Keywords

addictions • personality traits • mood disorders • neurobiology

Research Focus

My research focuses on the neurobiology of addictions and addiction-related psychiatric disorders. I have been particularly interested in identifying vulnerability traits that affect differential susceptibility to addictions, how these features change as people develop a substance use problem, and whether it might be possible to use these features as markers for early interventions and treatment.

Selected Publications

Click on to see my current publications list

• Leyton M, Vezina P. Dopamine ups and downs in vulnerability to addictions: a neurodevelopmental model. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 2014;35(6):268-276 PMID: 24794705.

• Casey KF, Benkelfat C, Cherkasova MV, Baker GB, Dagher A, Leyton M. Reduced dopamine response to amphetamine in subjects at ultra high risk for addiction. Biological Psychiatry 2014;76(1):23-30 PMID: 24138922.

• Milella MS, Marengo L, Larcher K, Fotros A, Dagher A, Rosa-Neto P, Benkelfat C, Leyton M. Limbic system mGluR5 availability in cocaine dependent subjects: a high-resolution PET [11C]ABP688 study. NeuroImage 2014;98:195-202 PMID: 24795154.

• Fotros A, Casey KF, Larcher K, Verhaeghe JAJ, Cox SM, Gravel P, Reader AJ, Dagher A, Benkelfat C, Leyton M. Cocaine cue-induced dopamine release in the amygdala and hippocampus: a high-resolution PET [18F]fallypride study in cocaine dependent participants. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013;38(9):1780-1788 PMCID: PMC3717549.

• Cox SML, Benkelfat C, Dagher A, Delaney JS, Durand F, Kolivakis T, Casey KF, Leyton M. Effects of lowered serotonin transmission on cocaine-induced striatal dopamine response: a PET [11C]raclopride study in humans. British Journal of Psychiatry 2011;199(Nov):391-397 PMID: 21543823.