Engineering Commons^™

Optogenetic Interrogation And Manipulation Of Vascular Blood Flow In Cortex, Farid Atry

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding blood flow regulatory mechanisms that correlate the regional blood flow with the level of local neuronal activity in brain is an ongoing research. Discerning different aspects of this coupling is of substantial importance in interpretation of functional imaging results, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), that rely on hemodynamic recordings to detect and image brain neuronal activity. Moreover, this understanding can provide insight into blood flow disorders under different pathophysiological conditions and possible treatments for such disorders.

The blood regulatory mechanisms can be studied at two different; however, complementary levels: at the cellular level or at the vascular …

Deep Tissue Light Delivery And Fluorescence Tomography With Applications In Optogenetic Neurostimulation, Mehdi Azimipour

Theses and Dissertations

Study of the brain microcircuits using optogenetics is an active area of research. This method has a few advantages over the conventional electrical stimulation including the bi-directional control of neural activity, and more importantly, specificity in neuromodulation. The first step in all optogenetic experiments is to express certain light sensitive ion channels/pumps in the target cell population and then confirm the proper expression of these proteins before running any experiment. Fluorescent bio-markers, such as green fluorescent protein (GFP), have been used for this purpose and co-expressed in the same cell population. The fluorescent signal from such proteins provides a monitory …

Design, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Fluorescence Laminar Optical Tomography Scanner For Brain Imaging, Mahya Sheikhzadeh

Theses and Dissertations

Implementation of new instrumentation and techniques for neuroscience research in recent years has opened new avenues in the study of the dynamics of large-scale neural networks such as the brain. In many of these techniques, including fluorescence recordings and optogenetic stimulation, a combination of photonics and molecular genetic methods are exploited to manipulate and monitor neural activities. Such techniques have been proven to be highly efficient in unraveling the mysteries of data processing in the micro circuits of the brain and as a result these techniques are widely used nowadays in most neuroscience labs.

In optogenetics, cell-types of interest are …

An Optogenetic Brain-Machine Interface For Spatiotemporal Neuromodulation, Ryan Andrew Baumgartner

Theses and Dissertations

Direct neural stimulation has recently become a standard therapy for neurological disorders such as Parkinson's Disease, Essential Tremors, and Dystonia. Currently, deep brain electro-stimulation and neuro-pharmaceutical treatments are the dominant therapeutic options available to the public. As our understanding of brain function and neurological diseases improves, we are able to develop more advanced neuromodulation techniques. These methods could become viable treatment solutions for treating brain dysfunction. Optogenetics, first introduced by a research team led by Karl Deisseroth at Stanford University, has proved to be a versatile technique with remarkable potential to be used in treatments for brain disorders, dysfunction, and …

Monitoring Changes In Hemodynamics Following Optogenetic Stimulation, Seth Thomas Frye

Theses and Dissertations

The brain is composed of billions of neurons, all of which connected through a vast network. After years of study and applications of different technologies and techniques, there are still more questions than answers when it comes to the fundamental functions of the brain. This project aims to provide a new tool which can be used to gain a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that govern neurological processes inside the brain. In order for neural networks to operate, blood has to be supplied through neighboring blood vessels. As such, the increase or decrease in the blood supply has been …