Department of Behavioral Neuroscience & Drug Development

Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development has had accreditation for the EQIPD (Enhancing Quality In Preclinical Data) quality system since November, 2021. This non-GLP quality system – see the paper aims to optimize the robustness and reliability of preclinical biomedical research.  Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development, one of EQIPD’s stakeholders was commended, inter alia, for the systematic approaches for planning and documentation of standardized research studies, and the highest culture of performing experiments.

Description

Modeling human psychological functions is a fundamental challenge in modern neurobiology and psychopharmacology. This applies both to physiological mental processes (memory, cognitive flexibility, anxiety, activity, optimism, social behavior, communication, mood and drive) and to mental disorders (depression, schizophrenia, substance dependence and behavioral addictions such as gambling).

Some of these functions cannot be studied in humans, therefore laboratory rodent tests are used.

The Department of Behavioral Neuroscience and Drug Development investigates the effects of various substances (new chemical compounds or drugs) on animal behavior. We use a variety of tests intended to evaluate the effectiveness of novel chemical formulations for memory-enhancing properties, anxiolytic activity, the ability to change individual levels of pessimism/optimism in rats and mice or to improve an animal performance on neuropsychological testing. We study rodent ultrasonic communication to assess emotional states in animals, expressed by alarm or euphoric sounds. We also investigate whether a given substance may be useful in the treatment of schizophrenia (e.g. intensifies social behavior, improves cognitive functions), depression (e.g. restores good mood, activates animals), or whether it inhibits addiction. The latter aspect is reflected by the reduced attractiveness of the cage in which the drug or alcohol was administered, or an inhibition of rats’ propensity to press the lever in the ‘one-armed bandit’ model.

The purpose of our research is to understand how chemicals modulate the behavior of laboratory animals. Our research is designed to develop new, effective drugs for psychiatric disorders and to understand how known drugs used in psychiatry affect the brain. The ultimate goal is to develop new therapies for mental illnesses.

Research methods

– memory tests: new object recognition, Morris water maze, passive and active avoidance, Skinner instrumental cages

– neuropsychological tests: cognitive flexibility (ASST), attention (5-CSRTT)

– anxiety tests: Vogel conflict test, elevated ‘plus’ maze, four-plates test, open field test

– activity tests: automatic actometers, open field test

– ambiguous-cue interpretation test to measure cognitive judgement bias (optimism / pessimism)

– social interactions and social preferences tests

– system for recording, analyzing and emission ultrasonic vocalizations

– tests to assess antidepressant effects of compounds: forced swim test, sucrose preference

– models of antipsychotic drug action: sensorimotor gating test (PPI), social communication test

 – models of addiction: conditional place preference and aversion test, instrumental ‘one-armed bandit’ gambling model and Iowa test

The most important recent discoveries

– The continued need for animals to advance brain research.

Judith R Homberg, Roger A H Adan, Natalia Alenina, Antonis Asiminas, Michael Bader, Tom Beckers, Denovan P Begg, Arjan Blokland, Marilise E Burger, Gertjan van Dijk, Ulrich L M Eisel, Ype Elgersma, Bernhard Englitz, Antonio Fernandez-Ruiz, Carlos P Fitzsimons, Anne-Marie van Dam, Peter Gass, Joanes Grandjean, Robbert Havekes, Marloes J A G Henckens, Christiane Herden, Roelof A Hut, Wendy Jarrett, Kate Jeffrey, Daniela Jezova, Andries Kalsbeek, Maarten Kamermans, Martien J Kas, Nael Nadif Kasri, Amanda J Kiliaan, Sharon M Kolk, Aniko Korosi, S Mechiel Korte, Tamas Kozicz, Steven A Kushner, Kirk Leech, Klaus-Peter Lesch, Heidi Lesscher, Paul J Lucassen, Anita Luthi, Liya Ma, Anne S Mallien, Peter Meerlo, Jorge F Mejias, Frank J Meye, Anna S Mitchell, Joram D Mul, Umberto Olcese, Azahara Oliva González, Jocelien D A Olivier, Massimo Pasqualetti, Cyriel M A Pennartz, Piotr Popik, Jos Prickaerts, Liset M de la Prida, Sidarta Ribeiro, Benno Roozendaal, Janine I Rossato, Ali-Akbar Salari, Regien G Schoemaker, August B Smit, Louk J M J Vanderschuren, Tomonori Takeuchi, Rixt van der Veen, Marten P Smidt, Vladyslav V Vyazovskiy, Maximilian Wiesmann, Corette J Wierenga, Bella Williams, Ingo Willuhn, Markus Wöhr, Monique Wolvekamp, Eddy A van der Zee, Lisa Genzel

