Personal details |
Name |
Dr John
Potokar |
Job title |
Consultant Senior Lecturer
|
Department |
Bristol Medical School (PHS) University of Bristol
|
Contact details |
This expert can be contacted via the University of Bristol Public Relations
Office.
To help us deal with your request, please mention the Directory of Experts
when contacting the Public Relations Office.
work+44 (0)117 331 8092
email: public-relations@bristol.ac.uk
|
Qualifications |
M.B.,Ch.B.(Birm.), M.R.C.Psych., MD(Bristol) |
Professional details |
Keywords |
stress
psychiatric morbidity
neurobiology
anxiety disorders
serotonin
social phobia
depression
|
Areas of expertise |
Stress has been called the "common cold of the psyche". When excessive or overwhelming it can cause both physical and psychiatric morbidity. The aim of my groups work is to better understand the neurobiological underpinnings of anxiety disorders and stress related medical conditions using a variety of approaches, but with a focus on serotonin. Techniques used include CO2 inhalation and other challenge studies, rapid tryptophan depletion and assessment of tryptophan turnover in different conditions. Measures include behavioural, neuroendocrine and cardiovascular. Conditions include volunteer, panic disorder, social phobia, general anxiety disorder, major depression and irritable bowel syndrome.
|