Newcastle University

Neuropharmacology

Our research in neuropharmacology spans both basic and clinical studies, including Phase 1, 2 and 3 trials, and addresses a number of clinical areas including Psychobiology, Age-related Disorders, analgesia, Drug Addictions and Neurotoxicology. We have particular strength in psychopharmacology that employs a combination of animal and human approaches and includes studies on human brain tissue conducted in vivo, in vitro and ex vivo. We employ a wide range of techniques spanning receptor binding, electrophysiology, behaviour, EEG, pharmacological MRI, and PET imaging.  Much of our work is conducted in close collaboration with the pharmaceutical sector and we have close links with the British Association of Psychopharmacology. The University has a substantial Drug Discovery and Development pipeline and the Medicinal Plant Research Centre conducts important work on the chemistry and functional effects of plant-derived neuroactive compounds.

Staff:

Selected Publications:

• Gallagher P, Watson S, Dye EC, Young AH, Ferrier IN (2008) Persistent effects of mifepristone (RU-486) on cortisol levels in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Journal of Psychiatric Research (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18255098)
• Gartside SE, Cole AJ, Williams AP, McQuade R, Judge SJ (2007) AMPA and NMDA receptor regulation of firing activity in 5-HT neurons of the dorsal and median raphe nuclei. European Journal of Neuroscience 25:3001-3008 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17509083)
• McKeith I, O’Brien J, Walker Z, Tatsch K, Booij J, Darcourt J, Padovani A, Giubbini R, Bonuccelli U, Volterrani U, Holmes C, Kemp P, Tabet N, Meyer I, Reininger C, for the DLB Study Group (2007) Sensitivity and specificity of dopamine transporter imaging with ¹²³I-FP-CIT SPECT in dementia with Lewy bodies: a phase III, multicentre study. Lancet Neurology 6:305-313 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17362834)
• Johnson DA, Grant EJ, Ingram CD, Gartside SE (2007) Glucocorticoid receptor antagonists hasten and augment neurochemical responses to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant. Biological Psychiatry 62:1228-1235 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17651703)
• Cunningham MO, Davies CH, Buhl EH, Kopell N, Whittington MA (2003) Gamma oscillations induced by kainate receptor activation in the entorhinal cortex in vitro. Journal of Neuroscience 23:9761-9769 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14586003)  
• McAllister-Williams RH, Massey AE (2003) EEG effects of buspirone and pindolol: A method of examining 5-HT1A receptor function in man?. Psychopharmacology 166:284-293 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12589521)
• Pimlott SL, Piggott M, Owens J, Greally E, Court JA, Jaros E, Perry RH, Perry EK, Wyper D (2004) Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor distribution in Alzheimer's disease, dementia with lewy bodies, Parkinson's disease, and vascular dementia: In vitro binding study using 5-[I-125]-A-85380. Neuropsychopharmacology 29:108-116 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12955099)
• Roughan JV, Flecknell PA (2005) Behaviour-based assessment of the duration of laparotomy induced abdominal pain and the analgesic effects of carprofen and buprenorphine in rats. Behavioural Pharmacology 15:461-472 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15472568)
• Rujescu D, Bender A, Keck M, Hartmann AM, Ohl F, Raeder H, Giegling I, Genius J, McCarley RW, Moller HJ, Grunze H (2006) A pharmacological model for psychosis based on N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction: Molecular, cellular, functional and behavioral abnormalities. Biological Psychiatry 59:721-729 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16427029)
• Shoaib M, Lowe AS, Williams SC (2004) Imaging localised dynamic changes in the nucleus accumbens following nicotine withdrawal in rats. Neuroimage 22:847-854 (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15193614)