DATE: 4:10 p.m., March 9, 2009.

EVENT: “How Could I Miss That? Neuronal Control and Enhancement of Attentional Capacities” a lecture by Martin Sarter, professor of psychology. This is the Charles M. Butter Collegiate Professorship in Psychology Inaugural Lecture.

Why can’t we take a cell phone call while driving and stay in the right lane? Could we build a better brain that effectively manages such basic demands on attention?

The large-scale neuronal circuits that control attentional performance have been defined in recent years. However, the neuronal mechanisms that underlie the profound limitations of our attentional capacities are completely unclear.

Sarter’s research demonstrated that activation of a major cortical input system is necessary for attentional performance. Furthermore, the capacity of an essential step in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter used by this neuronal system (the choline transporter; CHT) limits attentional performance, particularly under challenging conditions.

The presence of a human gene variant responsible for the expression of a sub-capacity transporter now allows the test of this hypothesis in humans. Recent research provides new insights into the cellular regulation of the CHT and suggests possible strategies to enhance the capacity of this key neuronal system.

The lecture and reception are free and open to the public.

PLACE: Founders Room, Alumni Center, 200 Fletcher St., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

SPONSORS: U-M’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

WEB LINKS: www.lsa.umich.edu