In Vivo Neurochemistry and Behavior

这项研究结合了化学家约瑟夫·贾斯蒂斯博士和生物行为科学家达里尔·尼尔博士在研究神经化学和行为之间的关系方面的专业知识。长期以来，理解大脑的一个障碍是无法实际观察到行为过程中大脑化学成分的变化。为了解决这个问题，研究人员开发了一种在体内测量神经递质多巴胺的新方法。他们将继续开发这一系统，并将其应用于神经化学动力学。对大脑化学环境进行采样的传感器将被用于观察行为过程中的神经化学。这些研究将有助于对已识别的神经系统的神经化学性与特征良好的行为之间的关系的基础知识。

The research combines the expertise of a chemist, Dr. Joseph Justice, and a biobehavioral scientist, Dr. Darryl Neill, in the study of the relationship between neurochemistry and behavior. A long standing impediment to understanding the brain has been the inability to actually observe the changes that occur in the chemistry of the brain during behavior. To address this problem, the investigators have developed a new methodology for in vivo measurement of the neurotransmitter dopamine. They will continue to develop this sytem and apply it to neurchemical dynamics. Sensors which sample the chemical environment of the brain will be used to observe neurochemistry during behavior. These studies will contribute fundamental knowledge about the relationship between the neurochemisrty of identified neural systems and well characterized behaviors.