Karine Fenelon

Dr. Fenelon’s team is interested in investigating the brain circuits and cellular mechanisms by which sensorimotor gating occurs. Sensorimotor gating is a fundamental brain mechanism that, if reduced, is associated with and often predictive of attention impairment, cognitive overload and motor problems. In humans and translational models, the behavioral test to study sensorimotor gating is called prepulse inhibition (PPI). PPI occurs when a weak stimulus is presented prior to an alarming stimulus reduces the startle response to this alarming stimulus. Reduced PPI is a hallmark of schizophrenia but is also seen in other neurological and psychiatric disorders. Therefore, PPI is a behavioral paradigm that can indicate impairment of sensorimotor gating associated with neurological and psychiatric disorders. Results for these experiments will lead to the identification of brain cells and pathways underlying PPI deficits linked to neurological diseases as promising drug targets that could be stimulated in patients that are unresponsive to current pharmaceuticals.

Current Research
Our brain is constantly exposed to a myriad of sensory information coming from sensory organs, skin, muscles, joints and internal organs. To avoid brain overload, a pre-attentive neuronal filtering mechanism allows only the most salient information to be processed. Hallmark of schizophrenia, abnormal sensory filtering (or gating) is also seen in many psychiatric and neurodevelopmental diseases associated attention impairments and other cognitive and behavioral deficits. Our research program focuses on better understanding the neural elements and circuits underlying sensory information gating. We are particularly interested in how the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC), brainstem structure at the core of the gating circuitry, is activated. To do so, we use anatomical, immunohistochemical, electrophysiological, genetic, and behavioral techniques/approaches in rodents, including disease models. Our overall goal is to provide a better understanding of the physiological dysfunction in patients suffering from sensory information gating and identify potential targets for therapeutic interventions.

Academic Background

BS McGill University, 1999 
MSc Universite de Sherbrooke, 2002 
PhD Universite de Montreal, 2008 
Postdoctoral: Postdoctoral Columbia University Medical Center, 2008-2013