October 25, 2004
Each study is embargoed until the date and time of presentation.
Symposium
Dr. Young: how development, social situations and environment can shape the brain mechanisms that regulate behavior. (11:30 a.m. 1 pm)

Poster Presentations

• Dr. Smith and his research team: determined how cocaine addiction regulates metabotropic glutamate receptors in the nucleus accumbens, a key structure in the brain's reward pathway that mediates cocaine addiction. The data will help researchers further understand the neurochemical changes that underlie addiction and drug abuse. (2 pm 3 pm)

  Dr. Young and his research team:

• examined the potential genetic mechanisms underlying individual differences in personality traits by demonstrating an association between vasopressin receptor gene structure and social behavior in prairie voles. (1 pm 2 pm.)
• used gene therapy and transgenic rodent models to demonstrate that activation of the vasopressin receptor in a specific area of the brain is necessary and sufficient for normal social recognition in mice. This study illustrates the importance of the gene therapy and transgenic technology as ef
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