?-Opioid Neurotransmitter Responses to a Pain Stressor.

Science, 21 February 2003, 299:1240-1243.

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Genes involved in language: the FOXP2 gene

Pinker, S.

Talk of genetics and vice versa.

Nature. 2001 Oct 4;413(6855):465-6.

Lai , C. S. L. et al.

A forkhead-domain gene is mutated in a severe speech and language disorder.

Nature. 2001 Oct 4;413(6855):519-23.

Lai , C. S. L. et al.

FOXP2 expression during brain development coincides with adult sites of pathology in a severe speech and language disorder.

Brain. 2003 Nov;126(Pt 11):2455-62.

Liegeois, F. et al.

Language fMRI abnormalities associated with FOXP2 gene mutation.

Nature Neuroscience, 6(11) pp 1230-1237, November 2003.

Enard W, Przeworski M, Fisher SE, Lai CS, Wiebe V, Kitano T, Monaco AP, Paabo S.

Molecular evolution of FOXP2, a gene involved in speech and language.

Nature. 2002 Aug 22;418(6900):869-72.

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Genes and behavior

Ebstein RP, Novick O, Umansky R, Priel B, Osher Y, Blaine D, Bennett ER, Nemanov L, Katz M, Belmaker RH.

Dopamine D4 receptor (D4DR) exon III polymorphism associated with the human personality trait of Novelty Seeking.

Nat Genet. 1996 Jan;12(1):78-80.

Benjamin J, Li L, Patterson C, Greenberg BD, Murphy DL, Hamer DH.

Population and familial association between the D4 dopamine receptor gene and measures of Novelty Seeking.

Nat Genet. 1996 Jan;12(1):81-4.

Strobel A, Lesch KP, Hohenberger K, Jatzke S, Gutzeit HO, Anacker K, Brocke B.

No association between dopamine D4 receptor gene exon III and -521C/T polymorphism and novelty seeking.

Mol Psychiatry. 2002;7(6):537-8.

Strobel A, Lesch KP, Jatzke S, Paetzold F, Brocke B.

Further evidence for a modulation of Novelty Seeking by DRD4 exon III, 5-HTTLPR, and COMT val/met variants.

Mol Psychiatry. 2003 Apr;8(4):371-2.

Ferguson JN, Young LJ, Hearn EF, Matzuk MM, Insel TR, Winslow JT.

Social amnesia in mice lacking the oxytocin gene.

Nat Genet. 2000 Jul;25(3):284-8.

Young, LJ.

The neurobiology of social recognition, approach, and avoidance.

Biol Psychiatry. 2002 Jan 1;51(1):18-26.

Wu Q, Wen T, Lee G, Park JH, Cai HN, Shen P.

Developmental control of foraging and social behavior by the Drosophila neuropeptide Y-like system.

Neuron. 2003 Jul 3;39(1):147-61.

Wisse, BE. and Schwartz, MW.

The skinny on neurotrophins.

Nature Neuroscience, 6(7), pp 655-656, July 2003.

Xu B, Goulding EH, Zang K, Cepoi D, Cone RD, Jones KR, Tecott LH, Reichardt LF.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor regulates energy balance downstream of melanocortin-4 receptor.

Nat Neurosci. 2003 Jul;6(7):736-42.

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BIO45

STANFORD UNIVERSITY