Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

The Role Of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress In Ethanol-Induced Neurodegeneration, Yongchao Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Heavy ethanol use causes neurodegeneration manifested by neuronal loss and dysfunction. It is becoming imperative to delineate the underlying mechanism to promote the treatment of ethanol-induced neurodegeneration. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a hallmark and an underlying mechanism of many neurodegenerative diseases. This study aims to investigate the role of ER stress in ethanol-induced neurodegeneration. In experimental design, adult mice were exposed to binge ethanol drinking by daily gavage for 1, 5, or 10 days and the response of ER stress was examined. We found the induction of ER stress appeared at 5 days and remained at 10 days. Moreover, …

Exploring The Role Of Insulin Receptor Signaling In Hippocampal Learning And Memory, Neuronal Calcium Dysregulation, And Glucose Metabolism, Hilaree N. Frazier

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

In the late 90’s, emerging evidence revealed that the brain is insulin-sensitive, highlighted by broad expression of brain-specific insulin receptors and reports of circulating brain insulin. Contemporary literature robustly supports the role of insulin signaling in normal brain function and suggests that insulin-related processes diminish with aging, evidenced by decreased signaling markers, reduced insulin receptor density, and lower levels of insulin transport across the blood-brain barrier. In the context of pathological cognitive decline, clinical trials using intranasal insulin delivery have reported positive outcomes on memory and learning in patients with mild cognitive decline or early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. However, while the …

Neurobehavioral Measurements Of Natural And Opioid Reward Value, Aaron Paul Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

In the last decade, (non)prescription opioid abuse, opioid use disorder (OUD) diagnoses, and opioid-related overdoses have risen and represent a significant public health concern. One method of understanding OUD is as a disorder of choice that requires choosing opioid rewards at the expense of other nondrug rewards. The characterization of OUD as a disorder of choice is important as it implicates decision- making processes as therapeutic targets, such as the valuation of opioid rewards. However, reward-value measurement and interpretation are traditionally different in substance abuse research compared to related fields such as economics, animal behavior, and neuroeconomics and may be …

An Analysis Of Research Trends In Brain-Based Learning In Adult Education And Hrd Fields: The Content Analysis And Network Text Analysis, Chang Sung Jang, Doo Hun Lim, Jieun Yoo, Jeong-Ha Yim

Adult Education Research Conference

The purpose of this study is to address the trends of the research on brain-based learning and to present an integrative theoretical framework to provide new insights and future directions in adult education and HRD fields. Based on the neuroscientific perspective, the implications of which the ways to conceptually broaden educational research and practice were discussed.

Molecular Targets Of Psychedelics And Their Role In Behavioral Models Of Hallucinogenic Action, Hiba Z. Vohra

Theses and Dissertations

Psychedelics are a subset of hallucinogenic drugs that exert their characteristic effects through agonist activity at the serotonin receptor 2A (5-HT_2A). In this study, I aimed to characterize the modulatory role of the metabotropic glutamate subtype 2 receptor (mGluR2) in the 5-HT_2A-specific rodent model of hallucinogenic action, head-twitch response (HTR). Secondly, I aimed to explore if 5-HT_2A agonist-induced deficits in prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response, an additional model of hallucinogenic action, could be produced in mice. Though 5-HT_2A agonist-induced PPI deficits, which represent interruptions in normal sensorimotor gating, have been described in …

A Developmental Study Of Apoptotic Markers And Histamine In Cephalopod Statocysts, Samantha Nicole Leef

Honors Theses and Capstones

Cephalopods can participate in complex navigation using landmarks that show context due to their statocysts. Statocysts are analogous to the vertebrate vestibular and auditory system encased in cartilage rather than bone making them more easily accessible. Age and anatomical dysfunctions are the reasons for many human vestibular malfunctions. Two of these sources are endolymph hydrops and aging. In the past, endolymph pressure changes were attributed to the ineffectual ion transport. Recent studies have illuminated the possibility of histamine receptors in the semicircular canal could be responsible for patients’ endolymph pressure changes rather than the previous belief that the pressure changes …

Ecopedagogy: Learning How To Participate In Ecological Consciousness, Peterson, Eric

