New Publications
"Positron emission tomography assessment of 8-OH-DPAT-mediated changes in an index of cerebral glucose metabolism in female marmosets" (Converse et al., March 2012, NeuroImage). This research was performed to better understand the role of serotonin in female sexual behavior. Female marmosets treated with a serotonin 1A receptor agonist showed reduced glucose metabolism in occipital cortex where differences in this measure of neural activity correlated with alterations in sexual behavior.
"A diffusion tensor brain template for Rhesus Macaques" (Adluru et al., January 2012, NeuroImage). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a powerful and noninvasive imaging method for characterizing tissue microstructure and white matter organization in the brain. While it has been applied extensively in research studies of the human brain, DTI studies of non-human primates have been performed only recently. The growing application of DTI in rhesus monkey studies would significantly benefit from a standardized framework to compare findings across different studies. A very common strategy for image analysis is to spatially normalize (co-register) the individual scans to a representative template space. This paper presents the development of a DTI brain template, UWRMAC-DTI271, for adolescent Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) monkeys.
"Specific α4β2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Binding of [F-18]Nifene in the Rhesus Monkey" (Hillmer et al., December 2011, Synapse). This study characterizes the in vivo behavior of a new α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine radioligand, [F-18]nifene. The authors found that [F-18]nifene exhibits rapid equilibration times and elevated binding in areas consistent with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor rich areas of the rhesus monkey brain. Potential applications using this radiotracer include studies examining Alzheimer's disease, healthy aging, Parkinson's disease, and tobacco dependence.
Lab in the News
April 19: Medical News Today: The Benefits Of Multiple Practices In Changing Brains For The Better: Read the article about a recent review, co-written by Richard Davidson (CIHM) and Bruce McEwen of Rockefeller University, that highlights ways the brain can be changed through practice.
March 23: ABC News - Daydream Believers: Scientists Ask Why Our Minds Wander For more, read the official UW-Madison press release.
January 23, 2012: Notice of Award - Helen Weng was the recipient of a Graduate Student Award (including travel award) for the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, 2012. Her presentation title is, "Multi-Voxel Pattern Analysis of Brain States After Compassion Training Predicts Charitable Donations"