Now he’s in his seventieth year as a researcher. Arvid Carlsson, recently turned 91, shares his view on the future of research.
Arvid Carlsson likes challenges and is very focused on moving forward with a new drug that can help people who are suffering from brain fatigue. Some weeks ago he and his colleagues got the go-ahead for a three-month patient study. The new drug helps to stabilize the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin in the brain and maintain them at a neutral level. This works both for patients with too much dopamine, in schizophrenia for instance, and for those with too little.
“We’re feeling our way and keep finding new diseases that respond to the medicine. It’s an enormously exciting research field”, says Arvid Carlsson.
He is troubled by the fact that a number of pharmaceuticals on the market upset the brain’s plasticity and appear to inhibit these neurotransmitters.
”Some drugs probably contribute to the development of dementia. Certain sleeping drugs should be withdrawn completely. Nothing should be allowed to disturb the function of dopamine in the brain”, says Arvid Carlsson.
Arvid Carlsson talks about the new drug OSU-6162, and about what spurs him on. Film length: 6:50 minutes
In a longer film interview Arvid Carlsson gives his view on the future of research and advises young researchers to concentrate on the brain’s plasticity. The interview also brings out how chance has guided him in his career; his view of what the use of the iPad is doing to homo sapiens, and, unexpectedly, reveals his lifelong indulgence.
Arvid Carlsson talks of his view on the future of research, gives tips to young researchers and reveals his life’s bad habit. Film length: 13:25 minutes.
Interview and editing: Monica Havström
