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School of Psychological Science
My research activities focus on psychoneuroimmunology or the interactions between behaviour, the brain, and the immune system. For many years I have investigated the behavioural effects of the proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α), their site of action, and the neurochemical intermediaries. We are currently examining the role of nitric oxide, cholecystokinin, and glutamate in the development and maintenance of fever and sickness behaviour. This latter term refers to the constellation of non-specific symptoms that sick individuals experience, including malaise, fatigue, and disinterest in usual activities such as eating, drinking, and social activities. Stemming from an interest in sickness behaviour, my research group has studied immune-induced cognitive impairments. We demonstrated that immune activation interrupts the transition from short-term to intermediate-term memory. More recently, we have used a swim stress paradigm to examine the effects of controllable and uncontrollable stress on the immune system. We have also characterised differences between stress resilient and stress vulnerable rats. This work is currently being extended to determine the impact of rearing environment. Other projects are investigating the behavioural,
neurochemical, and immunological consequences of caloric restriction.
Finally, I am interested in the potential link between cytokines, heart
attacks, and depression.
Levay, E.A., Paolini, A.G., Govic, A., Hazi, A., Penman, J., & Kent, S. (accepted 22/11/09) HPA and sympathoadrenal activity of adult rats perinatally exposed to maternal mild calorie restriction. Behavioural Brain Research. Govic, A., Levay, E.A., Kent, S., & Paolini,
A. (2009) The social behavior of male rats administered an adult-onset
calorie restriction regimen. Physiology and Behavior 96: 581-85. Levay, E.A., Paolini, A.G., Govic, A., Hazi, A., Penman, J., & Kent, S. (2008) Anxiety-like behaviour in adult rats perinatally exposed to maternal calorie restriction. Behavioural Brain Research 191: 164-172. Govic, A., Levay, E.A., Hazi, A., Penman, J., Kent, S. & Paolini, A. (2008) Alterations in male sexual behaviour, attractiveness and testosterone levels induced by an adult-onset calorie restriction regimen. Behavioural Brain Research 190: 140-146. Begg, D.P, Mathai, M.L., McKinley, M.J., Frappell, P.B. & Kent, S., (2008) Central nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition restores behaviorally mediated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced fever in near-term rats. Physiology and Behavior 94: 630-634. Govic, A., Kent, S., Levay, E.A., Hazi, A., Penman, J., & Paolini, A. (2008) Testosterone, social and sexual behavior of perinatally and lifelong calorie restricted offspring. Physiology and Behavior 94: 516-22. Levay, E.A., Govic, A., Penman, J., Paolini, A.G. & Kent, S. (2007) Effects of adult-onset calorie restriction on anxiety-like behavior in rats. Physiology and Behavior 92: 889-896. Begg, D.P., Kent, S., McKinley, M.J. & Mathai, M.L. (2007) Suppression of endotoxin-induced fever in near-term pregnant rats is mediated by brain nitric oxide. American Journal of Physiology 292: R2174-R2178. Di Benedetto, M., Lindner, H.D., Hare, D. & Kent, S. (2007) The role of coping and anxiety in depression at 6-months post-acute coronary syndrome. Psychology, Health, and Medicine 12: 460-469. Drugan, R.C., Weidholz, L.M., Holt, A., Kent, S. & Christianson, J.P. (2007) Environmental and immune stressors enhance alcohol induced motor ataxia in rat. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 86: 125-131. Weiland, T.J., Voudouris, N.J. & Kent, S. (2007) CCK2 receptor nullification attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced sickness behavior. American Journal of Physiology 292: R112-R123. Kent, S., Dedda, K., Hale, M. & Crowe, S.F. (2007) Polyinosinic: polycyctidylic acid induces memory-processing deficits in the day-old chick. Behavioural Pharmacology 18: 19-27. Weiland, T.J., Anthony-Harvey-Beavis, D., Voudouris, N.J., & Kent, S. (2006) Metabotropic glutamate receptors mediate lipopolysaccharide-induced fever and sickness behavior. