C2ST Speakeasy: “Cannabis and the Developing Brain” with Dr. Kuei Yuan Tseng

March 15, 2016

SFCO
1941 West North Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA

Program Series:
Life Science

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Cannabis abuse during adolescence increases the risk of developing psychosis and prefrontal cortex (PFC)-dependent cognitive deficits later in life. The CB1 cannabinoid receptor has long been known to mediate the psychoactive effects of cannabis, yet the mechanisms underlying such vulnerability remain unknown. Here, I will discuss data from my lab and others showing that long-lasting deficits in prefrontal functions can occur following repeated exposure to cannabinoids during adolescence. We recently found conclusive evidence that early and mid-adolescence are unique developmental periods during which the cannabinoid system interacts with PFC maturation. Data indicate that too much CB1 receptor stimulation during adolescence can arrest the development and maturation of PFC functional capacity. Together, these findings are directly applicable not only to natural cannabinoids, but also to the new generation of synthetic, easily-obtainable, and more potent CB1 receptor agonists (e.g., JWH-018, CP47,497) currently available legally and illegally all over the world.

Event Details

C2ST Speakeasy is held on the first and third Tuesdays of every month. Attendance is free, but registration is strongly encouraged. To register, click HERE or on the “Get Tickets” button below. Seating is first come, first serve, and registration does not guarantee a seat.

This program is presented in partnership with SFCO (formerly Geek Bar Chicago) and the Chicago Society for Neuroscience

People under 21 are welcome at SFCO until 9:00pm.

Food and beverages are available for purchase. (See menu)

Speaker

Kuei Tseng, MD, PhD

Kuei Tseng, MD, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology at the Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University. He earned his MD degree in 1997 from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. After graduation from medical school, he pursued a PhD degree in Physiology & Neuroscience focusing on synaptic plasticity and its mechanistic link to the pathophysiology of chronic brain disorders. He investigated how chronic dopamine depletion in Parkinson’s disease affects information processing in the basal ganglia. These studies were among the first to show that an abnormal facilitation of frontal cortical activity is responsible for sustaining the abnormal synchronous firing observed in the basal ganglia in Parkinson’s disease. He then moved to the US (2002) to receive postdoctoral training. Here, he studied cellular mechanisms of prefrontal cortical control and how they become dysregulated in animal models of psychiatric disorders. One of his current research programs focuses on understanding the neurobiology underlying brain maturation and how disruption of neurodevelopmental processes (e.g., by cannabis) in the prefrontal cortex during adolescence contribute to the onset of mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.