Cognitive Neuroscience Commons^™

The Ush2a Gene: An Analysis Of Ultrasonic Vocalizations In A Mouse Model Of Usher Syndrome Type 2, Kiana R. Akhundzadeh

Honors Scholar Theses

Usher syndrome type 2 is a complex autosomal recessive genetic disorder that is characterized by moderate to severe congenital sensorineural hearing loss, the onset of retinitis pigmentosa in the second decade of life, and in some cases, vestibular dysfunction. Mutations in the USH2A gene account for 85% of cases of type 2. The USH2A gene is responsible for encoding the protein usherin, which has an important role in the development and function of inner ear hair cells and retinal photoreceptors. Until recently, it has been believed that carriers of the USH2A mutation were phenotype free. However, recent data has suggested …

A Role For The Somatosensory System In Motor Learning By Observing, Heather R. Mcgregor

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

An influential idea in neuroscience is that action observation activates an observer’s sensory-motor system. This idea has recently been extended to motor learning; observing another individual undergoing motor learning can promote sensory-motor plasticity as well as behavioural changes in both the motor and somatosensory domains. While previous research has suggested a role for the motor system in motor learning by observing, this thesis presents a series of experiments testing the hypothesis that the somatosensory system is also involved in motor learning by observing.

The experiments included in this thesis used force field (FF) adaptation as a model of motor learning, …

Influence Of Alcohol On Time-Based Prospective Memory And Electrophysiological Measures In College-Aged Individuals, Christy C. Chan

Senior Theses and Projects

College students have higher rates of alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) than that of same-aged non-college students, with an estimated 31% of U.S. college students meeting the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse (Borsari et al., 2007; Knight et al., 2002). College age is also a critical period for brain development, including regions responsible for the development of prospective memory (PM), making the brains of college students vulnerable to the effects of alcohol. This study investigated the influence of alcohol on the underlying brain activity associated with PM in light- and heavy-alcohol-drinking college students. PM was measured with the Memory for …

Unimanual And Bimanual Haptic Shape Discrimination, Catherine Jane Dowell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In the current study 24 younger adults and 24 older adults haptically discriminated natural 3-D shapes (bell peppers, Capsicum annuum) using unimanual (one hand used to explore two objects) and bimanual (both hands used, but each hand explored separate objects) successive exploration. Haptic exploration using just one hand requires somatosensory processing in only one cerebral hemisphere (the hemisphere contralateral to the hand being used), while bimanual haptic exploration requires somatosensory processing in both hemispheres. Previous studies related to curvature/shape perception have found either an advantage for unimanual exploration over bimanual exploration or no difference between the two conditions. In contrast …

Investigating The Effects Of Sensory Learning In Rats Using Intra And Extra Stimulus Modalities, Ariel M. Kershner

Faculty Curated Undergraduate Works

The purpose of this study was to see what rats learn about the elements of a compound stimulus (a stimulus composed of two different stimuli), and whether their learning differs if the compound is from the same modality (intra-modal), i.e. both visual, or from different modalities (inter-modal), i.e. visual and auditory. We hypothesized that the rats would respond more to the compound stimuli than to the single stimuli (Pearce and Wilson, 1990), more to the compound modality of inter-modal elements than to the compound modality of intra-modal elements (Miller, 1971 and Gingras, 2009), equally to the intra-modal elements (Rescorla, 1972), …

Arts Based Brain Research, Alicia Arendt

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

Art is believed to be “the expression or application of the human creative skill and imagination, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their aesthetic value or emotional power” (Buk, 2009, p. 61). While there are a myriad of ways to define and categorize art, such a definition as the one above is useful as it touches upon three key areas of arts based brain research; artistic cognition, artistic production and aesthetic experience. The study of arts based brain science, or the neuroscience of art, demands an understanding of the interplay between these three facets of the artistic experience. Most …

The Influence Of Cognitive Reserve On Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury, Jacobus Donders, Jacob Stout

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Objective: we sought to determine the degree to which cognitive reserve, as assessed by the Test of Premorbid Functioning in combination with demographic variables, could act as a buffer against the effect of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on cognitive test performance. Method: retrospective analysis of a cohort of 121 persons with TBI who completed the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) within 1-12 months after injury. Results: regression analyses indicated that cognitive reserve was a statistically significant predictor of all postinjury WAIS-IV factor index scores, after controlling for various premorbid and comorbid confounding variables. Only for Processing Speed …

