Dear All

On behalf of prof. Radwanska, I would like to cordially invite you to the next Nencki Institute Seminar next Thursday May 25^th at 3pm in the CN lecture hall.

We will host prof. Véronique Deroche-Gamonet head of the Psychobiology of drug addiction team at the Neurocentre Magendie in Bordeaux.

 Prof. Deroche-Gamonet will give a lecture entitled: Reconceptualizing animal models for the study of drug Addiction in Rodents – A Translational Perspective

 Abstract

Over the past 30 to 40 years, there have been significant changes in the clinical definition of drug addiction or severe Substance Use Disorder. Consequently, the animal models for studying drug addiction had to be re-conceptualized.

This lecture presents how the transformation of animal models of drug addiction over the last 25 years has enhanced our capacity to identify addiction-specific psychobiological changes. It is now widely agreed that drug addiction should be modeled as maladaptive drug use maintained despite negative consequences, rather than as a mere excessive drug use. Certain fundamental aspects of addiction, such as individual risk and definition of a pathological threshold are still largely overlooked, however. The translational value of animal models of addiction could be further improved, and precision medicine for addiction could be better informed, by considering these key features of the pathology.

Animal models of higher brain dysfunctions have a crucial role to play in understanding the etiological processes of psychopathologies, which are difficult to access in humans. The questions that have arisen from animal models of addiction and the strategies that have been developed may also be applicable to other psychopathologies.

The lecture will be followed by a get together.

Best regards

Aleksandra Pękowska