Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Insights Into The Cyclooxygenase Pathway In A Progressive Rat Model Of Parkinson’S Disease Induced By Prostaglandin J2: Protection With Ibuprofen, Chuhyon Corwin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease with aging as a major risk factor. Its defining symptoms are motor deficits that are primarily associated with dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in the midbrain. Post-mortem PD brains exhibit abnormal intraneuronal inclusions of α-synuclein and ubiquitinated protein aggregates known as Lewy bodies, a hallmark of PD pathology.

Currently, there is no validated biomarker for PD. Especially the early stage of PD is difficult to detect as the pathology develops progressively. While symptom-managing treatments are available, there is no neuroprotective treatment as of yet, mainly due to the …

A Multi-Domain Approach To Prevention And Reversal Of Cognitive Decline, Chanah Oberlander

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Incidence of dementia has been on the rise over the last few decades and it is projected that more than 130 million people will be affected by dementia worldwide by 2050. The underlying cause remains incompletely determined, and despite numerous clinical trials, no drug to date has proven effective in preventing or reversing symptoms of cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s disease. The amyloid hypothesis as a basis for drug development of Alzheimer’s disease has thus far proven to be ineffective, suggesting that perhaps a new approach is required. New studies have shown the efficacy of a multi-domain approach which targets …

Exercise Can Potentially Cure Parkinson’S Disease: A Comprehensive Review, Ilana Tokarsky

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease that negatively affects many American lives. It is characterized by the degeneration of dopamine-secreting neurons in the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta (SNpc). Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease lack motor coordination and experience severe motor impairments. Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment method available that can successfully cure the disease. In fact, all of the mainstream available treatments only eliminate some PD symptoms, and they cause many negative side effects. Although nontraditional, exercise is a side effect free treatment method that can potentially slow the progression of the disease and alleviate some symptoms. …

Effects Of Clove Oil (Eugenol) On Proprioceptive Neurons, Heart Rate, And Behavior In Model Crustaceans, Samuel Wycoff, Kristin Weineck, Shannon Conlin, Chinni Suryadevara, Elizabeth Grau, Alec Bradley, Danielle Cantrell, Samantha Eversole, Carolyn Grachen, Kaylee Hall, Danielle Hawthorne, Claire Kinmon, Paula Ortiz Guerrero, Bhavik Patel, Kaitlyn Samuels, Gia Valdes, Andrew J. Ray, Leo J. Fleckenstein, Elena Piana, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Clove oil contains eugenol as an active ingredient and is used as a topical anesthetic in mammals to remedy pain and to anesthetize fish and other seafood for short periods; however, the exact mechanism of action of eugenol is not fully understood. We examined use of eugenol as a reversible anesthetic in crustaceans by examining its effect on sensory and motor neurons in the Red Swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) with electrophysiological recordings. The neurogenic heart rate in the three species was also monitored along with …

Investigating The Effects Of Homocysteine As An Agonist On Invertebrate Glutamatergic Synapses, Elizabeth Grau, Alexandra E. Stanback, Alec Bradley, Danielle Cantrell, Samantha Eversole, Carolyn Grachen, Kaylee Hall, Danielle Hawthorne, Claire Kinmon, Paula Ortiz Guerrero, Bhavik Patel, Kaitlyn Samuels, Chinni Suryadevara, Gia Valdes, Samuel Wycoff, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in mammals can produce neurological deficits, such as memory loss. The cause of the neurological issues is assumed to be due to homocysteine (HCY) binding to glutamatergic receptors in the central nervous system (CNS). High levels of HCY in the CNS are also associated with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease. Thus, understanding the detailed mechanisms of HCY in model preparations could be useful in developing potential treatments to neurodegenerative diseases with overlapping symptoms to HHcy. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of HCY as an agonist at glutamatergic synapses in invertebrates. The …

Effects Of Yoga On The Motor Skills Of A Ten-Year-Old Male With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amber Schmitt

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD} is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is typically diagnosed in childhood due to the presence of atypical development, social interactions, and repetitive stereotypical patterns of behavior. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a yoga intervention on a ten-year-old male diagnosed with ASD. It was hypothesized that the yoga intervention on select instructed poses would increase both pose duration and pose performance and that the results would generalize to longer pose duration and better pose performance on non-instructed poses. Pre-intervention assessments of motor functioning were administered, including the Movement ABC, BOT-2, TGMD, …

