ADVANCED METHODS IN EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Addiction-related studies
OptoPath’s experts in addiction research have a 25 years expertise in the field. Most importantly, they have been pioneers in questioning preclinical models of drug addiction and in proposing innovative preparations with increased validity.They can propose the most advanced theoretical and practical courses on experimental research in drug addiction.
Following is a non-exhaustive list of organized courses:
1. Basic intravenous self-administration: theoretical and practical principles.
2. Studying drug use and drug addiction: theoretical and practical differences.
3. Coupling long lasting operant behaviors with electrophysiology and/or optogenetic in behaving rodents: theoretical and practical issues.
4. Studying cocaine and nicotine self-administration in rodents: similarities and differences.
PTSD-related studies
OptoPath’s expert in fear research has a 12 years expertise in the field. Most importantly, he has been pioneers in identifying key neuronal circuits involved in the regulation of fear behavior and mastered single unit recordings and optogenetic approaches. He can propose the most advanced theoretical and practical courses on experimental research in fear and PTSD related behavior.
Following is a non-exhaustive list of organized courses:
1. Basic fear conditioning protocols: theoretical and practical principles.
2. Studying neuronal circuits during fear behavior: theoretical and practical aspects.
3. Coupling fear related behaviors with electrophysiology and/or optogenetic in behaving rodents: theoretical and practical issues.
Obesity-related studies
OptoPath’s expert in the study of energy balance and obesity has 13 years of expertise in the field and has critically contributed in describing novel mechanisms involved in the control of food intake and body weight.
We can provide theoretical and practical principles for the study of metabolic and behavioral changes in response to different type of diets or after central (icv) or peripheral administration of hormones (leptin, ghrelin) or drugs known to affect food intake and energy balance.
Memory-related studies
OptoPath’s experts in spatial/declarative/working memory have set up specific tasks allowing testing different memory capabilities and processes (encoding, consolidation, retrieval) using diverse modalities. They can propose advanced theoretical and practical courses on experimental research in these areas.
These courses include training in:
- Anatomical substrates of spatial/declarative/working memory: functional roles of hippocampal and cortical brain regions
- Spatial/declarative/working memory tested in radial mazes vs water mazes: specificities, advantages, pitfalls
- Search strategies for navigating through space