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Basic Human Brain Research
Laboratory
Our laboratory has two major related goals:
- To understand the neuropathological basis of Alzheimer's disease
and other dementias
- To define the circuitry of the normal brain. Our approach is
mainly anatomical, using a wide variety of immunocytochemical
and histochemical techniques.
For neuropathological studies, we have an ongoing program of collection
and comparative anatomy of post-mortem brains, including brains
from individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other pathologies.
Many brains are obtained from volunteers in our brain
endowment program. This allows us to compare our experimental
findings with detailed neuropsychological profiles obtained before
death. We are especially interested in the role of acetylcholine
in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease and in defining the sequence
of pathological changes that occur in this disease.
For studies of brain circuitry, we are both human post-mortem brains,
human brain tissue from surgery, and animal brains to define different
neurotransmitter systems. This includes light and electron microscopic
localization of neurotransmitters, their receptors, and other selective
markers for brain pathways. We are focused on the cholinergic and
monoaminergic projection systems that originate in the basal forebrain
and brainstem and have extensive projections to the cerebral cortex.
These systems powerfully influence the entire nervous system and
are thought to have key roles in Alzheimer's disease and other pathologies.
We are currently accepting applications from qualified graduate
and postdoctoral students for this program. Contact Dr.
Marsel Mesulam, director of the CNADC .
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