William Herman Wilson

During the past year my research efforts continued in brain blood flow and metabolism. Areas of focus have been on the effects of marijuana and other substances of abuse on cerebral blood flow and metabolism and brain morphology. Several new grants to continue this research have been submitted. An ongoing project involves the effects of marijuana on cerebral blood flow measured with Positron Emission Tomography. This project will look at
neurocognative effects of marijuana. In this project subjects who have used marijuana in the past are studied while THC (marijuana) is infused. A third project has been funded on the effects of marijuana on postural syncope. The plans for the coming year include the continuation of these two with new grant submissions, and further expansion of this research using PET and other imaging technology. This includes an new grant submission to examine the
effects of merijuana on learning and memory. In addition to these basic research efforts I continue my interest in clinical psychopharmacology. In that effort I have been the PI on one clinical trial this past year on outpatient schizophrenia.
Finally, because of my research and statistical background, I continue to collaborate with a number of investigators in the Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Professor Emeritus in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · 2013 - Present Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Recent Publications

Pathophysiology of hypercortisolism in depression: pituitary and adrenal responses to low glucocorticoid feedback.

Journal Article Acta Psychiatr Scand · June 2012 OBJECTIVE: To test three theories of hypercortisolemia in depression-hypothalamic overdrive, impaired glucocorticoid feedback, or autonomous cortisol production. METHOD: We applied an overnight low-cortisol feedback strategy by administering metyrapone to ... Full text Link to item Cite

Pathophysiology of hypercortisolism in depression.

Journal Article Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl · 2007 OBJECTIVE: The mechanisms mediating hypercortisolemia in depression remain controversial. Adopting the biomarker strategy, we studied adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and cortisol dynamics in hypercortisolemic and non-hypercortisolemic depressed in-patients, and ... Full text Link to item Cite

Maintenance therapy with fluoxetine in posttraumatic stress disorder: a placebo-controlled discontinuation study.

Journal Article J Clin Psychopharmacol · April 2005 The effect of fluoxetine (FLU) in posttraumatic stress disorder was studied in a one-year trial. Subjects received open-label treatment for 6 months, followed by double-blind randomized treatment with FLU or placebo (PBO) for 6 months. Rates of relapse wer ... Full text Link to item Cite

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Education, Training & Certifications

Vanderbilt University · 1973 Ph.D.

William Herman Wilson

Overview