Faculty Mentor
Dr. Behnam Ghasemzadeh, Department of Biomedical Sciences
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Description
For years, studies have been conducted to treat the positive and negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia; it has allowed to treat the positive symptoms through regulation of dopaminergic neurons and dopamine pathways; however, we still do not know how to treat the negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. The reason we cannot treat them is due to a lack of adequate understanding of the underlying pathology which manifests itself in the behavior. Over the years, there have been multiple proposed hypotheses regarding the underlying pathology, and accordingly, medication were developed to regulate the variety of pathways in the brain but each of them has failed. Under the mentorship of Dr. Behnam Ghasemzadeh, experiments are being conducted to regulate the activity of KCNQ potassium ion channel to ameliorate the negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. The experiments are being conducted using animal-models of schizophrenia like-effect. The results suggest that decrease in the activity of the KCNQ potassium channels, leading to an increase in the neuronal activity, may be able to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Publication Date
Summer 2013
Disciplines
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health
Recommended Citation
Bano, Aisha, "Aisha Bano - The Role of KCNQ (Kv7) Potassium Channels in Schizophrenia Deficits" (2013). Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program 2013. 7.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/mcnair_2013/7
Biography
Aisha Bano is a senior majoring in biomedical sciences. She enjoys reading a lot about pathology. Aisha is the first girl in her family to attend college. After graduation in Spring 2014, she plans to pursue a PhD focusing in pharmacology.