University of Pittsburgh Professor of Neuroscience Bita Moghaddam, presented the John Rybash Memorial Lecture on schizophrenia to the Hamilton community on April 27. The Lecture Series was established in honor of John Rybash, Hamilton College professor of psychology from 1991-1999, by his family, friends, colleagues and former students. Rybash died of cancer in June, 1999, at the age of 51.
Moghaddam began by briefly defining schizophrenia and the implications for studying the disorder. She defined schizophrenia as the "most devastating and debilitating" of the brain disorders because of its effect on not only individuals but family members and society. She noted that since schizophrenia is a long-term disease, treatment of its symptoms is costly to society. Furthermore, the symptoms of schizophrenia are often incapacitating to those suffering from the disease.
Moghaddam grouped the symptoms of schizophrenia into three main categories: positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Positive symptoms include hallucinations and thought disorders, negative symptoms involve deficiencies in interpersonal function and cognitive symptoms encompass attentional dysfunction and behavioral flexibility.
While Moghaddam maintained that science cannot cure schizophrenia, there are new developments on ways to treat its symptoms. She noted that the best way to treat the disorder is through the use of models that allow full syndrome or specific symptom analysis. Moghaddam went on to explain her personal research in this field and her decision to target the glutamate synapse in her studies. By focusing on the prefrontal cortex regulation of limbic regions, pre-synaptic and behavioral levels can be examined closely. Her research shows that high frequency stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (used to alleviate depressive symptoms) increases the release of serotonin and dopamine in the amygdala and limbic striatum, while low intensity stimulations of the parietal cortex (used to alleviate hallucinations in schizophrenia) reduces dopamine and serotonin release in amygdala and limbic striatum. She went on to explain how existing antipsychotic drugs are effective when evaluated in light of this model.
--by Danielle Raulli '10
Moghaddam received her doctorate from the University of Kansas. Her research focuses are neuroanatomy/ systems neuroscience, glutamatergic transmission and electrophysiology.
Moghaddam began by briefly defining schizophrenia and the implications for studying the disorder. She defined schizophrenia as the "most devastating and debilitating" of the brain disorders because of its effect on not only individuals but family members and society. She noted that since schizophrenia is a long-term disease, treatment of its symptoms is costly to society. Furthermore, the symptoms of schizophrenia are often incapacitating to those suffering from the disease.
Moghaddam grouped the symptoms of schizophrenia into three main categories: positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Positive symptoms include hallucinations and thought disorders, negative symptoms involve deficiencies in interpersonal function and cognitive symptoms encompass attentional dysfunction and behavioral flexibility.
While Moghaddam maintained that science cannot cure schizophrenia, there are new developments on ways to treat its symptoms. She noted that the best way to treat the disorder is through the use of models that allow full syndrome or specific symptom analysis. Moghaddam went on to explain her personal research in this field and her decision to target the glutamate synapse in her studies. By focusing on the prefrontal cortex regulation of limbic regions, pre-synaptic and behavioral levels can be examined closely. Her research shows that high frequency stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (used to alleviate depressive symptoms) increases the release of serotonin and dopamine in the amygdala and limbic striatum, while low intensity stimulations of the parietal cortex (used to alleviate hallucinations in schizophrenia) reduces dopamine and serotonin release in amygdala and limbic striatum. She went on to explain how existing antipsychotic drugs are effective when evaluated in light of this model.
--by Danielle Raulli '10
Moghaddam received her doctorate from the University of Kansas. Her research focuses are neuroanatomy/ systems neuroscience, glutamatergic transmission and electrophysiology.
