Research

The NIAAA is the lead agency for U.S. research on the causes, consequences, prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related problems.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Section on Neural Circuits

Contact Information

Overview of the Lab

The goal of the Section on Neural Circuits is to understand how genetic and environmental insults affect the computation of neural signals within brain networks to cause neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, epilepsy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

 

Research Projects

The mission of the Section on Neural Circuits is to understand how genetic and environmental insults affect behavior. Specifically, we examine how alterations in the input to, computation in, and output of neural networks contribute to the development of disorders like autism, epilepsy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To this end, we apply a multi-systems approach incorporating molecular, genetic, pharmacological, behavioral and electrophysiological analyses in mouse models and patient-derived human neurons to:

  1. Identify vulnerable nodes within neural networks that promote abnormal brain function.
  2. Develop novel approaches to repair or optimize network output.

Lab Members

Selected Publications

Antoine MW, Langberg T, Schnepel P, Feldman DE. Increased excitation-inhibition ratio stabilizes synapse and circuit excitability in four autism mouse models. Neuron. 2019 101(4):648-661. (Featured article) (highlighted in Spectrum, Science Translational Medicine, F1000 Prime Recommended, and The Scientist Magazine)

Antoine MW, Zhu X, Dieterich M, Brandt T, Vijayakumar S, McKeehan N, Arezzo JC, Zukin RS, Borkholder DA, Jones SM, Frisina RD, Hébert JM. Early uneven ear input long lasting differences in left-right motor function. PLoS Biol. 2018 16, e2002988. (highlighted in Neuroscience News and Everyday Health)

Antoine MW, Vijayakumar S, McKeehan N, Jones SM, and Hébert JM. The severity of vestibular dysfunction in deafness as a determinant of comorbid hyperactivity or anxiety. Journal of Neuroscience 2017 37 (20): 5144-5154.

Antoine MW, Hübner CA, Arezzo JC, Hébert JM. A causative link between inner ear defects and long-term striatal dysfunction. Science 2013 Sep 6; 341(6150): 1120-3. (highlighted in the Leading Edge of Cell; Scientific America, Science Daily and popular news sites)

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