Life Sciences Commons^™

The Role Of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis In Depression-Relevant Reward-Related Behaviours, Katrina Zmavc

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The variability in the symptomatology of depressive disorders and antidepressant treatment response has led to an increased interest in the molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms of many aspects of affect. Evidence suggests a reduction in adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) is associated with an increase in depression-like behaviour, though much of this evidence has been from studies using aversive tests (e.g., forced swim test). Here, I used touchscreen operant chambers, which allow for non-aversive and translational testing, to test the hypothesis that AHN plays a contributing role in emotion regulation. A panel of three touchscreen tests were chosen to assess different …

The Influence Of Neural Reward Processing On Memory In Depression, Nathan M. Hager

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Theories and research suggest that depression involves impaired reward sensitivity and a deficit in memory for rewarding stimuli. Some researchers propose that this memory deficit may result from reduced neural reward sensitivity, which impairs the encoding of reward-related memories, but few studies have directly probed this connection. Such research may benefit from examining the reward positivity (RewP), an event-related potential (ERP) previously linked to reduced reward sensitivity in depression. Undergraduates with high or low self-reported depression completed a task in which they chose one of three doors, revealing a neutral word written in a color which indicated an outcome of …

Investigating The Neurobiology Of Motivational Deficiencies In Major Depressive Disorder: 5-Ht1b Receptor Involvement In Behavioral Effects Of Fluoxetine (Prozac), Sarah Ferrigno

University Scholar Projects

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (Prozac) are the most commonly prescribed treatments for depression. Although efficacious for symptoms such as a depressed mood, SSRIs do not alleviate symptoms of amotivation, anergia, and fatigue. Furthermore, in clinical and preclinical studies, SSRIs have been shown to exacerbate motivational impairments and general fatigue. It is likely that fluoxetine-induced dysfunctions are due to overstimulation of one or more 5-HT receptors, with one possible candidate being the 5-HT_1B receptor. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the role of 5-HT_1BRs in fluoxetine-induced amotivation using a rodent behavioral …

The 5-Ht1a-R Knockout Mouse As A Model Of Later Life Anxiety Disorders: Implications For Sex Differences, Tatyana Budylin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Anxiety affects nearly twice as many women as it affects men across all cultures and economic groups. Importantly, girls have a higher chance of inheriting anxiety disorders than boys, and many anxiety disorders appear at a very young age. However, little is known about sex differences in brain and behavioral development and how they relate to anxiety in adulthood. Serotonin 1A receptor (5-HT_1A-R) mediated signaling has been implicated in depression and anxiety, however most studies that focus on the involvement of the 5-HT_1A-R have been conducted in adults. Little is known about how the 5-HT_{1A …}

Ck2 Negatively Regulates 5-Ht4 Receptor Signaling In The Prefrontal Cortex And Mediates Depression-Like Behaviors, Julia Castello Saval

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The serotonergic system has been the major candidate in the pathophysiology of mood related disorders such as anxiety and major depressive disorder (MDD). Unfortunately, current antidepressant drugs are ineffective in 50% of the population and require chronic administration for a period of 3-6 weeks before the onset of therapeutic response. 5-HT4 receptor (5-HT₄R) agonists have emerged as potential candidates for fast antidepressant action, since an antidepressant response can be achieved after 3 days of pharmacological administration in rodents.

This dissertation aims to investigate the role of casein kinase 2 (CK2) as a regulator of 5-HT₄R expression …

Ethnicity, Perceptions Of Stress, And Depressive Symptoms Among Female Undergraduate Students, Claudia Priscilla Cobos

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individuals have suffered from depression for decades. Although depression is under diagnosed, it is one of the most common disorders seen by psychiatrists. The purpose of this research study was to understand whether students' perceived stress level was a significant predictor of students' depressive symptoms. The study explored social cognitive theory to assist in understanding the relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived stress in female minority students. Although depressive symptoms and perceived stress in students have been explored exhaustively, these variables had not been explored specifically among minority students and then compared to nonminority students. Using the Center for Epidemiologic …

Risk Profiles For Adolescent Internalizing Problems, Kelsey Elizabeth Hudson

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Objective: Internalizing problems are commonly diagnosed during adolescence, and are associated with distress, impairment, and negative mental health outcomes in adulthood. Thus, there is a critical need to characterize adolescents who are at the highest risk for escalating to clinical levels of internalizing problems while extending current literature and incorporating both biological and environmental predictors. This study aimed to characterized risk profiles for fourteen-year-old adolescents who developed clinical levels of internalizing (High Internalizing [HI]) problems by age nineteen, using brain, genetic, personality, cognitive, life history, psychopathology, and demographic measures. The study also examined whether there were functional and structural brain …