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 20: 233-245. Levay, E.A., Govic, A., Hazi, A., Flannery, G.R., Christianson, J.P., Drugan, R.C., & Kent, S. (2006) Endocrine and immunological correlates of behaviorally identified swim stress resilient and vulnerable rats. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 20: 488-497. Kent, S. (2006) An emotional link between sickness and depression. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 20: 515-516. Chen, H., Kent, S., Morris, MJ (2006) Is the CCK2 receptor essential for normal regulation of body weight and adiposity? European Journal of Neuroscience 24: 1427-33. Di Benedetto, M., Lindner, H.D., Hare, D. & Kent, S. (2006) Measuring depression following acute coronary syndromes: A comparison between the Cardiac Depression Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 60: 13-20. Weiland, T.J., Kent, S., Voudouris, N.J., & Shulkes, A (2005) The effect of lipopolysaccharide on cholecystokinin in murine plasma and tissue. Peptides 26: 447-455. Di Benedetto, M., Lindner, H.D., Hare, D. & Kent, S. (2005) A Cardiac Depression Visual Analogue Scale for the brief and rapid assessment of depression following acute coronary syndromes. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 59: 223-229. Drugan, R.C., Eren, S., Hazi, A., Silva, J., Christianson, J.P. & Kent, S. (2005) Impact of water temperature and stressor controllability on swim stress-induced changes in body temperature, serum corticosterone, and immobility in rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 82: 397-403. Weiland, T.J., Voudouris, N.J. and Kent, S. (2004) The role of CCK2 receptors in energy homeostasis: Insights from the CCK2 receptor-deficient mouse. Physiology and Behavior 82: 471-476. Fortier, M.-E., Kent, S., Ashdown, H., Poole, S., Boksa, P. & Luheshi, G.N. (2004) The viral mimic, polyinosinic: polycyctidylic acid (poly I:C), induces fever in rats via an interleukin-1 dependent mechanism. American Journal of Physiology 287: R759-R766. Sell, K.M., Crowe, S.F., & Kent, S. (2003). Lipopolysaccharide induces biochemical alterations in chicks trained on the passive avoidance learning task. Physiology and Behavior 78: 679-688. Stokes, M., Kent, S., & Armstrong, S. (2002) Relationships between phase and period response curve to light pulses in the rat. Biological Rhythms Research 33: 303-317. Stokes, M., Kent, S., & Armstrong, S. (2001). The effect of repeated pulses of light at the same time upon period responses of the rat circadian pacemaker. Chronobiology International 18: 187-201. Sell, K.M., Crowe, S.F., & Kent, S. (2001). Lipopolysaccharide induces memory-processing deficits in day-old chicks. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior 68: 497-502. Research
Projects and Postgraduate student projects Mirella Di Benedetto 2006 Elizabeth Levay 2009 Leah MacDonald Doctor of
Psychology MSc Grants
(since 2001) How does immune activation cause learning and memory deficits in the day-old chick? Australian Research Council, 2001-2003, $116,545. The immunosuppressive effects of swim stress controllability. Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, 2003, $5500 Immunological correlates of swim stress resilience and vulnerability. Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering Research, 2004, $4800 Stress-induced activation of immune related genes in the hypothalamus: Is there a difference between stress resilient and stress vulnerable rats? Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, 2005, $4929 Environmental impact on neuroendocrine and neurobiological mechanisms: treatment strategies and mimetics for maintaining good health. In collaboration with Antonio Paolini, ARC Linkage Project, 2007-2011, $597,121. Collaborations Margaret Morris University of New South
Wales - Sydney, International Rob Drugan University of New Hampshire
-- Durham, NH, USA Content Approved by: Head of School Page maintained by: Illustrative Services Last Updated: 12 January, 2010 |
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