Neuron, S0896-6273(21)00536-5 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.015 PMID:34352213

– Introduction to the EQIPD quality system. Anton Bespalov, René Bernard, Anja Gilis, Björn Gerlach, Javier Guillén, Vincent Castagné, Isabel A Lefevre, Fiona Ducrey, Lee Monk, Sandrine Bongiovanni, Bruce Altevogt, María Arroyo-Araujo, Lior Bikovski, Natasja de Bruin, Esmeralda Castaños-Vélez, Alexander Dityatev, Christoph H Emmerich, Raafat Fares, Chantelle Ferland-Beckham, Christelle Froger-Colléaux, Valerie Gailus-Durner, Sabine M Hölter, Martine Cj Hofmann, Patricia Kabitzke, Martien Jh Kas, Claudia Kurreck, Paul Moser, Malgorzata Pietraszek, Piotr Popik, Heidrun Potschka, Ernesto Prado Montes de Oca, Leonardo Restivo, Gernot Riedel, Merel Ritskes-Hoitinga, Janko Samardzic, Michael Schunn, Claudia Stöger, Vootele Voikar, Jan Vollert, Kimberley E Wever, Kathleen Wuyts, Malcolm R MacLeod, Ulrich Dirnagl, Thomas Steckler

eLife, 10.7554/eLife.63294 e63294 PMID:34028353

– we have shown that serotonin type 6 and 7 receptors may be responsible for some of the antipsychotic effects of drugs used in the treatment of schizophrenia (e.g. Nikiforuk et al. Effects of the selective 5-HT7 receptor antagonist SB-269970, and amisulpride on ketamine-induced schizophrenia like deficits in rats). http://journals.plos.org/2013

– using the cognitive bias test we have demonstrated in that rats that emit positive ultrasound vocalizations are optimistic (Ryguła et al. Laughing rats are optimistic).

http://journals.plos.org/2012 — See Wikipedia for more information about this research.

Our former students

Adamcio Bartek, PhD           2001-2004

Bobula Bartosz, PhD            1998-1999

Fijał Katarzyna, PhD             2009-2013

Galoch Zdzisław, PhD          1998-1999

Jamroży Małgorzata, M.Sc.  2006-2007

Hołuj Gosia, PhD                   1998-2020

Kozela Ewa, PhD                   1998-2006

Kos Tomasz, PhD                  2003-2017

Krawczyk Martyna, M.Sc.     2004-2007

Krawczyk Martyna, M.Sc.     2017-2020

Kubik Jakub, M.Sc.                 2012-2014

Łopuch Sylwia, PhD              2008-2009

Pluta Helena, M.Sc.               2012-2013

Magalas Zofia, PhD               2000-2001

Rafa Dominik, M.Sc.              2010-2017

Ryguła Rafał, PhD                  1999-2001

Ryguła Rafał, PhD                  2013-2017

Schneider Tomasz, PhD        2004-2006

Wesołowska Anna, PhD        2007-2008

Professor Piotr Popik, dr hab.

Head

+48 12 6623375

popikp@if-pan.krakow.pl

room 30

Pracownicy zakładu

Agnieszka Nikiforuk, dr hab.

+48 12 6623374

nikifor@if-pan.krakow.pl

room 27

Agnieszka Potasiewicz, dr

+48 12 6623374

potasiew@if-pan.krakow.pl

room 29

Natalia Malikowska-Racia, dr

+48 12 6623374

malikow@if-pan.krakow.pl

room 27

Ewelina Cyrano, mgr

+48 12 6623374

cyrano@if-pan.krakow.pl

room 29

Joanna Gołębiowska, mgr

+48 12 6623374

goleb@if-pan.krakow.pl

room 29

Lucyna Socha

+48 12 6623374

socha@if-pan.krakow.pl

room 28