Sleep, And Its Relation To Non-Motor Deficits In Patients With Cerebellar Ataxia, Akshata Sonni

Doctoral Dissertations

The cerebellum is a highly connected structure, and its involvement in sleep – which is a dynamic process that is modulated by a complex set of neural systems – can come about through a number of neural pathways. We conducted two studies aimed at furthering our understanding of cerebellar involvement in sleep behavior and physiology, as well as measuring the impact of poor sleep on mood and cognition in patients with cerebellar degeneration. First, by means of an online battery including measures of sleep and neuropsychiatric function, we collected data from 176 patients with cerebellar ataxia. We found strong evidence …

Assessing The Long-Term Sequelae Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Janna Mantua

Doctoral Dissertations

A mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), also known as a concussion, is defined as an injury that results in an alteration of consciousness or mental status. Previous studies have shown mTBI populations experience a number of chronic (> 1 year) symptoms, such as sleep disturbances (e.g., sleep stage alterations), mood alterations (e.g., depressive symptoms), and cognitive alterations (e.g., poor concentration). The three chapters of this dissertation sought to explore these long-term sequelae and the possible interrelations between them. In the first experiment, sleep-dependent memory consolidation of neutral stimuli was probed in a chronic mTBI sample and a control, uninjured sample. …

Multisensory Integration And Autistic Traits Using Non-Sociolinguistic Information, Sébastien A. Lauzon, Samantha E. Schulz, Zack I. Cohen, Ryan A. Stevenson

Western Research Forum

Background: Sensory processing issues are one of the most common complaints in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One area of sensory difficulties in ASD that has been the focus of intense research in recent years is multisensory integration (MSI), or the ability to bind auditory and visual information into a single, unified percept. While integration of social or linguistic information is consistently shown to be an area of difficulty in ASD, results are less clear with simple, non-sociolinguistic stimuli. This study aims to address this ambiguity by determining whether MSI of non-sociolinguistic sensory information is related to traits and symptomatology …

Object Processing In The Medial Temporal Lobe: Influence Of Object Domain, Anna Blumenthal

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We live in a rich visual world, surrounded by many different kinds of objects. While we may not often reflect on it, our ability to recognize what an object is, detect whether an object is familiar or novel, and bring to mind our general knowledge about an object, are all essential components of adaptive behavior. In this dissertation, I investigate the neural basis of object representations, focusing on medial temporal lobe (MTL) structures, namely, perirhinal cortex, parahippocampal cortex, and hippocampus. I use what type of thing an object is, or more specifically, the broader category (e.g., “face” or “house”) or …

Working Memory And Consciousness: The Current State Of Play, Marjan Persuh, Eric Larock, Jacob Berger

Publications and Research

Working memory (WM), an important posit in cognitive science, allows one to temporarily store and manipulate information in the service of ongoing tasks. WM has been traditionally classified as an explicit memory system—that is, as operating on and maintaining only consciously perceived information. Recently, however, several studies have questioned this assumption, purporting to provide evidence for unconscious WM. In this article, we focus on visual working memory (VWM) and critically examine these studies as well as studies of unconscious perception that seem to provide indirect evidence for unconscious WM. Our analysis indicates that current evidence does not support an unconscious …

Biological Signatures Of Emotion Regulation In Children, Sarah Myruski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Emotion regulation (ER) is a key predictor of positive adjustment throughout the lifespan. Despite decades of research on discrete ER strategy use, ER may be more appropriately measured in terms of the breadth of emotional range, or the degree to which one can flexibly modulate emotional responses. Yet little is known about ER flexibility in childhood. Also, given the crucial role of caregiver support in children’s emotional lives, ER may be most accurately measured in developmentally appropriate and ecologically valid social contexts. Further, few developmental studies have capitalized on the growing evidence base surrounding biological signatures of ER. This study …

Neural Underpinnings Of Walking Under Cognitive And Sensory Load: A Mobile Brain/Body Imaging Approach, Brenda R. Malcolm

