Professor Neil McNaughton
 Contact
Details
Tel 64 3 479 7634
Email nmcn@psy.otago.ac.nz
Neurobiology of Anxiety, Temporal and Frontal Lobe Function
and their Links to Human Personality
My research combines psychological analysis of emotion and
memory with physiological analysis of the rhythmical electrical
activity called “theta” in both rats and humans.
I use the effects of anxiolytic drugs to link the psychological
and physiological levels of analysis and to generalise from
laboratory experiments to clinical situations. Anxiolytic
drugs reduce anxiety in the clinic, independently of chemical
type. I have shown that they all impair theta and so the function
of the temporal lobe - which is thought to be crucial for
some types of memory. I have used a broad range of techniques
to allow both neural and psychological analysis. Single unit
and evoked potential analysis have mapped and assessed the
functioning of neural pathways of interest; recording during
psychological tasks allows detailed pharmacological analysis.
Each type of analysis guides research in the other areas.
Currently, at the neural level, we are investigating the pharmacology
and neural control of hippocampal theta activity and its relation
to theta recorded from frontal cortex. This includes the use
a “brain bypass” and other techniques to restore
function after neural damage. At the psychological level,
we are analysing the human EEG for specific neural signatures
of goal conflict and linking this to personality measures
and the neuroeconomic theory.
Three selected recent papers (for
more papers and PDFs click here)
Mitchell D.J., McNaughton, N., Flanagan, D. & Kirk, I.J.
(2008) A review of frontal midline theta from the perspective
of hippocampal "theta". Progress in Neurobiology,
86, 156-185
McNaughton, N., Ruan,M., & Woodnorth, M.A. (2006) Restoring
theta-like rhythmicity in rats restores initial learning in
the Morris water maze. Hippocampus, 16, 1102-1110
McNaughton, N., & Corr, P.J. (2004). A two-dimensional
neuropsychology of defense: fear/anxiety and defensive distance.
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 28, 285-305.
Books
Gray, J.A. and McNaughton, N. The Neuropsychology of Anxiety:
an enquiry into the functions of the septo-hippocampal system.
(2nd edition) Oxford University Press (2000) 424p [http://www.oup.com/uk/catalogue/?ci=9780198522713]
With 10 electronic appendices originally published on the
Oxford University Press website
Appendix 1,
2, 3,
4, 5,
6, 7,
8, 9,
10 PDF's
McNaughton, N. Biology and Emotion. Cambridge University
Press (1989) 228p.
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