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russell

 

Russell Phillips, Ph.D.

Training:
1998 -  PhD Experimental Psychology/Behavioral Neuroscience,
New York University
1989 - BA Human Biology, University of Kansas

Research Interest:
Age-related degeneration of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) contributes to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome. With aging, the partial trisomy 16 (Ts65Dn) mouse model of Down's syndrome exhibited reductions in BFCN size and number and regressive changes in the hippocampal terminal fields of these neurons with respect to diploid controls. The changes were associated with significantly impaired retrograde transport of nerve growth factor (NGF) from the hippocampus to the basal forebrain. Intracerebroventricular NGF infusion reversed well established abnormalities in BFCN size and number and restored the deficit in cholinergic innervation. The findings are evidence that even BFCNs chronically deprived of endogenous NGF respond to an intervention that compensates for defective retrograde transport. We suggest that age-related cholinergic neurodegeneration may be a treatable disorder of failed retrograde NGF signaling

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Contact me:
Office: p156, MSLS building
725-1328
E-mail:rgphil@stanford.edu

Recent Publication:
Roozendaal B, Phillips RG, Power AE, Brooke SM, Sapolsky RM, McGaugh
Memory retrieval impairment induced by hippocampal CA3 lesions is blocked by adrenocortical suppression.
Nat Neurosci. 2001 Dec;4(12):1169-71.

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