Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

The Express Sensorimotor Response Selects Visual Features Based On Instruction, David Youhanna Mekhaiel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In time-sensitive situations, orienting reflexes allow us to move rapidly in response to stimuli. The express sensorimotor response (ESR) is an orienting reflex presenting as a brief burst of muscle recruitment. Previous studies have identified commonalities between ESRs and express saccades, another orienting reflex.

In this study, we investigate if ESRs share in a characteristic of express saccades: preference for faces. In separate blocks, participants were instructed to reach toward one of two simultaneously appearing targets: a face and another image. Muscle activity in the pectoralis major muscle of the reaching arm was recorded using skin surface EMGs.

We …

Investigation Of Neurotransmitter’S Knockdown Effect On Drosophila Melanogaster Female Aggression, Asil N. El Galad

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster) is a popular model organism in neurobiology. While aggression has been studied heavily in male drosophila, there's minimal research on aggression in female drosophila. Neurotransmitters influencing aggressive behaviour in female D. melanogaster are poorly understood. Various neurotransmitters such as dopamine, octopamine, and serotonin influence aggression in D. melanogaster Further investigation of the role of neurotransmitters on aggression is thus important. The purpose of our experiment is to observe the effect of the knockdown of dopamine, octopamine and glutamate on aggression in female D. melanogaster.

The Effects Of Prenatal Cannabis Exposure On The Basolateral Amygdala, Karen Kw Wong

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Clinical and preclinical studies indicate prenatal cannabis exposure (PCE) pathologically affects fetal brain development and may increase vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and mood/anxiety disorders. In review research from our lab suggests that fetal exposure to Δ9-THC sex-selectively impairs mesocorticolimbic (MCL) circuit function. However, there is a distinct lack of focus on PCE models on the BLA. The BLA plays a central role within the MCL where it directly interacts with the VTA, PFC and HIPP. Importantly, our model exhibits significant VTA hyperdopaminergic activity, and sex-specific alterations to PFC/HIPP glutamate firing, alongside region- and sex-specific changes in dopamine (DA), …

The Effect Of Propionic Acid On The Habituation To Social And Non-Social Odour Cues In Adult Male Rats, Cashmeira-Dove P. Tyson

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The enteric bacterial metabolite, propionic acid (PPA), elicits physiological and behavioural changes in rodents reminiscent of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This includes abnormal sensory processing and social behaviour. ASD may contribute to social deficits through impaired habituation; therefore, the present study examined the effects of intraperitoneal PPA on the habituation to social and non-social odours. Adult male rats were injected daily with PPA or the vehicle control, and for 3 days, habituated to a conspecific odour or vanilla extract for 10 minutes. On day 4, rats were exposed to a novel conspecific odour or almond extract for 10 minutes to …

Assessing The Impact Of Lipopolysaccharide On Learning And Memory In Rats, Anahat Luthra

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The immune system and the central nervous system (CNS) have a bi-direction relationship, modulating one another.⁴ Proinflammatory cytokines released from CNS immune cells have an impact on cognitive processes such as learning and memory.¹ Liposaccharide (LPS), a cell wall component of Gram-negative bacteria, which is used to activate proinflammatory cytokine release has been found to impact learning and memory processes, such as in the anticipatory nausea paradigm (ANP).² Anticipatory nausea and vomiting is that which may occur before a chemotherapy treatment session begins in a patient who has had chemotherapy before. It is caused by triggers like …

Stimulus Duration Alters Temporal Sensitivity In Rat Model Of Audiovisual Perception, Juwairiya F. Ahmad

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of stimulus duration on the perceived temporal order judgement in Long Evans rats.