91丝瓜视频

The Feindel Brain and Mind Seminar Series will advance the vision of Dr. William Feindel (1918鈥�2014), Former Director of the Neuro (1972鈥�1984), to constantly bridge the clinical and research realms. The talks will highlight the latest advances and discoveries in neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, and neuroimaging.

Speakers will include scientists from across The Neuro, as well as colleagues and collaborators locally and from around the world. The series is intended to provide a virtual forum for scientists and trainees to continue to foster interdisciplinary exchanges on the mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of brain and cognitive disorders.

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Host: Marco Leyton

Drug and Stress Effects on D2 and mGlu5 Receptors: The Transition to Addictions and Their Comorbid Disorders

Abstract: Dopamine D2/3 and glutamate mGluR5 receptor systems are key regulators of reward learning, stress responsivity, and neuroplasticity, and have been strongly implicated in substance use disorders (SUDs). However, it remains unclear whether receptor alterations reflect pre-existing vulnerability or consequences of substance exposure. This lecture presents longitudinal PET findings from a high-risk cohort studied at ages 18 and 25 using [鹿鈦窮]fallypride (D2/3) and [鹿鹿C]ABP688 (mGluR5), alongside clinical and substance use assessments. The work examines neurochemical changes occurring before and after the onset of SUD and other DSM-5 disorders, and how these changes relate to substance use and stress. Results show that individuals who later developed SUD had higher striatal D2/3 receptor availability at age 18, followed by marked declines by age 25, with greater decreases associated with increased alcohol use. In contrast, mGluR5 declines were observed across emerging DSM-5 disorders and were linked to drug exposure and stress, with stress effects amplified among individuals with greater increases in drug use. Together, these longitudinal findings highlight developmental changes in dopamine and glutamate systems that help explain vulnerability, neuroadaptation, and the emergence of addiction and related psychopathology.

Maja Nikolic

PhD Candidate, McGil University

Maja Nikolic is a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at 91丝瓜视频 in the laboratory of Dr. Marco Leyton. Her research investigates how temperament, early life adversity, and mesocorticolimbic circuits interact across development to increase vulnerability to substance use disorders. She studies addiction vulnerability using longitudinal PET and fMRI in a high-risk cohort, focusing on dopamine D2/3 receptors ([18F]fallypride) and glutamate mGluR5 ([11C]ABP688) markers and their relationships with substance use, stress, and emerging psychopathology. In addition, she conducts structured clinical interviews (SCID-5) to characterize psychiatric outcomes and integrates clinical and neuroimaging data to model trajectories of risk and resilience.