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Peter Morgan, MD, PhD

Professor of Psychiatry; Chair, Bridgeport Hospital, Department of Psychiatry

Contact Information

Peter Morgan, MD, PhD

Mailing Address

  • Psychiatry

    Bridgport Hospital, 267 Grant Street

    Bridgeport, CT 06610

    United States

Research Summary

I am interested in the neurophysiology of substance dependence for its own sake and as a window into understanding cognition and behavior. The major focus of my laboratory is the examination of the role of disturbances of sleep and sleep-dependent memory consolidation in chronic substance use and other mental illnesses. My laboratory has found that abstinent male cocaine users suffer from an "occult" insomnia. Although their sleep is objectively poor and they exhibit cognitive disruptions related to this poor sleep, they believe that their sleep is unimpaired.

Recent findings suggest that modafinil, a wakefulness promoting agent, reverses some of the sleep deficits associated with chronic cocaine use.

Extensive Research Description

My recent and current human subject studies have examined sleep and learning in cocaine dependence and the relevance of GABA neurotransmission thereon, and have sought neurophysiological markers of alcohol craving. Experimental tools used include EEG/ERP, polysomnography (PSG), cocaine self-administration, neuroimaging, and a variety of standard and newly developed cognitive tasks including visual, motor, and verbal learning tasks, as well tasks of attention and memory.

Another project examines lucid dreaming and what differentiates lucid dreamers from non-lucid dreamers in terms of brain function. This project is directed at understanding the brain processes that lead to different types of consciousness.

Coauthors

Research Interests

Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms; Sleep Wake Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders

Selected Publications

Clinical Trials

ConditionsStudy Title
Diseases of the Nervous System; Mental Health & Behavioral ResearchTeen Brain and Behavior Study