Nervous System Commons^™

“My Logic Is Undeniable”: Replicating The Brain For Ideal Artificial Intelligence, Samuel C. Adams

Senior Honors Theses

Alan Turing asked if machines can think, but intelligence is more than logic and reason. I ask if a machine can feel pain or joy, have visions and dreams, or paint a masterpiece. The human brain sets the bar high, and despite our progress, artificial intelligence has a long way to go. Studying neurology from a software engineer’s perspective reveals numerous uncanny similarities between the functionality of the brain and that of a computer. If the brain is a biological computer, then it is the embodiment of artificial intelligence beyond anything we have yet achieved, and its architecture is advanced …

Oscillatory Neural Responses Evoked By Natural Vestibular Stimuli In Humans, Steven Gale, Mario Prsa, Aaron Schurger, Annietta Gay, Aurore Paillard, Bruno Herbelin, Jean-Philippe Guyot, Christophe Lopez, Olaf Blanke

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

While there have been numerous studies of the vestibular system in mammals, less is known about the brain mechanisms of vestibular processing in humans. In particular, of the studies that have been carried out in humans over the last 30 years, none has investigated how vestibular stimulation (VS) affects cortical oscillations. Here we recorded high-density electroencephalography (EEG) in healthy human subjects and a group of bilateral vestibular loss patients (BVPs) undergoing transient and constant-velocity passive whole body yaw rotations, focusing our analyses on the modulation of cortical oscillations in response to natural VS. The present approach overcame significant technical challenges …

Theoretical Investigation Of Interaction Between The Set Of Ligands And Α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor, O. E. Glukhova, Tatiana Prytkova, D. S. Shmygin

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are neuron receptor proteins that provide a transmission of nerve impulse through the synapses. They are composed of a pentametric assembly of five homologous subunits (5 α7 subunits for α7nAChR, for example), oriented around the central pore. These receptors might be found in the chemical synapses of central and peripheral nervous system, and also in the neuromuscular synapses. Transmembrane domain of the one of such receptors constitutes ion channel. The conductive properties of ion channel strongly depend on the receptor conformation changes in the response of binding with some molecule, f.e. acetylcholine. Investigation of interaction between …

Elucidation Of The Anatomy Of A Satiety Network: Focus On Connectivity Of The Parabrachial Nucleus In The Adult Rat, Györgyi Zséli, Barbara Vida, Anais Martinez, Ronald M. Lechan, Arshad M. Khan, Csaba Fekete

Arshad M. Khan, Ph.D.

Development And Validation Of A Sensitive Uplc-Ms/Ms Method For The Quantitation Of [13c]Sucrose In Rat Plasma, Blood, And Brain: Its Application To The Measurement Of Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability, Mohammad K. Miah, Ulrich Bickel, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Accurate and reproducible measurement of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity is critical in the assessment of the pathophysiology of the central nervous system disorders and in monitoring therapeutic effects. The widely-used low molecular weight marker [14C]sucrose is non-specific in the absence of chromatographic separation. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a sensitive and reproducible LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of stable isotopemodified [13C12]sucrose in brain, plasma, and blood to determine BBB permeability to sucrose. After addition of internal standard (IS, [13C6]sucrose), the marker and IS were recovered from diluted rat blood, plasma, and brain homogenate by protein …

From Squirrels To Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Cbt): The Modulation Of The Hippocampus, Rachel Ariella Bartfeld

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The legitimacy of psychotherapy can often be thrown into doubt as its mechanisms of action are generally considered hazy and unquantifiable. One way to support the effectiveness of therapy would be to demonstrate the physical effects that this treatment option can have on the brain, just like psychotropic medications that physically alter the brain’s construction leaving no doubt as to the potency of their effects. Beginning with the understanding of therapy as a behavior, this paper first questions the possibility of behavior effecting measurable change on the brain. Examining diverse samples of both animals and humans repeatedly shows that the …

The Arp2/3 Complex Is Essential At Multiple Stages Of Neural Development., Fu-Sheng Chou, Pei-Shan Wang

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

During development of the nervous system, radial glial cells perform self-renewing asymmetric divisions and give rise to intermediate progenitor cells (IPC) and neurons. The neuronally committed IPC subsequently undergo multiple rounds of transient amplification and migrate outwards to form cortical layers as they continue to differentiate into mature neurons. Maturing neurons extend protrusions on their cell surface to form neurites, a process called neuritogenesis. Neurite formation results in the establishment of dendrites and axons for synapse formation, which is essential for sensory and motor functions and even higher-level functioning including memory formation and cognitive function, as well as shaping of …

