Formerly BDCN-6

[NPAS Roster]

The Neural Basis of Psychopathology, Addictions and Sleep Disorders [NPAS] Study Section addresses the neurobiological basis of addictive, behavioral, cognitive and emotional disorders across the life span. NPAS covers a very broad range of topics including structural, functional, electrophysiological, biochemical, pharmacological, neuroanatomical, neuroendocrine, neurotoxicological, physiological, genetic, and neuropsychological aspects of these disorders.

 Specific areas covered by NPAS:

• Addictive disorders. Etiology, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and treatment strategies of substance abuse, and addictive disorders; co-morbidity factors, including emotional, infectious, and degenerative disorders; structure/function changes and plasticity in the nervous system; neurobiological, behavioral and cognitive processes underlying drug-seeking behavior, craving, tolerance, withdrawal, relapse, dependence and sensitization; neurobiological basis of individual differences in vulnerability and resiliency to drug abuse.
• Behavioral, cognitive and emotional disorders. Etiology, pathogenesis, pathophysiology, diagnosis and/or treatment of a wide range of disorders, including: schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders [including phobic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder], cognitive disorders [including delirium and amnestic disorders], attention disorders, activity disorders, sleep disorders, and personality disorders.
• Genetic basis and models of addictive and mental disorders. Identification and expression of genes or genetic mechanisms associated with addictive and mental disorders or models of these disorders, genomic screening, and linkage analysis.

 NPAS has the following shared interests within the BDCN IRG:

• With Pathophysiology of Mental Disorders and Addictions [PMDA]: Both NPAS and PMDA share interest in mechanisms of mental illnesses and addictions. Studies focusing of animal models and/or translational aspects may be reviewed in PMDA. Application covering similar topics but with greater clinical orientation and/or using human subjects may be more appropriate for NPAS. Studies using postmortem tissues emphasizing details of specific molecular pathways may be reviewed in PMDA. However, general postmortem studies focusing on pre-mortem clinical assessments and correlations with post-mortem neuropathological findings would be more appropriate for NPAS. 

• With Developmental Brain Disorders [DBD]: Studies relating to childhood disorders may be reviewed in DBD if they focus on some unique aspect of the developing brain [i.e., mental retardation, autism], but studies involving mechanisms that are common to the mature brain [i.e., anxiety disorders, ADHD, eating disorders, tic disorders] may be reviewed in NPAS. 

• Other BDCN Study Sections: The other BDCN Study Sections have particular expertise in the anatomical, functional, neurotransmitter, molecular, cellular and developmental aspects of neural disorders and injury. However, studies where the primary focus is on neurobiological basis of addictive, behavioral, cognitive [other than dementia-associated], and emotional disorders may be reviewed in NPAS.

NPAS has the following shared interests outside the BDCN IRG:

• With the Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes [BBBP] IRG: Studies that focus primarily on behavior and behavioral approaches could be reviewed in the BBBP IRG. Studies that focus mainly on the neurobiological basis of addictive, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional disorders could be reviewed in NPAS
• With the Biology of Development and Aging [BDA] IRG: Studies with a focus on multiple system manifestations of age-related neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease may be reviewed within the BDA IRG, while studies where the primary focus is on the neurobiological basis of addictive, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional disorders may be reviewed in NPAS.
• With the Genes, Genomes and Genetics [GGG] IRG: The GGG IRG has shared interests with NPAS with respect to an interest in diseases of the nervous system.  However, when the focus is primarily on molecular genetic approaches, large-scale gene/genomic/genetic studies, gene discovery using complex or novel technologies, the GGG IRG may be more appropriate. NPAS may be more appropriate for studies where the primary focus is on the neurobiological basis of addictive, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional disorders.
• With the Health of the Population [HOP] IRG: Studies dealing with descriptive and analytical epidemiologic aspects of various neurologic disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and epilepsy may be reviewed with the HOP IRG, while studies that focus primarily mainly on the neurobiological basis of addictive, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional disorders may be reviewed in NPAS.
• With the Integrative, Functional and Cognitive Neuroscience [IFCN] IRG: In general, the IFCN study sections review normal aspects of brain function, while BDCN study sections review studies relating to diseases and pathological states.  Studies where the primary focus is on alcohol or toxicant pathophysiology may be reviewed within the IFCN IRG. However, those studies where alcoholism is a co-morbid factor may be reviewed in NPAS.
• With the Surgical Sciences, Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering [SBIB] IRG:  For studies concerned with development of imaging technology, the SBIB IRG may be appropriate. However, where the proposed research is oriented toward the application of imaging techniques for studying addictive, cognitive, behavioral, or emotional disorders or their treatment, NPAS may be more appropriate.  Both NPAS and the SBIB IRG may review studies dealing with functional brain imaging; however, NPAS may be more appropriate to review those studies using imaging as a tool for studying addictive, cognitive, behavioral, or emotional disorders or their treatment. SBIB may be more appropriate for studies concerning development and evaluation of imaging procedures.