ANITA BECHTHOLT, PHD
- Harvard title(s): Research Fellow in Psychiatry
- McLean title(s): Postdoctoral Fellow
- Email: abechtholt@mclean.harvard.edu
- Telephone: (617) 855-2050
- Fax: (617) 855-2023
- Office Address: MRC 215-E
- Degree(s): Anita received her B.S. in Psychology from Washington State University (1996) and her Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Oregon Health & Science University (2004).
- Bio: Anita's interest is in identifying the neural mechanisms that mediate the incidence and treatment of addiction, depression, and anxiety. Her dissertation work involved identifying the brain regions and neurochemical mechanisms that contribute to the expression of the conditioned rewarding effects of ethanol. During her initial postdoctoral training, Anita studied the neural substrates responsible for the efficacy of treatments for depression and anxiety in the laboratory of Dr. Irwin Lucki at the University of Pennsylvania. At McLean Hospital she is continuing to work toward better understanding the mechanisms underlying depression and anxiety. In the future she hopes to combine her expertise in the areas of addiction and co-morbid psychiatric disorders as an independent investigator. She works primarily with Dr. Dost Ongur, and collaborates closely with Dr. Bill Carlezon and Dr. Bruce Cohen. Her research is funded in part by a 2006 NARSAD Young Investigator Award.
- Publications:
- O'Leary O F, Bechtholt AJ, Crowley JJ, Hill TE, Page ME, Lucki I (2007) Depletion of serotonin and catecholamines block the acute behavioral response to different classes of antidepressant drugs in the mouse tail suspension test. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 192: 357-71
- Bechtholt AJ, Hill TE, Lucki I (2007) Anxiolytic effect of serotonin depletion in the novelty-induced hypophagia test. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 190: 531-40
- O'Leary O F, Bechtholt AJ, Crowley JJ, Valentino RJ, Lucki I (2007) The role of noradrenergic tone in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the mouse in the acute behavioral effects of antidepressant drugs. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 17: 215-26
- Bechtholt AJ, Lucki I (2006) Effects of serotonin-related gene deletion on measures of anxiety, depression and neurotransmission. In: Roth BL (ed) The serotonin receptors: From molecular pharmacology to human therapeutics. Human Press Inc., Totowa, NJ, pp 577-606
- Mark GP, Kinney AE, Grubb MC, Zhu X, Finn DA, Mader SL, Berger SP, Bechtholt AJ (2006) Injection of oxotremorine in nucleus accumbens shell reduces cocaine but not food self-administration in rats. Brain Res 1123: 51-9
- Bechtholt AJ, Cunningham CL (2005) Ethanol-induced conditioned place preference is expressed through a ventral tegmental area dependent mechanism. Behav Neurosci 119: 213-23
- Bechtholt AJ, Gremel CM, Cunningham CL (2004) Handling blocks expression of conditioned place aversion but not conditioned place preference produced by ethanol in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 79: 739-44
- Bechtholt AJ, Smith R, Raber J, Cunningham CL (2004) Enhanced ethanol-, but not cocaine-induced, conditioned place preference in Apoe(-/-) mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 77: 783-92
- Bechtholt AJ, Mark GP (2002) Enhancement of cocaine-seeking behavior by repeated nicotine exposure in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 162: 178-85
- Wright JW, Bechtholt AJ, Chambers SL, Harding JW (1996) Angiotensin III and IV activation of the brain AT1 receptor subtype in cardiovascular function. Peptides 17: 1365-71