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Dual-task walking studies, in which individuals engage in an attentionally-demanding task while walking, have provided indirect evidence via behavioral and biomechanical measures, of the recruitment of higher-level cortical resources during gait. Additionally, recent EEG and imaging (PET, fNIRS) studies have revealed direct neurophysiological evidence of cortical contributions to steady-state walking. However, there remains a lack of knowledge regarding the underlying neural mechanisms involved in the allocation of cortical resources while walking under increased load. This dissertation presents three experiments designed to provide a greater understanding of the cortical dynamics implicated in processing load (top-down or bottom-up) during locomotion. Furthermore, we …

Social Influences On Songbird Behavior: From Song Learning To Motion Coordination, Iva Ljubičić

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Social animals learn during development how to integrate successfully into their group. How do social interactions combine to maintain group cohesion? We first review how social environments can influence the development of vocal learners, such as songbirds and humans (Chapter 1). To bypass the complexity of natural social interactions and gain experimental control, we developed Virtual Social Environments, surrounding the bird with videos of manipulated playbacks. This way we were able to design sensory and social scenarios and test how social zebra finches adjust their behavior (Chapters 2 & 3). A serious challenge is that the color output of a …

An Aged Canid With Behavioral Deficits Exhibits Blood And Cerebrospinal Fluid Amyloid Beta Oligomers, Clare Rusbridge, Francisco J. Salguero, Monique Antoinette David, Kiterie M. E. Faller, Jose T. Bras, Rita J. Guerreiro, Angela C. Richard-Londt, Duncan Grainger, Elizabeth Head, Sebastian G. P. Brandner, Brian Summers, John Hardy, Mourad Tayebi

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Many of the molecular and pathological features associated with human Alzheimer disease (AD) are mirrored in the naturally occurring age-associated neuropathology in the canine species. In aged dogs with declining learned behavior and memory the severity of cognitive dysfunction parallels the progressive build up and location of Aβ in the brain. The main aim of this work was to study the biological behavior of soluble oligomers isolated from an aged dog with cognitive dysfunction through investigating their interaction with a human cell line and synthetic Aβ peptides. We report that soluble oligomers were specifically detected in the dog's blood and …

Time To (Finally) Acknowledge That Fish Have Emotionality And Pain, Konstantin A. Demin, Anton M. Lakstygal, Allan V. Kalueff

Animal Sentience

The increasing work using fish as a model organism calls for a better understanding of their sentience. While growing evidence suggests that pain and emotionality exist in zebrafish, many deniers continue to ignore the evidence. Here we revisit the main conceptual breakthroughs in the field that argue clearly for pain and emotionality. We call for an end to denial and a focus on studying the mechanisms of fish pain and emotionality, and their translational relevance to human conditions.

Metaphors And Mind: An Erp Study Of How The Brain Processes Metaphors, Crystal Poole

Summer Research

Even though metaphors are frequently used in everyday language, how metaphors are created and comprehended in the brain is not well understood. Metaphors can differ in whether they are conventional (such as “love is war”) or novel (such as “love is a tidal wave”), and an unresolved question is if, and how, novel metaphors might become conventional as they are used. In order to test this question, we will ask participants to respond to literal phrases, conventional metaphors, novel metaphors created by the experimenters, and novel metaphors created by the participants themselves while measuring their brain …

If It Looks Like A Duck: Fish Fit The Criteria For Pain Perception, Julia E. Meyers-Manor

Animal Sentience

Whereas we have denied the experience of pain to animals, including human babies, the evidence is becoming clearer that animals across a variety of species have the capacity to feel pain (Bellieni, 2012). As converging findings are collected from pain studies and the study of cognition, it is becoming harder to deny that fish are among the species that do feel pain.

Jealousy? Or Just Hostility Toward Other Dogs? The Risks Of Jumping To Conclusions, James A. Serpell

Animal Sentience

Cook et al. (2018) provide a fascinating demonstration of amygdala activation in dogs when they witnessed their owners giving food to another (fake) dog, but not when they placed food in a bucket. Dogs’ neurological responses were positively correlated with their reported levels of ‘dog-directed aggression’ as measured by the C-BARQ, and dogs with initially strong amygdala responses habituated on subsequent trials. The authors interpret their findings as possible evidence for an emotion akin to jealousy in dogs. However, alternate interpretations involving either dog aggression/fear or emotional responses to food seem more plausible and avoid the welfare risks associated with …