The Bruno Neuroscience Lab will continue studying the psychobiology of attentional processing and the mechanisms of attentional dysfunctions found in various diseases. It is important this research continues to address the mechanisms of attention, as the number of people diagnosed with attentional dysfunctions continues to increase. It is possible more complex cognitive disorders will evolve in humans, necessitating this research proceed to be prepared for that unfortunate possibility.
Recently some of the experiments in the Bruno lab began utilizing Biosensors, a technology which greatly increases the spatial and temporal resolution of neurotransmitter detection. Instead of taking microdialysis samples and analyzing the neurotransmitter amounts in the HPLC, a biosensor is like a tiny HPLC inserted in the brain, and determines changes in cholinergic transmission every 100 msecs as opposed to every 15 minutes with microdialysis. This shorter time interval may facilitate neurochemical studies involving rapid changes in behavior.
Video of Dr. Bruno discussing Biosensors