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M. Ann Blackshear,
Associate Professor (1987)
Ph.D. Meharry Medical College/Pharmacol/1979
BS Knoxville College/biology/1967
Vanderbuilt/Psychopharm/1979-82 post graduate studyDept of Biological
Sciences
Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Blvd
Nashville, TN 37209-1561
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Current research studies in our laboratory are focused on the molecular
mechanisms involved in the behavioral effects of methamphetamine (MAP) and
the combined effects of MAP and alcohol. MAP, a potent CNS stimulant has
replaced cocaine as the drug of abuse for the 1990's. its popularity is due
in part, to its intense high and its long duration of action. However
repeated administration of MAP in humans produces a behavior that resembles
paranoid schizophrenia, while a chronic treatment in laboratory animals
produces a behavioral sensitization, which is often referred to as "reverse
tolerance". Reverse tolerance is a behavioral phenomenom observed after
chronic administration of MAP. The prescence of reverse tolerenance is
determined by the ability of a sub-threshold dose of MAP to produce a
locomotor response after a withdrawal period, which is newly equal to or
greater that the motor response elicited by the initial dose on the first
day of administration. At present, the mechanism of these drug-induced
behavioral sensitization as an animal model for schizoprhenia, we are
conducting studies that examine the chronic effects of MAP on brain mRNA to
determine whether there are changes in gene expression that may be
correlated with drug-mediated changes in behavior. Our research also
investigates the effects of alcohol administration on MAP behavioral
sensitization. Such studies will provide additional information on the
molecular mechanisms involved MAP-induced paranoia and schizophrenia in
humans. The specific objectives of this research are: |
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