Neurosciences Commons^™

Measurement Of Prospective Memory In Spanish Speakers, Laura Cadavid, Alicia Camuy, Valerie Velez, Sarah Raskin

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: This study aimed to provide preliminary evidence on the psychometric properties of a measure of prospective memory in Spanish speakers, the Memory for Intentions Test (MIST) Spanish translation.

Methods: In addition, this study investigated whether acculturation influenced performance on the MIST. Finally, we measured other cognitive factors that might be impacting the relationship between culture and prospective memory performance. These factors were working memory, autobiographical memory, and episodic future thought.

Results: Overall, the psychometric properties of the Spanish MIST appear to be similar to the English language MIST, but our sample size was too small to allow for the …

Traumatic Brain Injury Screening And Neuropsychological Functioning In Women Who Experience Intimate Partner Violence, Sarah Raskin, Olivia Dejoie, Carolyn Edwards, Chloe Ouchida, Jocelyn Moran, Olivia White, Michelle Mordasiewicz, Dorothy Anika, Blessing Njoku

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: The potential for traumatic brain injury (TBI) to occur as the result of intimate partner violence (IPV) has received increased interest in recent years. This study sought to investigate the possible occurrence of TBI in a group of women who survived IPV and to measure the specific profile of cognitive deficits using standardized neuropsychological measures. Method: A comprehensive questionnaire about abuse history; neuropsychological measures of attention, memory and executive functioning; and measures of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder were given to women who were IPV survivors, women who were sexual assault (SA) survivors, and a comparison group of …

Evaluating Law Enforcement De-Escalation Tactics Used With Individuals Exhibiting Psychotic Symptomology, Jasmine Morgan

Senior Theses and Projects

This study evaluated the use of de-escalation measures utilized by police officers in the state of Connecticut. In particular, it focused on the use of training measures used in conjunction with individuals displaying symptoms of severe mental illness, more specifically psychotic disorders. Data was collected via an online software, allowing participants to undergo a series of survey and hypothetical scenario-based questions. The study examined demographic information, trainings regarding weapon exposure and mental illness, and de-escalation tactics used when interacting with individuals showing symptoms of psychosis. Regarding sample demographics, it was found that the 22 participants were mostly Caucasian (77%), male …

Differential Ketogenic Diet-Induced Shift In Csf Lipid/Carbohydrate Metabolome Of Pediatric Epilepsy Patients With Optimal Vs. No Anticonvulsant Response: A Pilot Study, Susan A. Masino, David N. Ruskin, Natalie R. Freedgood, Marie Lindefeldt, Maria Dahlin

Faculty Scholarship

Background: The low carbohydrate, high fat ketogenic diet can be an effective anticonvulsant treatment in some pediatric patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Its mechanism(s) of action, however, remain uncertain. Direct sampling of cerebrospinal fluid before and during metabolic therapy may reveal key changes associated with differential clinical outcomes. We characterized the relationship between seizure responsiveness and changes in lipid and carbohydrate metabolites. Methods: We performed metabolomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid samples taken before and during ketogenic diet treatment in patients with optimal response (100% seizure remission) and patients with no response (no seizure improvement) to search for differential diet effects in …

Ketogenic Diet Effects On Inflammatory Allodynia And Ongoing Pain In Rodents, David N. Ruskin, Isabella C. Sturdevant, Livia S. Wyss, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

© 2021, The Author(s). Ketogenic diets are very low carbohydrate, high fat, moderate protein diets used to treat medication-resistant epilepsy. Growing evidence suggests that one of the ketogenic diet’s main mechanisms of action is reducing inflammation. Here, we examined the diet’s effects on experimental inflammatory pain in rodent models. Young adult rats and mice were placed on the ketogenic diet or maintained on control diet. After 3–4 weeks on their respective diets, complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) was injected in one hindpaw to induce inflammation; the contralateral paw was used as the control. Tactile sensitivity (von Frey) and indicators of spontaneous …

Patterns Of Contagious Yawning And Itching Differ Amongst Adults With Autistic Traits Vs. Psychopathic Traits, Molly S. Helt, Taylor M. Sorensen, Rachel J. Scheub, Mira B. Nakhle, Anna C. Luddy

Faculty Scholarship

Both individuals with diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and individuals high in psychopathic traits show reduced susceptibility to contagious yawning; that is, yawning after seeing or hearing another person yawn. Yet it is unclear whether the same underlying processes (e.g., reduced eye gaze) are responsible for the relationship between reduced contagion and these very different types of clinical traits. College Students (n = 97) watched videos of individuals yawning or scratching (a form of contagion not reliant on eye gaze for transmission) while their eye movements were tracked. They completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), …

