Dr. med. Franz X. Vollenweider

 

Main Goals, Keywords

Behavioral pharmacology and brain imaging (PET) studies of pathophysiology and neurochemistry of model psychosis, schizophrenia, and depression. Functional neuroanatomy of sensory gating and mood processes in normals.

Keywords: PET, EEG/ERP, brain imaging, neuropsychology, psychopathology, behavioral pharmacology, PPI, model psychosis, schizophrenia, depression

Group Members

1 senior researcher, 2 research assistant, 1 technician, 2 PhD students, and 3 MD students (thesis candidates)

Previous and Current Research

• Studies of functional neuroanatomy of sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition) in healthy normals, first break and chronic schizophrenics using [H215O]-PET (collaboration with the PET Center USZ).
• PET studies of serotonin-dopamine and glutamate-dopamine interactions in acute psychotic states induced by the NMDA antagonist ketamine or the 5-HT2 agonist psilocybin (collaboration with the PET Center PSI).
• Development of PET ligands for the serotonin and dopamine transporter and application to the study of neurochemical mechanisms of anxiety, depression and the assessment of potential serotonergic neurotoxicity in chronic MDMA users. Development of PET ligands for the 5-HT2 receptor (collaboration with Dept. of Radiopharmacy, PSI).
• Effects of serotonergic, dopaminergic and glutamatergic probes (psilocybin, ketamine, MDMA) on sensorimotor gating, attention and psychopathological measures and their blockade using selective neuroreceptor antagonists.
• Acute and long-term effects of MDMA on brain activity (PET), brain waves (EEG/EP), sensorimotor gating, and neuropsychological measures (selective attention, memory).
• Behavioral organization and information processing in schizophrenic and depressed patients using two choice guessing task and a prepulse inhibition paradigm (collaboration with Dept. of Psychiatry, UCSD, and Psychiatrische Klinik Königsfelden).
• Neuronal network modelling of sensorimotor gating processes using a real-world agent (collaboration with the Artificial Intelligence Lab, IFI, University of Zurich)

Future Projects

Studies into information processing mechanism in first break and chronic schizophrenic patients using PPI and PET co-registration (cooperation with PET Center USZ and Dept. of Psychiatry, UCSD). Studies into the long-term effects of atypical neuroleptics on cognitive deficits in schizophrenics using EEG/EP and PPI.

Techniques and Equipment

PET data analysis software, computerized neuropsychological testing systems, prepulse inhibition (PPI) registration techniques, PET-PPI co-registration, advanced EEG and ERP mapping techniques, electromagnetic 3D tomography (LORETA), PET-EEG co-registration.

Selected Publications

• Vollenweider, F.X., Kometer, M. The neurobiology of psychedelic drugs: implications for the treatment of mood disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci. Sep; 11(9): 642-51 (2010). Epub 2010 Aug 18.
• Studerus, E., Kometer, M., Hasler, F., Vollenweider, F.X. Acute, subacute and long-term subjective effects of psilocybin in healthy humans: a pooled analysis of experimental studies. J Psychopharmacol. Sep 20 (2010).
• Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Vollenweider, F.X. Psychometric evaluation of the altered states of consciousness rating scale (OAV). PLoS One. Aug 31; 5(8): e12412 (2010).

Selected Lectures, Seminars, Colloquia

• Psychiatrisches Projektseminar
• Neurobiologie des Nervensystems

Funding

Swiss National Science Foundation, Heffter Institute, Janssen Research Foundation, Lundbeck Research Foundation, EMDO Stiftung Zürich, BAG Bern

URL

http://www.puk.uzh.ch/neuro'brain.htm