The studies carried out by the investigators of this Conte Center are built on published and unpublished discoveries made by several of the project leaders concerning the mechanisms of action of monoamines and glutamate in the basal ganglia and frontal cortex that are likely to be directly related to the molecular actions of antipsychotic drugs. The researchers seek to analyze both acute and long-lasting actions of both typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs. An important objective of the Conte Center is to standardize drug treatment paradigms to allow comparison between various types of datasets from the different Projects. Using the genetic, molecular, biochemical, cell biological, electrophysiological and behavioral expertise of the component projects should provide an integrated and complete study of the actions of these drugs.