The Effect Of Hypoxia On Brain Cell Proliferation In Weakly Electric Fish, Petrocephalus Degeni, Kaitlin Klovdahl

Senior Theses and Projects

Oxygen levels tend to remain at a steady state concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere, yet in some bodies of water, they can fluctuate and decrease drastically. Many organisms that inhabit the swamps, lakes, streams, and parts of the ocean where this occurs have evolved adaptations to manage this environmental uncertainty and continue normal oxygen consumption. The Lwamunda swamp in Uganda is chronically hypoxic, yet it is home to many species, including the electric fish Petrocephalus degeni. P. degeni are unusual by nature of their immense brain, and the Lwamunda swamp appears ill-suited for maintaining this large, metabolically active organ. To …

Adenosine A1 Receptor-Mediated Protection Of Mouse Hippocampal Synaptic Transmission Against Oxygen And/Or Glucose Deprivation: A Comparative Study, Masahito Kawamura, David N. Ruskin, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

© 2019 the American Physiological Society. Adenosine receptors are widely ex-pressed in the brain, and adenosine is a key bioactive substance for neuroprotection. In this article, we clarify systematically the role of adenosine A1 receptors during a range of timescales and conditions when a significant amount of adenosine is released. Using acute hippocampal slices obtained from mice that were wild type or null mutant for the adenosine A1 receptor, we quantified and characterized the impact of varying durations of experimental ischemia, hypoxia, and hypoglycemia on synaptic transmission in the CA1 subregion. In normal tissue, these three stressors rapidly and markedly …

Electroencephalogram As A Diagnostic Tool In Acquired Brain Injury, Michael Zarra

Senior Theses and Projects

The ability of electroencephalogram (EEG) to be used as a diagnostic device for acquired brain injuries (ABI) has been conceptualized previously. Averaged event-related potentials (ERP) derived from an EEG are suitable as markers of dysfunction however, distinctive properties in the frequency domain have not been established previously. In the present study, we examined pre- existing EEG signal data of healthy adults (HA), mild ABI (mABI), and severe ABI (sABI) human groups. Through Fourier analysis performed in MATLAB, we found that individuals in our sample population (n=80) were able to be categorized into their respective group based on common neuronal activity …

Adenosine Signaling Through A1 Receptors Inhibits Chemosensitive Neurons In The Retrotrapezoid Nucleus, S. D. James, V. E. Hawkins, B. Falquetto, D. N. Ruskin, S. A. Masino, T. S. Moreira, M. L. Olsen, D. K. Mulkey

Faculty Scholarship

© 2018 James et al. A subset of neurons in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) function as respiratory chemoreceptors by regulating depth and frequency of breathing in response to changes in tissue CO 2 /H + . The activity of chemosensitive RTN neurons is also subject to modulation by CO 2 /H + -dependent purinergic signaling. However, mechanisms contributing to purinergic regulation of RTN chemoreceptors are not entirely clear. Recent evidence suggests adenosine inhibits RTN chemoreception in vivo by activation of A1 receptors. The goal of this study was to characterize effects of adenosine on chemosensitive RTN neurons and identify intrinsic …

Ketogenic Diet Modulates Nad+-Dependent Enzymes And Reduces Dna Damage In Hippocampus, Marwa Elamin, David N. Ruskin, Susan A. Masino, Paola Sacchetti

Faculty Scholarship

© 2018 Elamin, Ruskin, Masino and Sacchetti. The ketogenic diet’s (KD) anti-seizure effects have long been documented. Recently, its therapeutic potential in multiple neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders has emerged. Yet experimental evidence for a fundamental mechanism underlying beneficial effects across numerous diseases remains lacking. We previously showed that feeding rats a KD produced an early (within 2 days) and persistent elevation of hippocampal nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide+ (NAD+), an essential metabolic coenzyme and signaling molecule. NAD+ is a marker of cellular health and a substrate for enzymes implicated in longevity and DNA damage repair such as sirtuins and poly-ADP ribose polymerase-1 …

Prospective Memory In Clinical Populations [Post-Print], Sarah Raskin

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Prospective memory (PM) has emerged as a form of episodic memory that is frequently impaired in a variety of clinical populations. Neuropsychologists who routinely evaluate these populations are often unaware of the possibility of PM deficits or the impact these deficits may have on everyday functioning. The objective of this special issue is to provide an overview of the nature of prospective deficits in a range of clinical populations, to discuss neuropsychological assessment techniques, and to critically evaluate management strategies. Method: We solicited papers from established researchers and issued a general call for papers for the special …