Control Of Striatal Activity By Neuronal Glutamate Transporters, Modhurika De

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The basal ganglia are subcortical nuclei that control the execution of learnt motor behaviors and emotions. The striatum, the main output nucleus of the basal ganglia, receives glutamatergic inputs from the cortex and thalamus and sends GABAergic inputs to the sub-thalamic nucleus via the axonal projections of D1- and D2-receptor (D1R and D2R) expressing medium spiny neurons (D1- and D2-MSNs, respectively). The dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is mainly involved in movement execution, whereas the ventromedial striatum (VMS) regulates emotions. Excitatory inputs onto D1- and D2-MSNs are mediated by post-synaptic ionotropic (GluA, GluN) and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRI). The diffusion distance of …

Modulation Of Cytokine Signaling In Optic Nerve Regeneration In Xenopus Laevis, Rupa Priscilla Choudhary

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The axons of the optic nerve, like other central nervous system (CNS) axons, tend to lose their capacity to regenerate following an injury in adult amniotes, but these axons are able to regenerate throughout life in anamniotes. In mammals, optic axon regeneration is promoted by inhibiting the increased expression in retinal ganglion cells of a cytokine signaling molecule, Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 (SOCS3), that accompanies injury. In animals capable of regeneration, SOCS3 mRNA expression also increases dramatically in retinal ganglion cells after optic nerve injury, but somehow this increase is insufficient to block regeneration. To gain insights into how …

Functional Investigation Of A Brainstem Excitatory Connection Relevant To Sensorimotor Gating, Luis Enrique Martinetti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To focus attention, our brain has to "gate" or block irrelevant sensory information that could lead to brain overload. This is done by way of a neuronal pre-attentive mechanism termed sensorimotor gating (SG). Therefore, deficits in the SG mechanism prevent patients from focusing attention. SG deficits have been observed in patients suffering from various neurological disorders, and it is a hallmark of schizophrenia. Previous work has identified key brain areas, such as the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), that send inputs to the brainstem to regulate SG. However, there is still a knowledge gap concerning what cell types are involved and …

A Comparative Study Of Sleep, Diurnal Patterns, And Eye Closure Between The House Mouse (Mus Musculus) And African Spiny Mouse (Acomys Cahirinus), Chanung Wang

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

To understand the function and origins of sleep, sleep needs to be studied across many different species. Although it is well conserved throughout mammals, 95% of papers are restricted to just three species, Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, and Rattus norvegicus. We aimed to characterize sleep and wake in a Murid rodent Acomys cahirinus in greater detail alongside the well-studied laboratory house mouse (Mus musculus) and wild M. musculus using a well validated, non-invasive, piezoelectric system for sleep and activity monitoring. We confirmed A. cahirinus, M. musculus, and wild M. musculus to be primarily …

Quantification Of Twist From The Central Lines Of Β-Strands, Tunazzina Islam, Michael Poteat, Jing He

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Since the discovery of right-handed twist of a β-strand, many studies have been conducted to understand the twist. Given the atomic structure of a protein, twist angles have been defined using atomic positions of the backbone. However, limited study is available to characterize twist when the atomic positions are not available, but the central lines of β-strands are. Recent studies in cryoelectron microscopy show that it is possible to predict the central lines of β-strands from a medium-resolution density map. Accurate measurement of twist angles is important in identification of β-strands from such density maps. We propose an effective method …

The Role Of Brain Stem 5-Ht1a And Gaba-A Receptors In The Thermoregulatory Response To Hypoxic Stress, Alexander Schmidt

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a leading cause of infant mortality. Alterations in brainstem development of Serotonin (5HT) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are linked to its cause. The sympathetic premotor neurons located in the Nucleus of the Raphe Pallidus (NRP) in the brainstem have both 5-HT1A and GABA-A receptor subtypes that mediate protective cardiovascular responses to environmental stress. It is hypothesized that alteration in these receptors at the NRP will also modify protective thermoregulatory responses to hypoxic stress such as hypothermia. Using aseptic techniques, male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (230-385g) were instrumented with radiotelemetry probes to non-invasively measure core …

Inhibitory Or Excitatory? Optogenetic Interrogation Of The Functional Roles Of Gabaergic Interneurons In Epileptogenesis, Hui Ye

