Five distinct, yet related, research projects are currently ongoing in my laboratory, all of which aim to better understand the neural bases of stress and arousal. In particular, we are interested in the role of noradrenergic, dopaminergic and hypocretin systems in arousal and state-dependent processes, including those associated with stress. 1. Noradrenergic and Dopaminergic Regulation of Arousal/Waking. 2. Neural Bases of Amphetamine-Induced Arousal. 3. Neurobiology of Hypocretin and Hypocretin-Induced Arousal. 4. Dopamine, Stress and Coping. 5. Neural Actions of Methylphenidate (Ritalin): Relevance to ADHD. These studies involve a variety of methods, which include: 1.  Neurochemical: Microdialysis and postmortem measures of dopamine and      norepinephrine release using HPLC-EC 2.  Anatomical: Immunohistochemistry and retrograde/anterograde tract tracing 3.  EEG/EMG-based measures of sleep and waking 4.  Electrophysiological: Single unit recordings of noradrenergic locus      coeruleus neurons.  Multi-electrode recordings within cortical and subcortical      structures 5.  Behavioral measures 6.  Any of the above-listed methods can be combined with pharmacological      manipulations of specific neurotransmitter systems within discrete brain regions. Department of Psychology 1202 West Johnson Street University of Wisconsin at Madison Madison, WI 53706-1696 © 2001 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. Last Revised: comments