Charles M. Butter Collegiate Professor of Psychology
Professor, Neuroscience
Ph.D. University of Konstanz
Area: Biopsychology

Contact Information

Email: msarter@umich.edu
Psychology Office: 4032 East Hall
Psychology Phone: 734-764-6392

Alternate Office: 4252, 4252A, 4252B East Hall

Research and Teaching Interests

My research focuses on the neurobiology of attention and attentional disorders. A major focus of this research concerns the regulation and function of the cortical cholinergic input system, including the role of abnormalities in the regulation of this massive cortical input system for the cognitive impairments that characterize many neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.

My research integrates diverse approaches and levels of analysis, ranging from molecular neuroscience research on the regulation and function of the choline transporter and other molecules that control key steps of cholinergic neurotransmission, to the development of animal models of cognitive disorders and cognitive neuroscience research in humans. The development of new treatments designed to enhance the cognitive capacity of patient groups, particularly of patients with schizophrenia, represents a major, associated focus of our research.
(For more information see my Laboratory Website:http://sitemaker.umich.edu/martin.sarter/faculty_profile).

Representative Publications

• Sarter, M., Bruno, J.P. & Parikh, V. (2007). Abnormal neurotransmitter release in behavioral and cognitive disorders: toward concepts of dynamic and function-specific dysregulation. Neuropsychopharmacology, 32, 455-463.
• Kozak, R., Martinez, M., Brown, H., Bruno, J.P. & Sarter M. (2007). Toward a neuro-cognitive animal model of the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia: disruption of cortical cholinergic neurotransmission following repeated amphetamine exposure in attentional task-performing, but not non-performing, rats. Neuropsychopharmacology, 32, 2074-2088. ·
• Parikh, V., Kozak, R., Martinez, V., & Sarter, M. (2007). Prefrontal acetylcholine controls cue detection on multiple time scales. Neuron, 56, 141-154.
• Martinez, V., & Sarter, M. (2008). Detection of the moderately beneficial effects of low-dose treatment with haloperidol or clozapine in an amphetamine model of the attentional impairments of schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology, 33, 2635-2647.
• Parikh, V., Man, K., Decker, M.W., & Sarter, M. (2008). Glutamatergic contributions to nAChR agonist-evoked cholinergic transients in the prefrontal cortex. Journal of Neuroscience, 28, 3769-3780.
• Demeter, E., Sarter, M., & Lustig, C. (2008). Rats and humans paying attention: cross-species task development for translational research. Neuropsychology, 22, 787-799.
• Nuechterlein, K.H., Luck, S.J., Lustig, C., & Sarter, M. (2009). CNTRICS final task selection: control of attention. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 35, 182-196.
• Sarter, M., Parikh, V., & Howe, W.M. (2009). Phasic acetylcholine release and the volume transmission hypothesis: time to move on. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 10, 383-390. 179.
• Alexander, K.A., Brooks, J.M., Sarter, M., & Bruno, J.P. (2009). Disruption of mesolimbic regulation of prefrontal cholinergic transmission in an animal model of schizophrenia and normalization by chronic clozapine treatment. Neuropsychopharmacology, in press.
• Sarter, M., Parikh, V., & Howe, M. (2009). nAChR agonist-induced cognition enhancement: integration of cognitive and neuronal mechanisms. (Special Issue: Nicotinic receptor-based therapeutics). Biochemical Pharmacology, in press.

Related Links