Feldon, Joram, Prof.

Main goals and keywords

Interdisciplinary investigation of the functioning of the brain in animal models of psychiatric and neurological disease states using behavioural, biochemical, neuropharmacological and neuroanatomical techniques.
(animal models, Schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, anxiety, depression, drug abuse)

Previous and current research

The main common theme of the laboratory is the development of animal models to simulate human psychiatric and neurological diseases.
The general aim is to elucidate brain mechanisms, circuits, structures, pathways which underlie normal and pathological behaviour, in order to establish better models for the screening of potential therapeutic agents.
The laboratory specialises in the development of behavioural procedures in animals (to be later applied to human research) which can detect abnormal cognitive, motor and emotional expressions of brain pathology.
The manipulations in animals which are aimed at the induction of the pathology include: physiological (various types of brain lesions, or stimulation of specific structures), pharmacological (application of chemicals and drugs systemically or directly into the brain), and environmental-developmental (prenatal and postnatal mild stress, isolation vs. group rearing in adulthood). The methods employed for the examination of the pathologies are also diverse and range from behavioural characterization to anatomical and neurochemical (brain microdialysis in freely moving animals) evaluation.
Currently the laboratory is engaged in an examination of behavioural phenomena associated with drug abuse and schizophrenia which appear to share at least in part some of the brain systems underlying the induction and expression of these pathologies. In addition, there are on-going studies in the areas of memory disorders, Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, depression and anxiety.

Techniques and equipment

Behavior: A wide range of behavioral testing techniques including maze learning, conditioning, active avoidance, prepulse inhibition, and drug self-administration paradigms, supported by imaging and activity analysis systems.
Microdialysis: HPLC units for measuring transmitter release in specific brain areas of freely moving rats.
Neuroanatomy: Image Pro plus and SAMBA imaging systems, laser scan microscope, electron microscope, anterograde and retrograde tracing, immunohistochemistry.

Selected publications

• Meyer, U., Nyffeler, M., Engler, A., Urwyler A., Schedlowski, M., Knuesel, I., Yee, B., Feldon, J.
  The time of prenatal immune challenge determines the specificity of inflammation-mediated brain and behavioral pathology.
  The Journal of Neuroscience (2006), 26 (18):4752-4762
• Peleg-Raibstein, D. Sydekum, E. Russig, H, Feldon, J.
  Withdrawal from continuous amphetamine administration abolishes latent inhibition but leaves prepulse inhibition intact.
  Psychopharmacology (2006), 185 (2): 226-39
• Pothuizen, H.H.J., Jongen-Rêlo, A.L., Feldon, J. & Yee, B.K.
  Latent inhibition of conditioned taste aversion is not disrupted, but can be enhanced, by selective nucleus accumbens shell lesions in rats.
  Neuroscience (2006), 137 (4): 1119-30
• Pothuizen, H.H., Newmann, K.R., Feldon, J. and Yee, B.K.
  Selective nucleus accumbens core lesions enhance dizocilpine- but not apomorphine-induced disruption of prepulse inhibition in rats
  Behavioural Pharmacology (2006), 17 (2): 107-17
• Pothuizen, H.H., Jongen-Rêlo, A.L., Feldon, J. and Yee, B.K.
  Facilitated extinction of appetitive instrumental conditioning following excitotoxic lesions of the core or the medial shell subregions of the nucleus accumbens in rats
  Experimental Brain Research (2006), 172 (1):120-8
• Russig, H., Feldon, J. and Pryce, C.R.
  Amphetamine withdrawal leads to behavioral sensitization and reduced HPA axis response following amphetamine challenge.
  Brain Research (2006), 1084 (1): 185-195
• Yee, B., Balic, E., Singer, P., Schwerdel, C. Grampp, T., Gabernet, L., Knuesel, I., Benke, D., Feldon, J., Mohler, H., Boison, D.
  Disruption of Glycine Transporter 1 Restricted to Forebrain Neurons Is Associated with a Procognitive and Antipsychotic Phenotypic Profile.
  The Journal of Neuroscience (2006), 26 (12): 3169-81
• Zhu, S.W., Yee, B.K., Nyffeler, M., Winblad, B., Feldon, J. and Mohammed, A.H.,
  Influence of differential housing on emotional behaviour and neurotropin levels in mice.
  Behavioural Brain Research (2006), 169 (1): 10-20

Selected lectures, seminars or colloquia

• Grundlagen der Biologie IIB (Teil Neurobiologie): lecture
• Neurowissenschaften: lecture
• Behavioural Neuroscience I & II: lecture
• Advanced Issues in Behavioural Neuroscience I & II: seminar series

Funding

• Swiss National Science Foundation
• ETH Zürich
• Industry