Kristie Pietarila: kmpfcamizzou'edu Harvey Cline: chca43mizzou'edu

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DOPAMINERGIC INFLUENCES ON A SINGLE PREFRONTAL
CORTEX PYRAMIDAL CELL

• Kristie Pietarila kmpfca_at_mizzou.eduHarvey
  Cline chca43_at_mizzou.edu
• Tai Jang tsjx84_at_mizzou.edu
• Dr. Satish Nair NairS_at_missouri.eduMechanical
  and Aerospace EngineeringUniversity of
  Missouri-Columbia (MU)
• WAM-BAMM Presentation
• Menger HotelSan Antonio, TXApril 1, 2005

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MOTIVATION

• The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a vital area of
  the brain involved in many cognitive functions
  including attention span, perseverance, impulse
  control, self-monitoring and supervision while
  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  is a debilitating condition characterized by
  persistent behavioral symptoms of inattention,
  distractibility, impulsiveness and hyperactivity.
  
• Thus it makes sense that the symptoms that
  illustrate ADHD stem from some form of
  dysfunction within the PFC.
• Also, although the pathophysiology of ADHD is not
  completely understood, the central role of
  dopamine and in promoting psychomotor
  stimulation implicates brain cathecolamine
  systems in ADHD.
• Therefore, exploring the influence of dopamine on
  the PFC appears to be a crucial step in
  understanding the dysfunction in the complex
  mechanistic role of dopamine receptors within the
  PFC that may lead to ADHD symptoms.

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METHODOLOGY
Figure 1 Simple diagram of a single pyramidal
cell (PC) model and a single GABAergic
interneuron (GIN) model. The PC receives
excitatory influences from other PCs, other
cortical afferents as well as background (BG)
activity while inhibitory influences come from
the GIN and BG.
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RESULTS I
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FUTURE RESEARCH