My primary research interests are centered on understanding the relationship between emotionally arousing events and their capacity to modulate brain systems that encode new experiences into memory. A major focus of this research is to delineate the role brainstem nuclei play in this process. They are known to receive synaptic input regarding changes in peripheral autonomic and neuroendocrine states following emotional arousal and also are responsible for conveying this information to brain structures that regulate memory formation. A second but equally important objective of this research is to reveal how brainstem structures that are recipients of this information, affect memory formation by influencing neurotransmitter release in limbic structures such as the amygdala and hippocampus.We use a battery of behavioral learning tasks as well as in vivo microdialysis to identify the types of chemical transmitters that are released in the brain to affect memory storage.
Selected Publications
King, S. O. II & Williams, C. L. (2009). Novelty-induced arousal enhances memory for classical fear conditioning: Interactions between peripheral adrenergic and brainstem glutamatergic systems. Learning and Memory, (in press).
Kerfoot, E. C., Chatillion, E. & Williams, C. L. (2008). Functional interactions between the nucleus tractus solitarius and nucleus accumbens shell in modulating memory for arousing events. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 89, 47-60.
Miyashita,T. & Williams, C. L. (2006). Epinephrine Administration Increases Neural Impulses Propagated Along the Vagus Nerve: Role of Peripheral Beta-Adrenergic Receptors. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 85, 116-124.
Miyashita, T., & Williams, C. L. (2004).Peripheral Arousal-related Hormones Modulate Norepinephrine Release in the Hippocampus via Influences on Brainstem Nuclei. Behavioural Brain Research, 153, 87-95.
Hassert, D.L., Miyashita, T., & Williams, C. L. (2004). The Effects of Peripheral Vagal Nerve Stimulation At A Memory Modulating Intensity on Norepinephrine Output in the Basolateral Amygdala. Behavioral Neuroscience, 118, 79-88.
Miyashita, T. and Williams, C. L. (2003). Enhancement of noradrenergic neurotransmission in the nucleus of the solitary tract modulates memory storage processes. Brain Research, 987, 164-175.
Miyashita, T. and Williams, C. L. (2002). Glutamatergic transmission in the nucleus of the solitary tract modulates memory through influences on amygdala noradrenergic systems. Behavioral Neuroscience, 116, 13-21.
Williams, C. L. and Clayton, E. C. (2001). The contribution of brainstem structures in modulating memory storage processes. In P.E. Gold and W.T. Greenough (Eds.)., MEMORY CONSOLIDATION: Essays in Honor of JAMES L. McGAUGH. American Psychological Association Press.
Clayton, E. C. and Williams, C. L. (2000). Posttraining inactivation of excitatory afferent input to the locus coeruleus impairs retention in an inhibitory avoidance learning task. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 73, 127-140.
Williams, C. L., Men, D., and Clayton, E. C. (2000). The effects of noradrenergic activation of the nucleus tractus solitarius on memory and in potentiating norepinephrine release in the amygdala. Behavioral Neuroscience, 114, 1131-1144.
Clayton, E. C. and Williams, C. L. (2000). Glutamatergic Influences on the Nucleus Paragigantocellularis: Contribution to Performance in Avoidance and Spatial Memory Tasks. Behavioral Neuroscience, 114, 707-712.
Clayton, E. C. and Williams, C. L. (2000). Noradrenergic receptor blockade of the NTS attenuates the mnemonic effects of epinephrine in an appetitive light-dark discrimination learning task. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 74, 135-145.
Clayton, E. C. and Williams, C. L. (2000). Adrenergic activation of the nucleus tractus solitarius potentiates amygdala norepinephrine release and enhances retention performance in emotionally-arousing and spatial memory tasks. Behavioural Brain Research, 112, 151-158.
Roozendaal, B., Williams, C. L., and McGaugh, J. L. (1999). Glucocorticoid receptor activation in the rat nucleus of the solitary tract facilitates memory consolidation: Involvement of the basolateral amygdala. European Journal of Neuroscience, 11, 1317-1323.
Williams, C. L., Men, D., Clayton, E. C., and Gold, P. E. (1998). Norepinephrine release in the amygdala following systemic injection of epinephrine or escapable footshock: contribution of the nucleus of the solitary tract. Behavioral Neuroscience, 112, 1414-1422.
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