17th International Conference of the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa Marrakesh-Morocco April, 17-20, 2025

Title: Molecular targets of addictive drugs and associated neuropsychiatric disorders
Organizer: Mohamed Kabbaj
1115 W Call Street-Tallahassee 32312 USA
email: mkabbaj@fsu.edu

Abstract:

For most abused drugs, there are still no effective treatments. In this symposium, the presenters will describe some of the molecular mechanisms behind novel targeted therapies for substance abuse as well as associated neuropsychiatric disorders in humans and animal models. Specifically, Dr. Nicoletti will start the session by discussing the role of metabotropic glutamate receptors in Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) and psychostimulants addiction. Dr. Maccari will then discuss how prenatal stress affects alcohol consumption and sleep in male and female rats and discuss the role of the glutamate receptor mGlu1 in mediating some of the effects of stress and alcohol. Afterward, Dr. Naasila will present his recent findings comparing the effects of psychedelics like psilocybin, LSD, and ketamine in treating Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD) and addiction-related behavior. Dr. Kabbaj will then present a study exploring some of the mechanisms behind ketamine's abuse potential with a focus on the role of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens. Finally, Dr Matrisciano will show some recent human studies where they used ATAC-seq to examine epigenetic changes in the prefrontal cortex of individuals with AUD. His work points to a link between neuroinflammation and epigenetic regulation in alcohol addiction. Overall, the 5 presenters will shed some light on the complex interplay between stress, sex differences, neurotransmitter systems, and genetic/epigenetic factors in the context of alcohol and substance use disorders.

Speakers

Number	Speaker	e-mail	Title of  the communication
SP4_1	Ferdinando Nicoletti	ferdinandonicoletti@hotmail.com	mGlu receptors as target for the treatment of substance use disorders, including alcohol abuse
SP4_2	Stefania Maccari	stefania.maccari@univ-lille.fr	Prenatal stress effects on alcohol drinking: role of oxytocin and metabotropic receptors
SP4_3	Mickael Naassila	mickael.naassila@u-picardie.fr	Psychedelics as treatment of alcohol use disorders: Insights from preclinical models and comparison of the psychedelics psilocybin, LSD and Ketamine.
SP4_4	Mohamed Kabbaj	mkabbaj@fsu.edu	Role of medium spiny neurons in ketamine reinstatement
SP4_5	Francisco Matrisciano	matrisci@uic.edu	ATAC-seq analysis unveils epitranscriptomic alterations in the prefrontal cortex of alcohol use disorder and control subjects: potential link to neuroinflammation