Editorial: Metabolic Control Of Brain Homeostasis, Detlev Boison, Jochen C. Meier, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Metabolic Dysfunction Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorder And Potential Treatment Approaches, Ning Cheng, Jong M. Rho, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in sociability and communication, and increased repetitive and/or restrictive behaviors. While the etio-pathogenesis of ASD is unknown, clinical manifestations are diverse and many possible genetic and environmental factors have been implicated. As such, it has been a great challenge to identify key neurobiological mechanisms and to develop effective treatments. Current therapies focus on co-morbid conditions (such as epileptic seizures and sleep disturbances) and there is no cure for the core symptoms. Recent studies have increasingly implicated mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD. The fact that mitochondria are an integral part of diverse cellular functions …

Ketogenic Diet Improves Behaviors In A Maternal Immune Activation Model Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, David N. Ruskin, Michelle I. Murphy, Sierra L. Slade, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

Prenatal factors influence autism spectrum disorder (ASD) incidence in children and can increase ASD symptoms in offspring of animal models. These may include maternal immune activation (MIA) due to viral or bacterial infection during the first trimesters. Unfortunately, regardless of ASD etiology, existing drugs are poorly effective against core symptoms. For nearly a century a ketogenic diet (KD) has been used to treat seizures, and recent insights into mechanisms of ASD and a growing recognition that immune/inflammatory conditions exacerbate ASD risk has increased interest in KD as a treatment for ASD. Here we studied the effects of KD on core …

Longitudinal Influence Of Alcohol And Marijuana Use On Academic Performance In College Students, Shashwath A. Meda, Ralitza V. Gueorguieva, Brian Pittman, Rivkah R. Rosen, Farah Aslanzadeh, Howard Tennen, Samantha Leen, Keith A. Hawkins, Sarah Raskin, Rebecca Wood, Carol S. Austad, Alecia Dager, Carolyn Fallahi, Godfrey D. Pearlson

Faculty Scholarship

Background

Alcohol and marijuana are the two most abused substances in US colleges. However, research on the combined influence (cross sectional or longitudinal) of these substances on academic performance is currently scant.

Methods

Data were derived from the longitudinal 2-year Brain and Alcohol Research in College Students (BARCS) study including 1142 freshman students who completed monthly marijuana use and alcohol consumption surveys. Subjects were classified into data-driven groups based on their alcohol and marijuana consumption. A linear mixed-model (LMM) was employed using this grouping factor to predict grade point average (GPA), adjusted for a variety of socio-demographic and clinical factors. …

Heavy Drinking In College Students Is Associated With Accelerated Gray Matter Volumetric Decline Over A 2 Year Period, Shashwath A. Meda, Alecia D. Dager, Keith A. Hawkins, Howard Tennen, Sarah Raskin, Rebecca Wood, Carol S. Austad, Carolyn Fallahi, Godfrey D. Pearlson

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Heavy and/or harmful alcohol use while in college is a perennial and significant public health issue. Despite the plethora of cross-sectional research suggesting deleterious effects of alcohol on the brain, there is a lack of literature investigating the longitudinal effects of alcohol consumption on the adolescent brain. We aim to probe the longitudinal effects of college drinking on gray matter change in students during this crucial neurodevelopmental period.

Methods: Data were derived from the longitudinal Brain and Alcohol Research in College Students (BARCS) study of whom a subset underwent brain MRI scans at two time points 24 months apart. …

Metabolic Therapy For Temporal Lobe Epilepsy In A Dish: Investigating Mechanisms Of Ketogenic Diet Using Electrophysiological Recordings In Hippocampal Slices, Masahito Kawamura Jr., David N. Ruskin, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

The hippocampus is prone to epileptic seizures and is a key brain region and experimental platform for investigating mechanisms associated with the abnormal neuronal excitability that characterizes a seizure. Accordingly, the hippocampal slice is a common in vitro model to study treatments that may prevent or reduce seizure activity. The ketogenic diet is a metabolic therapy used to treat epilepsy in adults and children for nearly 100 years; it can reduce or eliminate even severe or refractory seizures. New insights into its underlying mechanisms have been revealed by diverse types of electrophysiological recordings in hippocampal slices. Here we review these …

An Initial Analysis Of A Long-Term Ketogenic Diet’S Impact On Motor Behavior, Brain Purine Systems, And Nigral Dopamine Neurons In A New Genetic Rodent Model Of Parkinson’S Disease, Jacob Rubin, William H. Church

