Our research group analyze in different Animals Models of mental illness such as anxiety, depression, epilepsy pain, narcolepsy-cataplexy among others.

Our approach is holistic because our aim is to analyze behavior plus different techniques such as electrophysiology, pharmacology, endocrine, and molecular biology approaches.

We have two rat biomodels one with a high anxiety and depression the so-called low-yawning (LY) subline of Sprague Dawley rats. The other one is the High-yawning (HY) subline of Sprague-Dawley that had resiliency to stress, anxiety and depression, the most common mental illnesses.

At present, we are tested classical anxiolytics and antidepressant drugs and importantly new compounds that are more effective, safer and that are better tolerate.

Additionally, we have a tubulin mutant rat that is equal to the human leukodystrophy called hypomyelination with atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum (H-ABC).

Taiep is the acronym of motor signs that the rat showed along the first year of life such as: tremor, ataxia, immobility epilepsy and paralysis. In this tubulin mutant, we are currently analyzing the absence crisis of epilepsy and the sleep-wake alterations, as well on the rapid eye movement type of sleep because the rat is an excellent model of narcolepsy cataplexy.

Importantly taiep rats showed the same pattern of demyelination and atrophy of the putamen and cerebellum associated with a point mutation of Tubulin  4A protein (TUBB4A) that is

Behavioral Neurophysiology Research Group

Dr. Jose Ramon Eguibar Cuenca
Dra. Ma. del Carmen Cortés
M. en C. Araceli Ugarte
M.V.Z. Omar Isidro
Behavioral research group was founded in 1981.

The aim of our research group is to analyze using different techniques such as neurophysiology, neurochemistry, neuropharmacology and molecular biology different pathologic of the nervous system with a holistic approach.

Professor Jose R. Eguibar
PhD in Neuroscience, Dept. of Physiology, Biophysic and Neuroscience CIVNESTAV del IPN 1998
MD University of Puebla 1985
Phone: (222)2295500 Ext. 5732
E-mail: jose.eguibar@correo.buap.mx
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jose_Eguibar
ORCID 0000-0001-6594-1141

Professor Carmen Cortes PhD in Biomedical research, Faculty of Medicine, UNAM Psychology Universidad de las Americas Puebla Phone: (222) 2295500 Ext. 7331 E-mail: carmen.cortes@correo.buap.mx https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carmen_Cortes ORCID: 0000-0002-9163-2665

Research interact

Relevant topics

The research group analyze electrical brain activity to continuous electroencephalography (EGG) electromyography (EMG) and electrooculography (EOG) activities to 24 hours in freely movement rats.
Under these circumstances, we are able to record the epilepsy, sleep-wake cycle, food and water consumption in order to analyze brain activity.
In the case of Taiep rats, we are able to record the absence crisis in both sexes along the Circadian cycle and different ages. We also are currently analyzing the action of anti-absence drugs such as lamotrigine, etlosuximide and 4 aminopiridine, as well as inhibitors of GABA recapture pregabaline and Gabapentine.
Indication for sleep-wake cycle Taiep rats shown a REM sleep disorder similar to Human narcolepsy-cataplexy.
We are also analyzing the activation of hypothalamus hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal gland axis through the secretion of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone in control and restraint stress subjects. In these animals, we also analyze the quality and distribution of sleep.

Current members

Araceli Ugarte, Master in Science, Q.F.B. BUAP and Master in Biological Sciences.
The aim of her work is to analyze maternal care and its consequences particularly does relate with mother-pup interaction stress responses and memory.

M.V.Z. Omar Isidro Maldonado
He is a veterinary Physician with a specialization on laboratory rodents, particularly rats. He is the responsible person of our animal room facilities and maintain of high and low-yawning rats, taiep and an outbred stock of Sprague-Dawley rats.

Post-doctoral fellows

Dra. Maria de los Angeles Carrasco Ruiz.
She is an expert on Western Blot and other molecular biology techniques. Currently Carrasco Ruiz is analyzing the distribution of GABA receptors in various brain areas including cerebral cortex, amygdala, hippocampus and thalamus in taiep rats at different ages.

1) M. en C. Lilia Díaz Espinosa.
Doctorado en Ciencias Fisiológicas con la tesis titulada “Participación de los glucocorticoides y la noradrenalina en la consolidación y recuperación de la memoria de las sublíneas de ratas de alto y bajo bostezo.”. Matrícula 220570049. CVU 850282. Período de enero de 2020 a diciembre 2023. Lilia Díaz Espinoza.
Master in Biological Sciences.

2) Juan Carlos Ahumada Juárez. Master in Physiological Sciences.
He obtained a major in physiotherapy and his M. Sc. thesis was to analyze the walking pattern in taiep rats at different stages of demyelination process. Now he is analyzing the role of different dopaminergic agents on the taiep walking pattern using the CatWal system from Noldus Instruments (The Netherlands).

3) Dolores Adriana Bravo-Duran. Master in Physiological Sciences.
She is a major in Biology and her master work is related to explore depression in the high- and low-yawning rats and explore the action of several inhibitors of the serotonin recapture mechanisms.

4) Adriela Fierro Rojas. Master in Physiological Sciences.
She is major in Psychology Her PhD thesis is related to post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol consumption and sleep-wake pattern in the high-yawning and low-yawning sublines of Sprague-Dawley rats.

5) Emanual Salvador Hernández Alvarado. Master in Physiological Sciences.
He is working in the spike wave discharges under physiological and induced hyperprolactinemia state.

6) M. en C. y médico especialista Rosa Lydia Muñoz Téllez.
Doctorado en Investigación y Educación para la Salud del Instituto de Ciencias con la tesis titulada “Modelo gerontológico de educación en salud para un envejecimiento activo y saludable”. De enero de 2023 a diciembre de 2026.

7) M. en C. Rubén Castillo Lazcano.
Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala con la tesis titulada “Caracterización de las descargas espiga-onda en la rata taiep macho mediante la modulación androgénica”. De febrero de 2024 a febrero 2028.