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Alteration in the excitatory/inhibitory neuronal balance is believed to be the underlying mechanism of epileptogenesis. Based on this theory, GABAergic interneurons are regarded as the primary inhibitory neurons, whose failure of action permits hyperactivity in the epileptic circuitry. As a consequence, optogenetic excitation of GABAergic interneurons is widely used for seizure suppression. However, recent evidence argues for the context-dependent, possibly “excitatory” roles that GABAergic cells play in epileptic circuitry. We reviewed current optogenetic approaches that target the “inhibitory” roles of GABAergic interneurons for seizure control. We also reviewed interesting evidence that supports the “excitatory” roles of GABAergic interneurons in epileptogenesis. …

Connectivity Motifs Of Inhibitory Neurons In The Mouse Auditory Cortex, Hysell V. Oviedo

Publications and Research

Connectivity determines the function of neural circuits and it is the gateway to behavioral output. The emergent properties of the Auditory Cortex (ACx) have been difficult to unravel partly due to our assumption that it is organized similarly to other sensory areas. But detailed investigations of its functional connectivity have begun to reveal significant differences from other cortical areas that perform different functions. Using Laser Scanning Photostimulation we previously discovered unique circuit features in the ACx. Specifically, we found that the functional asymmetry of the ACx (tonotopy and isofrequency axes) is reflected in the local circuitry of excitatory inputs to …

The Effect Of Co2, Intracellular Ph And Extracellular Ph On Mechanosensory Proprioceptor Responses In Crayfish And Crab, Viresh Dayaram, Cole A. Malloy, Sarah Martha, Brenda Alvarez, Ikenna Chukwudolue, Nadera Dabbain, Dlovan D.Mahmood, Slavina Goleva, Tori Hickey, Angel Ho, Molly King, Paige Kington, Matthew Mattingly, Samuel Potter, Landon Simpson, Amanda Spence, Henry Uradu, Jacob Van Doorn, Dlovan Faiq, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Proprioceptive neurons monitor the movements of limbs and joints to transduce the movements into electrical signals. These neurons function similarly in species from arthropods to humans. These neurons can be compromised in disease states and in adverse environmental conditions such as with changes in external and internal pH. We used two model preparations (the crayfish muscle receptor organ and a chordotonal organ in the limb of a crab) to characterize the responses of these proprioceptors to external and internal pH changes as well as raised CO₂. The results demonstrate the proprioceptive organs are not highly sensitive to changes …

C. Elegans Avoids Toxin-Producing Streptomyces Using A Seven Transmembrane Domain Chemosensory Receptor, Alan Tran, Angelina Tang, Colleen O’Loughlin, Anthony Balistreri, Eric Chang, Doris Coto Villa, Joy Li, Aruna Varshney, Vanessa Jimenez, Jacqueline Pyle, Bryan Tsujimoto, Christopher Wellbrook, Christopher Vargas, Alex Duong, Nebat Ali, Sarah Matthews, Samantha Levinson, Sarah Woldemariam, Sami Khuri, Martina Bremer, Daryl Eggers, Noelle L’Etoile, Laura Miller Conrad, Miri Vanhoven

Faculty Publications, Chemistry

Predators and prey co-evolve, each maximizing their own fitness, but the effects of predator–prey interactions on cellular and molecular machinery are poorly understood. Here, we study this process using the predator Caenorhabditis elegans and the bacterial prey Streptomyces, which have evolved a powerful defense: the production of nematicides. We demonstrate that upon exposure to Streptomyces at their head or tail, nematodes display an escape response that is mediated by bacterially produced cues. Avoidance requires a predicted G-protein-coupled receptor, SRB-6, which is expressed in five types of amphid and phasmid chemosensory neurons. We establish that species of Streptomyces secrete dodecanoic acid, …

Distribution And Activation Of Catecholaminergic Neurons In The Brain Of Male Plainfin Midshipman Fish: Divergence In Behavior And Reproductive Phenotype, Zachary Ghahramani

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus, provides an excellent opportunity for delimiting the influence of neurochemical content on vertebrate vocal behavior, in part because the production and recognition of social-acoustic signals is vital to their reproductive behavior. There are two distinct reproductive male morphs that follow divergent developmental trajectories with corresponding alternative reproductive tactics: type I males are the territorial/nesting morph that vocally court females during the summer breeding season while type II males do not court females, but instead sneak spawn in competition with type I males. Catecholaminergic neurons, which synthesize and release the neurotransmitters dopamine or noradrenaline, …

