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Stephen L. Dewey

Professor
Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience
The Feinstein Institute For Medical Research
United States of America

Biography

Stephen L. Dewey, PhD, Professor, Feinstein Center for Neuroscience, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research

Research Interest

The Laboratory for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroimaging has taken on the war on drugs in a unique way. Stephen Dewey, PhD, has put virtually every drug of abuse to the test on the brain to tell the story of what these substances do to brain function and structure. The findings have led to a deep understanding of how the brain can so easily and permanently be altered by chronic exposure to drugs and suggests that even occasional use can permanently alter the inner workings of the brain. The lab has scanned brains exposed to caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates, heroin and chemical solvents and have shown in detail what happens and under what circumstances the changes can become life-long. The lab also studies the brain’s behavioral signatures in response to drug exposure. More recently, Dr. Dewey has focused on the development of a novel treatment for drug abuse. This treatment reduces cravings for drugs of abuse and has been shown to be effective in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial in cocaine-dependent subjects. A medicine called vigabatrin, which was developed as an anti-epilepsy drug, has been tested for its ability to block drug use. Pilot studies in both cocaine and methamphetamine abusers are now demonstrating efficacy as well as an ability to lower the motivation to seek out these drugs. Larger drug trials are now underway. Dr. Dewey also studies the effects of drug exposure during development – from adolescence through to adulthood.

Publications

  • Carrion J, Patel V, Liebling NB, Dewey SL and Schiffer WK. (2009) “Imaging the conditioned behavioral effects of methamphetamine in rodents.” Brain Imaging & Behavior. 3(2):176-190.

  • Schiffer WK, Lee DE, Carrion J, Benveniste H and Dewey SL. (2010) “Brain distribution of 11C-toluene predicts structural changes in an adolescent model of toluene abuse.” Synapse. (in press)

  • Pan,Y Gerasimov MR, Kvist T, Wellendorph P, Madsen KK, Schousboe A, Chebib M, Bräuner-Osborne H, Schiffer WK, Brodie JD, Dewey SL, and Silverman RB. (2010) “(1S,3S)-3-Amino-4-difluoromethylenyl-1-cyclopentanoic Acid, a Highly Potent ?-Aminobutyric Acid Aminotransferase Inhibitor for the Treatment of Cocaine Addiction.” Science. (submitted)

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