Chronic Pancreatitis, Pain, And Anxiety In An Alcohol And High Fat Mouse Model, Tiffanie Clinkinbeard

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Homeodynamic space (HDS) shrinks as vulnerability increases with aging and repeated damage to the cells. HDS is lost in alcoholic pancreatitis patients due to overconsumption of alcohol, smoking, and high fat diets. Etiologically relevant animal models for study of chronic pancreatitis (CP) are needed. In order to begin filling this gap a central purpose of this dissertation research was to examine relationships between the alcohol and high fat diet (AHF) and pancreatitis with attention to hypersensitivity and anxiety-like behaviors. The AHF diet induced pancreatitis described here etiologically mimics human risk factors of AHF consumption for advancement to alcoholic CP.

In …

Looking To The Future Of Stroke Treatment: Combining Recanalization And Neuroprotection In Acute Ischemic Stroke, Michael E. Maniskas

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Stroke is the 5^th leading cause of death in the U.S. with 130,000 deaths and around 800,000 affected annually. Currently, there is a significant disconnect between basic stroke research and clinical stroke therapeutic needs. Few animal models of stroke target the large vessels that produce cortical deficits seen in the clinical setting. Also, current routes of drug administration, intraperitoneal and intravenous, do not mimic the clinical route of intra-arterial drug administration. To bridge this divide, we have retro-engineered a mouse model of stroke from the current standard of care for emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) stroke, endovascular thrombectomy, to …

Perceived Threat Associated With Police Officers And Black Men Predicts Support For Policing Policy Reform, Allison L. Skinner, Ingrid J. Haas

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Racial disparities in policing and recent high-profile incidents resulting in the deaths of Black men have ignited a national debate on policing policies. Given evidence that both police officers and Black men may be associated with threat, we examined the impact of perceived threat on support for reformed policing policies. Across three studies we found correlational evidence that perceiving police officers as threatening predicts increased support for reformed policing practices (e.g., limiting the use of lethal force and matching police force demographics to those of the community). In contrast, perceiving Black men as threatening predicted reduced support for policing policy …

Rapid Cortisol And Testosterone Responses To Sex-Linked Stressors: Implications For The Tend-And-Befriend Hypothesis, Jennifer Byrd-Craven, Jessica L. Calvi, Shelia M. Kennison

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Current evolutionary theories regarding the nature of hormonal responses to a variety of salient social stimuli are incomplete in yielding evidentiary support for their assertions. This study offers more nuanced evidence for the Tend-and- Befriend model of sex differences in responses to social stimuli. Participants were randomly assigned to a mortality salience prime or a control condition prior to viewing a video of an out-group threat or a video of infants crying. Cortisol and testosterone responses were assessed. The results showed that in mortality salience conditions, females showed significantly higher cortisol responses to infants crying compared to males. Further, in …

Neural Processing Of Emotional Musical And Nonmusical Stimuli In Depression, Rebecca J. Lepping, Ruth Ann Atchley, Evangelia Chrysikou, Laura E. Martin, Alicia A. Clair, Rick E. Ingram, W. Kyle Simmons, Cary R. Savage

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Background Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and striatum are part of the emotional neural circuitry implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD). Music is often used for emotion regulation, and pleasurable music listening activates the dopaminergic system in the brain, including the ACC. The present study uses functional MRI (fMRI) and an emotional nonmusical and musical stimuli paradigm to examine how neural processing of emotionally provocative auditory stimuli is altered within the ACC and striatum in depression.

Method Nineteen MDD and 20 never-depressed (ND) control participants listened to standardized positive and negative emotional musical and nonmusical stimuli during fMRI scanning and gave …

Voxel-Based Morphometry Reveals Brain Gray Matter Volume Changes In Successful Dieters, Robyn A. Honea, Amanda N. Szabo-Reed, Rebecca J. Lepping, Rodrigo Perea, Florence Breslin, Laura E. Martin, William M. Brooks, Joseph E. Donnelly, Cary R. Savage

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Objective: To compare regional brain volume predictors of percent weight loss (WL) in dieters with obesity (DwO) and in the same participants categorized as “successful” (≥7% WL) or “unsuccessful” dieters (

Phonophobia Mediates The Relationship Between The Myelinated Vagus And Selective Mutism, Alexandra Sherwood Batzdorf

Senior Projects Spring 2016

When active, the myelinated vagus (the tenth cranial nerve) acts as a brake that inhibits sympathetic activity by reducing heart rate and blood pressure, and thus allows for social engagement by redirecting metabolic resources. Among those with selective mutism (SM), a disorder characterized by an inability to speak in certain situations, the vagal brake is dysregulated. One consequence of this is a weakening of the middle-ear acoustic reflex (MEAR), which helps clarify human voices and filters out low-frequency background noise, including the speaker’s own voice. I tested a proposed etiological model of SM and comorbid social anxiety disorder (SAD) by …