Evolution Of Caffeine Biosynthetic Enzymes And Pathways In Flowering Plants, Ruiqi Huang

Dissertations

Convergent evolution generally refers to the independent evolution of similar biological function more than once in unrelated species. Caffeine is thought to have evolved by convergence, and is naturally produced through secondary metabolism in plants to defend against pathogen attack and insect feeding or to attract pollinators. The same caffeine biosynthetic pathway has been elucidated in Camellia (tea) and Coffea (coffee), in which xanthosine is sequentially methylated to caffeine via 7-methylxanthine and theobromine. However, although the same catalysis pathway is used, different (paralogous) enzymes in the SAMT/BAMT/theobromine synthase (SABATH) multigene family are used in the two species. In my dissertation, …

Ephrin Receptors, Aiy Interneuron Physiology, And Behavior, Tyler Hill

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

In order to survive, an organism must be able to receive, integrate, and respond to sensory stimuli. However, the cellular basis of sensory perception and response is difficult to study in complex animals such as humans, and is therefore poorly understood. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a relatively simple organism yet displays many distinct behaviors, making it an ideal system to understand the relationship between gene function, cell shape, cell physiology, and behavioral output. Much of the thermosensory and chemosensory information that the nematode receives from its sensory neurons is processed via a pair of interneurons called AIYL and AIYR. …

Neuroscience, Materialism, And The Soul: Limit Questions, Jeremy M. Aymard

Dialogue & Nexus

In light of recent discoveries in neuroscience linking the mind to physical processes, Christian philosophers have resorted to a more materialistic view of the human person, using neuroscience as support for their view that an immaterial soul does not exist. In this essay, I will point out a major flaw in the logic for defending a materialistic view, argue that either a bipartite or tripartite view of the human person is more aligned with Scripture, and hopefully point towards a more reliable means for attaining truth regarding human nature and the soul.

Effects Of Food Consumption On Cell Proliferation In The Brain Of Python Regius, Stacy Star Habroun

Master's Theses

Neurogenesis is an important and vastly under-explored area in reptiles. While the ability to generate new brain cells in the adult mammalian brain is limited, reptiles are able to regenerate large populations of neuronal cells. Pythons exhibit a characteristic specific dynamic action (SDA) response after food intake with an increase in metabolic rate that facilitates processing the meal. Associated with this change in SDA, pythons (Python spp.) also exhibit impressive plasticity in their digestive and cardiovascular physiology due to the sheer magnitude of the increase in organ growth that occurs after a meal to speed digestion, absorption, and assimilation of …

Mollifying Neuroscience And Christian Faith: An Emergent Monistic Claim For Free Will And The Soul, Paul Figel

Dialogue & Nexus

Modern neuroscience makes it difficult for one to support a case for substance dualism regarding the existence of a soul and free will. The neuroscientific evidence stems from several experiments in which test subjects were instructed to perform a simple voluntary movement. Scientists consistently observed neurological antecedents preceding the subject’s conscious decision to perform the action. An examination of these experiments and the conclusions drawn will show several key inconsistencies that weaken the extreme anti-conscious will claim. However, it is important to not reject the neurological evidence against substance dualism, but instead discover a new perspective (e.g. emergent monism) that …

Volume 3 Editorial, Daniel Brannan

Dialogue & Nexus

No abstract provided.

Rat Hind Limb Nociceptive Withdrawal Response To Heat And Mechanical Stimuli Depends On Initial Position Of The Paw But Not Stimulus Location, Giavanna Verdi

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Mammals rapidly withdraw their hind limb in response to noxious stimulation, which is a protective movement known as the nociceptive withdrawal response (NWR). The NWR has been previously studied in spinalized, decerebrated and anesthetized non-human and human mammals; however, there is minimal information on the NWR in intact, unanesthetized non-human mammals.

