Most of the central nervous system disorders involve alterations in neuronal excitability, excitatory/inhibitory balance, short- and long-term plasticity, short- and long-range functional connectivity, with behavioral consequences. It is therefore of pivotal importance to investigate these diseases using a multilevel approach. In the lab, research lines are active to characterize the alterations present in several neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders, such as autism, dystonia, ataxia, paroxysmal dyskinesia, migraine, schizophrenia, PCDH19-related developmental and epileptic encephalopathy-9. The research plan often includes the combination of whole-cell patch-clamp, high-density multielectrode arrays, two-photon calcium imaging, in vivo electrophysiological and imaging recordings, and behavioral testing to obtain a comprehensive multilevel characterization of the disease and to reconstruct how the alterations in single neurons and networks determine the behavioral pathological phenotype.
A PhD student joining this general topic will have the opportunity to learn how to implement a wide research plan to investigate a CNS disorder, working in a collaborative environment and in close contact with the other researchers involved. For the description of the techniques used, see the corresponding sections.
References
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Faris P, Pischedda D, Palesi F, D’Angelo E. New clues for the role of cerebellum in schizophrenia and the associated cognitive impairment. Front Cell Neurosci. 2024 May 10;18:1386583. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1386583. PMID: 38799988; PMCID: PMC11116653.
Mapelli L, Soda T, D’Angelo E, Prestori F. The Cerebellar Involvement in Autism Spectrum Disorders: From the Social Brain to Mouse Models. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Mar 31;23(7):3894. doi: 10.3390/ijms23073894. PMID: 35409253; PMCID: PMC8998980.