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Research Interests

Keywords:Neurochemical Pathology, CNS Aging & Neurodegeneration Transmitter release

Description of Research Activities: My research focuses on a biochemical and pharmacological approach to understanding brain disease and behaviour. Most of our studies involve measuring a neurotransmitter, or manipulating it by some treatment and examining the consequences of this manipulation in animal models, or measuring transmitter markers in human brain samples.

Factors examined include drugs, food (which affects the availability of some neurotransmitter precursors), toxic metals, hormones, and environmental phenomena like stress and light. In many of my studies I use the rat to model neurodegenerative diseases. Using a technique called microdialysis we can measure transmitter release in a well-defined brain region and correlate transmitter release to changes in the rat's behaviour.

We are presently engaged in studying various aspects of monoamine (MA) neurotransmitter function including: 1) aromatic amino acid metabolism in the retina of diabetic rats; 2) environmental influences on retinal dopamine and melatonin synthesis and release (e.g. diet and light); 3) deficits in MAs in human diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease).

Selected Publications

1. Brudzynski, S.M., Gibson, C.J. Release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens caused by stimulation of the subiculum in freely moving rats. Brain Research Bulletin, 42:303-308, 1997.
2. Gibson, C.J., Munoz, D. Chromogranin A inhibits dopamine release from rat striatal slices. J of Neural Transmission, 105:1083-1089, 1998.
3. Cechetto, D.F., Diab, T., Gibson, C.J., Gelb, A.W. The effects of propofol in the area prostema of rats. Anesth Analg 92:934-942, 2001.
4. B. P. Esparza-Gonzalez, R. Niño Fong, C. J. Gibson, I. C. Fuentealba, and M. G. Cherian Zinc supplementation decreases hepatic copper accumulation in LEC rat: A model of Wilson's disease. Biol Trace Elem Res, 105 (1-3): 117-134, 2005.