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SUMMARY:All work and no play - Prof. Louk J.M.J. Vanderschuren\, PhD  Dept
 . of Animals in Science and Society\, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience
 \,  Faculty of Veterinary Medicine\, Utrecht University Utrecht\, The Neth
 erlands
DTSTART:20130301T163000Z
DTEND:20130301T180000Z
UID:TALK41874@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Louise White
DESCRIPTION:Inbetween weaning and puberty\, the young of all mammalian spe
 cies\, including humans\, display a characteristic form of social interact
 ion known as social play behaviour or rough-and-tumble play. This form of 
 social behaviour is highly rewarding and important for the development of 
 social and cognitive skills. Our research focuses on the neural underpinni
 ngs of social play behaviour in rats. In my seminar\, I will present our r
 ecent research that demonstrates the importance of limbic corticostriatal 
 circuits in social play behaviour. In addition\, I will show data indicati
 ng that the positive subjective (‘pleasurable’) and incentive motivati
 onal properties of social play can be pharmacologically dissociated. Furth
 ermore\, I will discuss our research that demonstrates the importance of s
 ocial play for the development of impulse control and decision making abil
 ities\, as well as for the resilience to drug abuse.\n\nBiography:\nProf. 
 dr. L.J.M.J. (Louk) Vanderschuren (1968) obtained a MSc degree in Medical 
 Biology (1990) and a PhD degree (1994) at Utrecht University. As a post-do
 ctoral fellow\, he studied the neurobiology of drug addiction at the VU Un
 iversity Amsterdam and the University of Cambridge. In 2004 he was appoint
 ed staff member at the Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience (UMC Utrech
 t)\, and in 2010 he was appointed Professor of Behavioural Neuroscience at
  Utrecht University. His research deals with the neurobiology of social be
 haviour\, impulsive behaviour and drug addiction. He has published 93 scie
 ntific papers in international peer-reviewed journals. He is editor of Beh
 avioural Pharmacology\, and member of the executive committee of the Europ
 ean Behavioural Pharmacology Society.\n\n
LOCATION:Ground Floor Lecture Theatre\, Department of Psychology
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