An Investigation Of The Efficacy Of Curcumin For Treatment Of Alzheimer's Disease, Parantap Patel

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Curcumin is the primary curcuminoid found in the rhizome of the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa), responsible for the spice’s distinctive yellow color. Research conducted within the past two decades suggests that the compound may be an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, the most prevalent form of dementia affecting nearly 5.2 million Americans. This paper investigates the efficacy of curcumin as treatment for the pathogenesis and symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Research was conducted pertaining to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s, the in vitro applications of curcumin, the chemical properties of curcumin, and the in vivo clinical applications of curcumin. The pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s …

Temporal Neuromuscular Alterations Of The Quadriceps After Unilateral Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Conrad M. Gabler

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Objective: The primary aim of this research was to examine the temporal pattern of neuromuscular quadriceps deficits in both the involved and uninvolved limbs of patients assigned to the control group after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLr), by assessing quadriceps strength, voluntary activation, and corticomotor excitability prior to surgery (baseline), three months after ACLr, and six months after ACLr. A secondary aim of this research was to determine whether quadriceps strength, voluntary activation, and/or corticomotor excitability assessed in patients prior to ACLr and/or at three months after surgery, is predictive of lower extremity postural control and/or self-reported function at six …

Spectrum Of Intracerebral Hemorrhage In Children: A Report From Picu Of A Resource Limited Country, Qalab Abbas, Qurat Ul Ain Merchant, Bushra Nasir, Anwar Ul Haque, Basit Salam, Gohar Javed

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in children is a rare but disabling disease that accounts for almost half cases of stroke. We report our experience of ICH in children. Retrospective review of medical records of children (1 month-16 years) admitted in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit between January 2007 and December 2014 was done. Data collected included age, gender, presentation, examination findings, neuroimaging done (CT, MRI, and angiography) management (conservative/intervention), and outcome. Results are presented as frequency and percentages. Of the total 50 patients, 58% were male and 26% were <1 year. On presentation 44% had vomiting, 42% had seizures, and GCS < 8 while 40% had altered level of consciousness. Single bleed was present in 88%, 94% had supratentorial bleed, and 32% had intraventricular extension. 72% had bleed volume of <30 mL and 8% had >60 mL. CT scan was done in 98% patients and MRI in 34%, …

How The Manipulation Of The Ras Homolog Enriched In Striatum Alters The Behavioral And Molecular Progression Of Huntington’S Disease, Franklin A. Lee

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Huntington’s disease is an incurable, progressive neurological disorder characterized by loss of motor control, psychiatric dysfunction, and eventual dystonia leading to death. Despite the fact that this disorder is caused by a mutation in one single gene, there is no cure. The mutant Huntingtin (mHtt) protein is expressed ubiquitously throughout the brain but frank cell death is limited to the striatum. Recent work has suggested that Rhes, Ras homolog enriched in striatum, which is selectively expressed in the striatum, may play a role in Huntington’s disease neuropathology. In vitro studies have shown Rhes to be an E3 ligase for the …

Investigating The Influences Of Language Delay And/Or Familial Risk For Dyslexia On Brain Structure In 5-Year-Olds, Nora Maria Raschle, Bryce Larkin Chessell Becker, Sara Smith, Lynn Valérie Fehlbaum, Yingying Wang, Nadine Gaab

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Early language delay has often been associated with atypical language/literacy development. Neuroimaging studies further indicate functional disruptions during language and print processing in school-age children with a retrospective report of early language delay. Behavioral data of 114 5-year-olds with a retrospective report of early language delay in infancy (N = 34) and those without (N = 80) and with a familial risk for dyslexia and those without are presented. Behaviorally, children with a retrospective report of early language delay exhibited reduced performance in language/reading-related measures. A voxel-based morphometry analysis in a subset (N = 46) demonstrated an association between reduced …

The Physiology And Psychology Of Exercise And Parkinson's Disease, Jess Gibson

Senior Honors Theses

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common degenerative neurological disorders and is currently lacking a cure. While physicians have long debated over the best treatment for Parkinson’s symptoms, treatments such as oral medication and deep brain stimulation have not yet shown to be a permanent solution to the disease. Recently, exercise has emerged as a contender in the fight against Parkinson’s and physicians and physiotherapists have been investigating the benefits of prescribing exercise programs to patients in an effort to slow progression of Parkinson’s symptoms. The following presents an analysis of the effects of exercise on Parkinson’s symptoms and …