The Neurobiology of Adolescence

Research Summary

Adolescence and puberty are critical periods for brain maturation. These maturational events and processes of reorganization are needed for the occurrence of adult behavioral performance but simultaneously render the organism highly susceptible to perturbations. Profound developmental changes have been reported in particular for the endocannabinoid (ECB) system during puberty. With our research we are aiming to further clarify the detailed development of the ECB system during puberty and adolescence, and to characterize specific developmental effects of cannabinoids and other drugs of abuse (e.g. Ethanol, Ritalin etc.) on reward processing, social skills and cognitive performance. In addition, the impact of maturational processes in the ECB system on the development of neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g. addiction, schizophrenia, borderline personality disoder, autism) is examined in various animal models.  

Structure of the Group