Welcome to the Eisch Laboratory Homepage
Our research focuses on the role that mediators of
developmental
neuroplasticity play in adult neuroplasticity. Inability of the
brain
to "adapt" may contribute to - or exacerbate - myriad psychiatric
disorders.
The main mediators of neuroplasticity we study are new neurons in
the
adult brain, or adult neurogenesis, and growth factors.
To this extent, we study
how chronic exposure to drugs of abuse regulate adult
neurogenesis
the role of growth factors in depression and motivation
the regulation of adult neurogenesis in an animal model
of Alzheimer's
Disease.
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The opium poppy, Papaver soniferum, has potent effects on adult
neurogenesis. A rat hippocampal granule cell neuron (yellow) was
born four weeks prior. Chronic exposure to opiates, such as
morphine
or heroin, decreases the number of newly-born granule cells in the
adult
rat hippocampus (Eisch et al., 2000).
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