The first specific aim was to identify the factors that determine the direction and magnitude of the NWR in intact, unanesthetized rats. Based on previous studies, we hypothesized that the location of stimulation and the initial position of the paw preceding the NWR will influence the direction and magnitude …

Modeling 3d Retinogenesis In Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Following Crispr-Mediated Crx Knockdown, Pooja Prasad

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

An emerging technology known as three-dimensional (3D) tissue engineering has allowed scientists to mimic tissues found in vivo. Previous studies indicate that it is possible to differentiate dissociated mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) into 3D retinal tissues in vitro (Bertacchi, 2015; Eiraku, 2012). The newly differentiated retinal tissues are said to encompass all of the major components found in retinal tissues. The generation of in vitro 3D tissues holds great potential in terms of patient-specific disease modeling. Although various diseases have been well-studied in animal models, there are limitations with regards to patient-specificity. The generation of animal models to study …

Hearing On The Fly: The Effects Of Wing Position On Noctuid Moth Hearing, Shira D. Gordon, Elizabeth Klenschi, James F. C. Windmill

Dartmouth Scholarship

The ear of the noctuid moth has only two auditory neurons, A1 and A2, which function in detecting predatory bats. However, the noctuid's ears are located on the thorax behind the wings. Therefore, as these moths need to hear during flight, it was hypothesized that wing position may affect their hearing. The wing was fixed in three different positions: up, flat and down. An additional subset of animals was measured with freely moving wings. In order to negate any possible acoustic shadowing or diffractive effects, all wings were snipped, leaving the proximal-most portion and the wing hinge intact. Results revealed …

Trafficking Receptor Signatures Define Blood Plasmablasts Responding To Tissue-Specific Immune Challenge, Yekyung Seong, Nicole Lazarus, Lusijah Sutherland, Aida Habtezion, Tzvia Abramson, Xiao-Song He, Harry Greenberg, Eugene Butcher

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Antibody-secreting cells are generated in regional lymphoid tissues and traffic as plasmablasts (PBs) via lymph and blood to target sites for local immunity. We used multiparameter flow cytometry to define PB trafficking programs (TPs, combinations of adhesion molecules and chemoattractant receptors) and their imprinting in patients in response to localized infection or immune insults. TPs enriched after infection or autoimmune inflammation of mucosae correlate with sites of immune response or symptoms, with different TPs imprinted during small intestinal, colon, throat, and upper respiratory immune challenge. PBs induced after intramuscular or intradermal influenza vaccination, including flu-specific antibody–secreting cells, display TPs characterized …

Differences In Behavioral Responses To Stress In Zebrafish: Exploring Underlying Neural Mechanisms, Jacalyn B. Russ

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Two alternative “stress coping styles” are documented across a wide range of taxa: proactive and reactive. While behavior differences can be observed between coping styles, brain regions potentially mediating these differences have not been studied extensively. Understanding differences in how the brain processes information between the coping styles can lead to insights on how these responses might be controlled. To assess the neural mechanisms underlying alternative stress coping styles, I utilized Danio rerio (zebrafish) and the Novel Tank Diving Test (NTDT). I hypothesize (i) that proactive fish will spend less time in the lower portion of the NTDT and spend …

The Association Of Serum Levels Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor With The Occurrence Of And Recovery From Delirium In Older Medical Inpatients, John Williams, Karen Finn, Vincent Melvin, David Meagher, Geraldine Mccarthy, Dimitrios Adamis

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Limited studies of the association between BDNF levels and delirium have given inconclusive results. This prospective, longitudinal study examined the relationship between BDNF levels and the occurrence of and recovery from delirium. Participants were assessed twice weekly using MoCA, DRS-R98, and APACHE II scales. BDNF levels were estimated using an ELISA method. Delirium was defined with DRS-R98 (score > 16) and recovery from delirium as ≥2 consecutive assessments without delirium prior to discharge. We identified no difference in BDNF levels between those with and without delirium. Excluding those who never developed delirium (), we examined the association of BDNF levels and …

A Novel Educational Module To Teach Neural Circuits For College And High School Students: Ngss-Neurons, Genetics, And Selective Stimulations, Zana R. Majeed, Felicitas Koch, Joshua Morgan, Heidi Anderson, Jennifer Wilson, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

This report introduces various approaches to target defined neural pathways for stimulation and to address the effect of particular neural circuits on behavior in a model animal, the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). The objective of this novel educational module described can be used to explain and address principle concepts in neurobiology for high school and college level students. A goal of neurobiology is to show how neural circuit activity controls corresponding behavior in animals. The fruit fly model system provides powerful genetic tools, such as the UAS-Gal4 system, to manipulate expression of non-native proteins in various populations of …