CONSCIOUSNESS: Ideas and Research for the Twenty-First Century

This paper is the result of an inquiry into ecological consciousness through a participatory paradigm. The dialectical relationship between institutionalized education and consciousness is central to this inquiry’s focus. This exploration into ecological consciousness has lead to the following question: How can institutionalized education be designed, delivered, and experienced in a way that nurtures ecological intelligence, ecological consciousness, and more importantly, ecological activism? The ‘sense of self ‘is a central theme within the paper, and led to the conception of intraearthal and interearthal relationships as a way of communicating our need to identify as being in Earth. The author utilizes …

The Role Of Syndecan-1 And Extracellular Vesicles In Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis, Megan R. Sayyad

Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer metastasizes to the brain in 15-30% of all breast cancer cases, and metastasis is the predominant cause of breast cancer-related deaths. Patients with HER2-enriched and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) are more likely to develop brain metastases. While targeted therapies exist for HER2-enriched breast cancers, there are no effective treatments for TNBCs. Thus, a greater understanding of how these cancers spread to the brain is critical. In order to spread to the brain, disseminated breast cancer cells must overcome 2 major steps—crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and survival and successful colonization of the distinctive and mostly cellular brain environment. …

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 …

The Effects Of A Ketone Body On Synaptic Transmission, Alexandra Elizabeth Stanback

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

The ketogenic diet is commonly used to control epilepsy, especially in cases when medications cannot. The diet typically consists of high fat, low carb, and adequate protein and produces a metabolite called acetoacetate. Seizure activity is characterized by glutamate excitotoxicity and therefore glutamate regulation is a point of research for control of these disorders. Acetoacetate is heavily implicated as the primary molecule responsible for decreasing glutamate in the synapse; it is believed that acetoacetate interferes with the transport of glutamate into the synaptic vesicles. The effects on synaptic transmission at glutamatergic synapses was studied in relation to the ketogenic diet …

Expression Of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha In A Chick Model Of Stress Vulnerable, Treatment – Resistant Depression, Mary Katherine Jourdan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An increasing body of literature suggests a Major Depressive Disorder subpopulation, Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD), is associated with an increased immune response. More than a decade of research has identified and begun to validate a novel animal model of TRD. This study sought to determine whether TNF-α levels would be altered due to isolation stress and differentiated between stress-vulnerable and -resilient strains. Black Australorp and Production Red chicks were placed into isolation for varying times during which Distress Vocalization (dVoc) rates were calculated and transformed into entry into behavioral despair percent thresholds. Blood levels of TNF- α were quantified via …

Behavioral And Molecular Analysis Of Memory In The Dwarf Cuttlefish, Jessica M. Bowers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Complex memory has evolved because it benefits animals in all areas of life, such as remembering the location of food or conspecifics, and learning to avoid dangerous stimuli. Advances made by studying relatively simple nervous systems, such as those in gastropod mollusks, can now be used to study mechanisms of memory in more complex systems. Cephalopods offer a unique opportunity to study the mechanisms of memory in a complex invertebrates. The dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis, is a useful memory model because its fast development and small size allows it to be reared and tested in large numbers. However, primary literature …

Childhood And Trauma: The Effects Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On The Brain, Behavior, And Learning In The Elementary School Classroom, Aeryn Aguilar

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

A variety of studies have been conducted on how trauma, caused by emotional, physical, or verbal abuse, impact children’s lives. Many of the studies which involved observations and assessments were done with the preexisting knowledge that these children had been through a traumatic experience. Instead of looking at behavior of known cases, this study’s goal is to find out whether or not children’s observable behaviors can predict cases of trauma. For example, is acting out or defiance a key sign of trauma or is it part of the typical development for the elementary school-age group? This thesis takes into account …

Aptamer Functionalized Zinc Oxide Field Effect Transistors For Odor Detection, Michael D. Aldridge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Odor detection and identification are complex processes, and tasks that currently only animals do well. There is a pressing need for an electronic nose, or eNose, with good sensitivity, selectivity, and speed that mimics that ability. Food quality control operations, environmental sensing, occupational safety, and the defense sectors all require systems that can rapidly and reliably detect trace levels of volatile organic compounds. The goal of this work is to create a biologically inspired device which can accurately detect and identify odors at concentrations consistent with the most sensitive biological systems.

