Dynamic Network Connectivity in Prefrontal Cortex: Molecular Basis for Vulnerabilities in Mental Illness

Amy Arnsten, PhD

Professor of Neurobiology and Psychology; Member, Kavli Institute of Neuroscience at Yale University

Pyramidal cell circuits in deep layer III of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex are particularly vulnerable in schizophrenia. Arnsten will describe the molecular events that dynamically regulate the strength of these circuits in primate cortex, and how genetic insults to these signaling pathways may weaken network connections and impair higher cognitive functions.