Senior Theses and Projects

A growing body of research suggests that dopaminergic cell death seen in Parkinson’s disease is caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. Oxidative stress, with subsequent generation of reactive oxygen species, is the hallmark biochemical product of mitochondrial dysfunction. The ketogenic diet has been found to enhance mitochondrial energy production, protect against reactive oxygen species-generated cell death, and increase adenosine, a purine that modulates dopamine activity. The current study evaluates the effects of a long-term (5-month) ketogenic diet on behavioral, neurochemical, and neuroanatomical measures in PINK1-KO rats, a new animal model of Parkinson’s disease. Both wild-type and PINK1-KO animals fed a ketogenic diet …

An Initial Analysis Of A Long-Term Ketogenic Diet’S Impact On Motor Behavior, Brain Purine Systems, And Nigral Dopamine Neurons In A New Genetic Rodent Model Of Parkinson’S Disease, Jacob Rubin, William H. Church

Masters Theses

A growing body of research suggests that dopaminergic cell death seen in Parkinson’s disease is caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. Oxidative stress, with subsequent generation of reactive oxygen species, is the hallmark biochemical product of mitochondrial dysfunction. The ketogenic diet has been found to enhance mitochondrial energy production, protect against reactive oxygen species-generated cell death, and increase adenosine, a purine that modulates dopamine activity. The current study evaluates the effects of a long-term (5-month) ketogenic diet on behavioral, neurochemical, and neuroanatomical measures in PINK1-KO rats, a new animal model of Parkinson’s disease. Both wild-type and PINK1-KO animals fed a ketogenic diet …

An In Vivo Study Of The Effects Of Perinatal Caffeine Exposure On Synaptic Efficacy In The Hippocampus Of Freely Moving Adult Rats, Jee Eun Park

Senior Theses and Projects

The synapse from the perforant path to the dentate gyrus has been widely used successfully to demonstrate long-term potentiation, a cellular model underlying learning and memory. Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed psychoactive stimulants in the world. Caffeine consumption increases in alertness, improvements in motor skills, and neurological functions, and these effects have promoted its use throughout history. Although the many short term cognitive benefits of caffeine intake are well understood, the long term effects of caffeine exposure have been widely disputed. Despite this, it is estimated that over 80% of women continue to consume caffeine throughout pregnancy. …

Individualized Cognitive Rehabilitation For Adults With Acquired Brain Injury, Emily M. Aiken

Senior Theses and Projects

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) can result from internal factors (e.g. tumor) or external causes (e.g. trauma). Three case studies of Korsakoff’s syndrome, meningioma, and traumatic brain injury (TBI), will be presented to illustrate the variety of cognitive deficits across different individuals with ABI. This study uses cognitive rehabilitation therapies to target individual cognitive symptoms. Results and discussion place emphasis on the use of prospective memory (PM) training for treating Korsakoff’s syndrome. The Memory for Intentions Screening Test (MIST) served as the assessment for PM analysis pre and post rehabilitation. The data from this study will be used as a model …

Effect Of The Ketogenic Diet On Behavioral Symptoms Of Autism In The Poly(Ic) Mouse Model, Sierra L. Slade

Senior Theses and Projects

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological disorder characterized by decreased sociability, deficits in communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. The ketogenic diet (KD), a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and moderate-protein diet has been shown to improve these three behavioral symptoms in the BTBR mouse model of autism. However, further research is required to strengthen the body of knowledge surrounding the potential of KD as diet therapy for autism. Epidemiological observations have shown that maternal immune activation (MIA) during pregnancy increases the risk of autism in offspring. Based on these observations, the polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly(IC)) mouse model was developed as an animal …

Ketogenic Diet Alters Dopaminergic Activity In The Mouse Cortex [Post-Print], William H. Church, Ryan E. Adams, Livia S. Wyss

Faculty Scholarship

The present study was conducted to determine if the ketogenic diet altered basal levels of monoamineneurotransmitters in mice. The catecholamines dopamine (DA) and norephinephrine (NE) and the indolamine serotonin (5HT) were quantified postmortem in six different brain regions of adult mice fed a ketogenic diet for 3 weeks. The dopamine metabolites 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA) and the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5HIAA) were also measured. Tissue punches were collected bilaterally from the motor cortex, somatosensory cortex,nucleus accumbens, anterior caudate–putamen, posterior caudate–putamen and the midbrain. Dopaminergic activity, as measured by the dopamine metabolites to dopamine content ratio …

Ketogenic Diets And Pain [Post-Print], Susan A. Masino, David N. Ruskin

Faculty Scholarship

Ketogenic diets are well established as a successful anticonvulsant therapy. Based on overlap between mechanisms postulated to underlie pain and inflammation, and mechanisms postulated to underlie therapeutic effects of ketogenic diets, recent studies have explored the ability for ketogenic diets to reduce pain. Here we review clinical and basic research thus far exploring the impact of a ketogenic diet on thermal pain, inflammation, and neuropathic pain.

