Michael Potegal, Ph.D., L.P.

Assistant Professor
Mayo Mail Code 486
420 Delaware St. SE
Minneapolis, MN  55455
Phone: (612) 625-7466 or 625-6964
Fax: (612) 624-7681
poteg001@umn.edu
 

Michael Potegal, Ph.D.,L.P. is an assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Clinical Neuroscience within the Dept. of Pediatrics, In the earlier part of his research career in behavioral neuroscience, he worked on basal ganglia and vestibular mechanisms of spatial orientation. Subsequently, he studied brain mechanisms of aggression in order to characterize the internal motivational state(s) that control external behavior. After re-orienting his career in a more clinical direction, he joined the faculty of the Pediatric Neuropsychology Clinic in 2000, where he renewed his study of children's temper tantrums. Tantrums are a common feature of child development which have implications for both mental health and understanding of basic emotions. The aim of his current work is development of a general theory of tantrums encompassing their neural bases, ontogeny and development, dynamics, physiology, and relationships to child temperament and parental intervention. 

Education

City College of New York,NY
BS in Physics 1963

Massachussetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA
Ph.D in Physiological Psychology 1969

Columbia Physicians & Surgeons/Univ. of Amsterdam
Postdoctoral Fellow 1970:  Neurophysiology

University of Wisconsin, Madison WI
Postdoctoral Fellow 1993-1997: Clinical Psychology

University of Minnesota Hospital, Minneapolis MN
Intern/Postdoctoral Fellow 1997-2000:  Pediatric Neuropsychology 

LICENSURE

 LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST IN MINNESOTA 2001

FUNDED RESEARCH

 NIMH R03 MH58739 Emotion diagnostic for preschool psychopathology
(formerly "Tantrums of externalizing and internalizing preschoolers")
8/00-2/04

UM Graduate Faculties Emotion and manipulation in toddler tantrums:
Behavior/ cortisol relations 01/01-12/03

PUBLICATIONS

 Potegal, M. and Coombes, K. Attack priming and aggressive arousal in female Syrian golden hamsters Mesocricetus auratus. Animal Behaviour, 1995, 49, 931-947

Potegal, M, Hebert, M., DeCoster, M. and Meyerhoff, J.. Brief, high
frequency stimulation of the corticomedial amygdala induces a delayed
and prolonged increase of aggressiveness in male Syrian golden
hamsters. Behavioral Neuroscience. 1996, 110, 1-12

Potegal, M, Ferris, C.F., Hebert, M., Meyerhoff, J., Skaredoff, L.
Attack priming in female Syrian golden hamsters is associated with a
c-fos coupled process within the corticomedial amygdala. Neuroscience.
1996, 75, 869-880

Potegal, M. Kosorok, M. R. and Davidson R.J. The time course of angry
behavior in the temper tantrums of young children. Annals of the New
York Academy of Sciences, 1996, 794, 31-45

Hebert, M., Potegal, M., Moore, T., Evenson, A.R., and Meyerhoff, J.
Diazepam exacerbates conditioned defeat in hamsters (Mesocricetus
auratus) Pharmacalogy, Biochemistry, and Behavior. 1996, 55,
405-413

Potegal, M., and Davidson, R.J. Young children's post tantrum
affiliation with their parents. Aggressive Behavior (special issue on
Appeasement and Reconciliation) 1997, 23, 329-342

Potegal, M. Toddler tantrums: Flushing and other visible autonomic
activity in an anger-crying complex. In: R. Barr et al (Eds) Crying as
a Sign, a Symptom, and a Signal: Clinical, Emotional, and
Developmental Aspects of Infant and Toddler Crying. Mac Keith Press,
Surrey UK 2000 pp 121-136

Potegal, M. Post tantrum affiliation with parents: The ontogeny of
reconciliation. In: F. Aureli and F de Waal (Eds) Natural Conflict
Resolution. University of California Press, Berkely 2000 pp 253-255

 Potegal, M., and Davidson, R.J (2003) Temper tantrums in young
children: 1) Behavioral Composition. J. Developmental & Behavioral
Pediatrics, 24, 1-8

 Potegal, M. Kosorok, M. R. and Davidson R.J (2003) Temper tantrums in
young children:
II) Tantrum duration and temporal organization. J. Developmental &
Behavioral Pediatrics, 24, 9-15