In order to mimic a natural olfactory system, we …

Induction Of Cerebral Hyperexcitability By Peripheral Viral Challenge: Role Of Cxcl10 Chemokine, Tiffany J. Petrisko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Peripheral viral infections are po­tent comorbid factors that exacerbate neuro­degene­ration. Although the under­lying mecha­nisms have not been defined, neuronal hyperexcitability has been established as an underlying feature. Our lab has developed a preclinical model in which a viral mimetic, poly­inosinic-poly­cytidylic acid (PIC) is injected in­tra­peritoneally to induce an anti-viral acute phase response (APR). APR in turn elicits robust neuronal hyperexcitability. The present study was undertaken to characterize molecular mechanisms that mediate the development of hyperexcitability in response to PIC challenge. The analysis of brain tissue after PIC challenge revealed a robust elevation of CXCL10 chemokine, indicating its putative role in …

Discrimination And Behavioral Responses To Communication Signals Compared Across Apteronotids., Danielle Leigh Dillon-Seeger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Sensory systems are often uniquely tailored to encode behaviorally relevant signals and comparative studies across species can thus reveal how evolutionary changes shape sensory functions. The structure of communication signals varies widely between ghost knifefish species. Recent findings suggest that the nervous system co-adapted to the various signal structures observed across species to support different sensory behaviors. The aim for this thesis was to compare the sensory behavior of 3 species of ghost knifefish to contrast their behavioral performance with the known differences in neurophysiology. We hypothesize that for the different signal types and species, the ability to discriminate small …

Neurodevelopmental Roles Of Semaphorin6a/Plexina2 Signaling In Zebrafish, Sarah Elizabeth Emerson

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

ABSTRACT

A multitude of complex cellular changes are required throughout development in order for a single cell to transform into a fully functioning organism. Cellular events including proliferation, migration, and differentiation have to be carefully controlled in order for development to proceed correctly. In order to study such dynamic processes, in vivo models are often utilized. Using the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model system, we have investigated the role of an axon guidance signaling pair, Semaphorin6A (Sema6A) and PlexinA2 (PlxnA2), in neurodevelopment.

A previous investigation into the developmental expression patterns of sema6A and plxnA2 in zebrafish, revealed overlapping expression …

The Role Of The Prelimbic, Infralimbic, And Cerebellar Cortices In Operant Behavior, Megan Laura Shipman

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Operant (instrumental) conditioning is a laboratory method for investigating voluntary behavior and involves training a particular response, such as pressing a lever, to earn a reinforcer. Operant behavior is generally divided into two categories: actions and habits. Actions are goal-directed and controlled by response-outcome (R-O) associations. Habits are stimulus-driven and controlled by stimulus-response associations (S-R). Behavior is determined to be goal-directed or habitual by whether or not it is sensitive (action) or insensitive (habit) to reinforcer/outcome devaluation. Many brain regions have been linked to the learning and/or expression of actions and/or habits. This dissertation investigates a few different brain regions …

Sodium Channel Distribution In The Apical Dendrites Of Pyramidal Cells Vary In The Hindbrain Of Apteronotus Leptorhynchus., Sree Indrani Motipally

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Apteronotid weakly electric fish heavily rely on their electrosensory system for behaviors like spatial navigation, communication and prey capture. Since the behaviorally important information about their environment is contained in the spatial and temporal modulations of the electrosensory signal, efficient mechanisms to process this information with great fidelity are of the utmost importance. Efficient sensory processing often involves having multiple parallel processing streams so that each stream can specialize to treat signals with different properties. This strategy requires the response properties and neural dynamic to be adjusted in each pathway to implement different neural coding strategies. One of the neural …

The Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Mglur1 Regulates The Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel Kv1.2 Through Agonist-Dependent And Agonist-Independent Mechanisms, Sharath Chandra Madasu

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The voltage gated potassium channel Kv1.2 plays a key role in the central nervous system and mutations in Kv1.2 cause neurological disorders such as epilepsies and ataxias. In the cerebellum, regulation of Kv1.2 is coupled to learning and memory. We have previously shown that blocking Kv1.2 by infusing its specific inhibitor tityustoxin-kα (TsTX) into the lobulus simplex of the cerebellum facilitates eyeblink conditioning (EBC) and that EBC itself modulates Kv1.2 surface expression in cerebellar interneurons. The metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR1 is required for EBC although the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we show that infusion of the mGluR1 …