Homeostatic Control Of Brain Function – New Approaches To Understand Epileptogenesis, Detlev Boison, Ursula S. Sandau, David N. Ruskin, Masahito Kawamura Jr., Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

Neuronal excitability of the brain and ongoing homeostasis depend not only on intrinsic neuronal properties, but also on external environmental factors; together these determine the functionality of neuronal networks. Homeostatic factors become critically important during epileptogenesis, a process that involves complex disruption of self-regulatory mechanisms. Here we focus on the bioenergetic homeostatic network regulator adenosine, a purine nucleoside whose availability is largely regulated by astrocytes. Endogenous adenosine modulates complex network function through multiple mechanisms including adenosine receptor-mediated pathways, mitochondrial bioenergetics, and adenosine receptor-independent changes to the epigenome. Accumulating evidence from our laboratories shows that disruption of adenosine homeostasis plays a …

Ketogenic Diet Improves Core Symptoms Of Autism In Btbr Mice, David N. Ruskin, Julia Svedova, Jessica Cote, Ursula Sandau, Jong M. Rho, Masahito Kawamura Jr., Detlev Boison, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

Autism spectrum disorders share three core symptoms: impaired sociability, repetitive behaviors and communication deficits. Incidence is rising, and current treatments are inadequate. Seizures are a common comorbidity, and since the 1920’s a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet has been used to treat epilepsy. Evidence suggests the ketogenic diet and analogous metabolic approaches may benefit diverse neurological disorders. Here we show that a ketogenic diet improves autistic behaviors in the BTBR mouse. Juvenile BTBR mice were fed standard or ketogenic diet for three weeks and tested for sociability, self-directed repetitive behavior, and communication. In separate experiments, spontaneous intrahippocampal EEGs and tests of …

Adenosine And Autism: A Spectrum Of Opportunities [Post-Print], Susan A. Masino, Masahito Kawamura Jr., Jessica Cote, Rebecca Williams, David N. Ruskin

Faculty Scholarship

In rodents, insufficient adenosine produces behavioral and physiological symptoms consistent with several comorbidities of autism. In rodents and humans, stimuli postulated to increase adenosine can ameliorate these comorbidities. Because adenosine is a broad homeostatic regulator of cell function and nervous system activity, increasing adenosine's influence might be a new therapeutic target for autism with multiple beneficial effects.

Ketogenic Diets And Thermal Pain: Dissociation Of Hypoalgesia, Elevated Ketones, And Lowered Glucose In Rats [Post-Print], David N. Ruskin, Tracy A.C.S. Suter, Jessica Ross, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

Ketogenic diets (KDs) are high-fat, low-carbohydrate formulations effective in treating medically refractory epilepsy, and recently we demonstrated lowered sensitivity to thermal pain in rats fed a KD for 3 to 4 weeks. Regarding anticonvulsant and hypoalgesic mechanisms, theories are divided as to direct effects of increased ketones and/or decreased glucose, metabolic hallmarks of these diets. To address this point, we characterized the time course of KD-induced thermal hypoalgesia, ketosis, and lowered glucose in young male rats fed ad libitum on normal chow or KDs. A strict 6.6:1 (fat:[carbohydrates + protein], by weight) KD increased blood ketones and reduced blood glucose …

Purines And Neuronal Excitability: Links To The Ketogenic Diet [Post-Print], Susan A. Masino, Masahito Kawamura Jr., David N. Ruskin, J D. Geiger, D. Boison

Faculty Scholarship

ATP and adenosine are purines that play dual roles in cell metabolism and neuronal signaling. Acting at the A(1) receptor (A(1)R) subtype, adenosine acts directly on neurons to inhibit excitability and is a powerful endogenous neuroprotective and anticonvulsant molecule. Previous research showed an increase in ATP and other cell energy parameters when an animal is administered a ketogenic diet, an established metabolic therapy to reduce epileptic seizures, but the relationship among purines, neuronal excitability and the ketogenic diet was unclear. Recent work in vivo and in vitro tested the specific hypothesis that adenosine acting at A(1)Rs is a key mechanism …