Yale University · NeuroscienceCognitive Stress Lab
Amy F.T. Arnsten · New Haven, Connecticut
Research Focus
Dr. Amy F.T. Arnsten's lab at Yale University studies how stress affects the brain, particularly the areas responsible for memory and decision-making. By focusing on specific norepinephrine receptors, the research aims to understand why current treatments for disorders like PTSD and schizophrenia may not work for everyone. The ultimate goal is to find better therapeutic options that can improve cognitive function during stress-related challenges.
norepinephrine receptorsstressprefrontal cortexworking memorymental disordersPTSDcognitive deficitsanimal modelspharmacology
Research Aims
4AIM 01Characterize the localization and physiological actions of norepinephrine receptor subtypes in the prefrontal cortex.
AIM 02Examine how norepinephrine receptor stimulation affects neuronal firing during working memory tasks under stress.
AIM 03Test the efficacy of selective norepinephrine antagonists in reducing cognitive deficits from stress.
AIM 04Identify specific receptor subtypes that impair cognitive function in the context of stress-related disorders.
Skills the Lab Values
immunofluorescenceimmunoelectron microscopyiontophoresissingle-unit recordingsbehavioral assaysneuron cell cultureconfocal microscopyneuroscience techniquesdrug administrationdata analysis
Output against the department
Publications259top 27% of dept.183rd of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations32ktop 12% of dept.79th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.