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Neuroscience and Neurobiology

Journal

2014

Articles 1 - 10 of 10

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Fty720 (Fingolimod) Provides Insight Into The Molecular Mechanisms Of Multiple Sclerosis, Madelyn Elizabeth Crawford Jun 2014

Fty720 (Fingolimod) Provides Insight Into The Molecular Mechanisms Of Multiple Sclerosis, Madelyn Elizabeth Crawford

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a prolonged immune- mediated inflammatory response that targets myelin. Nearly all of the drugs approved for the treatment of MS are general immunosuppressants or only function in symptom management. The oral medication fingolimod, however, is reported to have direct therapeutic effects on cells of the central nervous system in addition to immunomodulatory functions. Fingolimod is known to interact with sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptors, and the most widely- accepted theory for its mechanism of action is functional antagonism of the receptor. This review examines significant neuromodulatory effects achieved by functional antagonism of the …

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Do D2 Receptors On Blood Lymphocytes Adapt To Chronic Ethanol?, Joseph Linzey, Dr. Scott Steffensen Apr 2014

Do D2 Receptors On Blood Lymphocytes Adapt To Chronic Ethanol?, Joseph Linzey, Dr. Scott Steffensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Research concerning whether or not D2 receptors can be used as an accurate biomarker for drug addiction is still currently underway. Unfortunately, this semester I was unable to engage in research nearly as much as I had planned. I spent a lot of time this semester interviewing at medical schools. The majority of my time at BYU was spent catching up on work and material covered in lectures I missed while I was interviewing. However, the interview session is nearly complete (with wonderful results) and I will be devoting a substantial amount of time this coming semester towards completing this …

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Association Between Heavy-Metal Exposure And The Digit-Symbol Substitution Test In Us Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study, Parker Woody, Dawson Hedges Apr 2014

Association Between Heavy-Metal Exposure And The Digit-Symbol Substitution Test In Us Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study, Parker Woody, Dawson Hedges

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Heavy metals in the environment are a serious concern. One of the most widely known and studied neurotoxins is lead. For many years it was put into gasoline and paint in the US until it was discovered that it lead to developmental defects and affected cognitive functioning. There is a concern that other heavy metals could have adverse effects as well. Much research has focused on exposure to heavy metals in those exposed to abnormally high levels, such as those found in occupational exposures. Very little has been done examining heavy metal levels in the body such as those that …

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Error Processing And Generalized Anxiety Disorder, David Walker, Dr. Michael Larson Apr 2014

Error Processing And Generalized Anxiety Disorder, David Walker, Dr. Michael Larson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

General anxiety disorder (GAD) affects approximately 5% of the U.S. population (Stein, 2009) and is the second-most frequent psychiatric disorder, after depression, in primary care settings (Wittchen & Hoyer, 2001). Although diagnosis requirements for GAD are extensive, common characteristics are hyper-vigilance, which is manifested as excessive or unreasonable worry, along with tension, fatigue and headaches (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). These symptoms of excessive anxiety have been associated with increased rates of physical illness (Bowen, Barale, & Senthilselvan, 2000), a decline in cognitive processing abilities (Castaneda, Lonnqvist, Marttunen, Suvisaari, & Tuulio-Henriksson, 2008), and can become disabling (National Institute of …

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Word Quality And Memory, Marshall Roedel, Dr. C. Brock Kirwan Apr 2014

Word Quality And Memory, Marshall Roedel, Dr. C. Brock Kirwan

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Current memory theory suggests that two separate processes contribute to recognition memory. Recollection is when recognition is accompanied by contextual information regarding the encoding event. Familiarity is when recognition is only a companied by a vague sense of having encountered something previously.

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The Effects Of Mindfulness Of Error Processing, Kevin Voisin, Dr. Michael Larson Apr 2014

The Effects Of Mindfulness Of Error Processing, Kevin Voisin, Dr. Michael Larson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Mindfulness is the process of bringing one’s body functions, attention, feelings and content of consciousness to the experiences of the present. (Greeson, 2009). Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress in order to improve quality of life along with many other benefits such as reducing blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and anger (Grossman, Niemann, Schmidt, Walach, 2004). We sought to substantiate these claims with EEG and blood pressure data.

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Attracting Female Students To Science: An Interdisciplinary Stress-Psychobiology Mentored Experience, Michael Larson Feb 2014

Attracting Female Students To Science: An Interdisciplinary Stress-Psychobiology Mentored Experience, Michael Larson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Women have made considerable progress in education and the workplace; however, progress in science and technology fields continues to lag behind. Females remain underrepresented in science majors at the university level and, subsequently, represent less than a quarter of full professors in scientific fields. Increasing female representation in science is considered a national priority. Studies indicate women who receive a mentored scientific experience are more likely to choose careers in science and research than peers who are not exposed to scientific research in a mentored environment. Thus, our grant focused on attracting female students to the academic and scientific environment …

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Dimorphic Expression Of Medial Basal Hypothalamic-Preoptic Area Calbindin-D28k Mrna During Perinatal Development In Sprague-Dawley Rats, Emily Briton, Dr. Edwin D. Lephart Feb 2014

Dimorphic Expression Of Medial Basal Hypothalamic-Preoptic Area Calbindin-D28k Mrna During Perinatal Development In Sprague-Dawley Rats, Emily Briton, Dr. Edwin D. Lephart

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Calbindin-D28K (CALB), a calcium binding protein, is one of the most abundant proteins found in neurons of certain brain areas. It is potentially important in neuron formation and may play a protective role against programmed cell death [1]. CALB helps regulate the amount of calcium in neurons. An over-abundance of intracellular calcium leads to cell degeneration and eventually cell death. Brain sites that are exposed to toxic amounts of calcium experience less neurodegeneration where calcium-binding proteins are present than in areas where the protein is less abundant [4]. It is hypothesized that decreased levels of CALB lead to patterns of …

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Orca Scholarship Report, Andrew Moore Jan 2014

Orca Scholarship Report, Andrew Moore

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I received an ORCA award in December of 1999. At the time, my proposal dealt with family dynamic influences on EEG neurofeedback treatement of adolescents with ADHD. This was a multidisciplinary effort, and, to my knowledge, research of this sort had not been conducted before. Though I felt a genuine excitement at the beginning, I soon realized that I had bitten off a coordination and research effort bigger than I could chew. I had to rely on a local psychologist that I was working with for help in recruiting patients, as well as for use of his facilities and equipment, …

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Are There Memory Deficits Among High School Participants From Heading Soccer Balls?, John R. Dayton, Dr. Donovan E. Fleming Jan 2014

Are There Memory Deficits Among High School Participants From Heading Soccer Balls?, John R. Dayton, Dr. Donovan E. Fleming

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A unique aspect of soccer is the use of the player’s head to direct the ball. Participants can “head” the ball to score a goal, pass to a teammate or gain control of possession. Studies performed on soccer players at the international2,5,7,10,12 and Olympic1 levels have shown memory2,3,4,6,8,9,10,12, attention3,6,11,12, concentration2,3,6,11,12, and judgment24 deficits. Is such damage due to practice schedule and necessitated drills, or is it the cumulative result of lifelong soccer participation? If due to lifelong participation, are high school participants at risk?

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