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Full-Text Articles in Neuroscience and Neurobiology

Glaucoma Alters The Morphology Of Mouse Melanopsin-Containing Retinal Ganglion Cells, Kristin Keenan Jan 2022

Glaucoma Alters The Morphology Of Mouse Melanopsin-Containing Retinal Ganglion Cells, Kristin Keenan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Melanopsin ganglion cells are intrinsically photosensitive ganglion cells in the mammalian retina. These cells mediate aspects of non-image forming vision to help regular circadian rhythm. Glaucoma is an eye disease involving an increase in intraocular pressure that has been linked to irregular circadian rhythm. This project will investigate the impact glaucoma has on these melanopsin ganglion cells at different pathological timepoints. This will be performed by using dissection, immunohistochemistry, and computer imaging methods to visualize, trace, and measure the cells’ morphologies in both control and glaucomatous retinas at different timepoints of disease to analyze if glaucoma has a significant effect …


Assessing Morphology Of Iprgcs After Traumatic Brain Injury, Brian Foresi, Matt Smith Jan 2020

Assessing Morphology Of Iprgcs After Traumatic Brain Injury, Brian Foresi, Matt Smith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

ipRGCs are retinal ganglion cells that project to visual processing centers of the brain for nonimage forming visual functions. The relation of ipRGCs to tramatic brain injury (TBI) is emerging as data has been published describing ipRGC functional changes in TBI affected military veterans. Major symptomologies of concussions, a mild form of TBI, also overlap with the function governed by sites in the brain with major ipRGC projection percentages. Assesing if a morphological change is occuring in the ipRGCs after a TBI could support the idea of a pathological mechanism of the injury. This study could also indicate further relevance …


Investigating Iron Metabolism In Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients, Alexander A. Maynard, Gardenia Pacheco Jan 2019

Investigating Iron Metabolism In Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Patients, Alexander A. Maynard, Gardenia Pacheco

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a stroke characterized by bleeding into the subarachnoid space of the brain, typically resulting in high mortality rate.8 Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI), characterized by vasospasms induced arterial constriction, occurs in roughly one third of the surviving patients.20 The development of DCI and neurodegeneration could be linked to metabolic pathology that occurs after SAH, specifically iron induced changes in redox status. The oxidized environment induced by iron has the potential to functionally affect the ferroxidase ceruloplasmin (Cp), which is linked to neurodegeneration.15 Global LC-MS based metabolomics data revealed alterations in metabolism in the CSF …


Assessing The Expression Of Astrocytic Markers In Retinal Ganglion Cell Projection Of Lcr/Hcr Rats, Isabella K. Bartholomew, Samuel Crish, James Holda, Jordan Renna, Gina Wilson Jan 2016

Assessing The Expression Of Astrocytic Markers In Retinal Ganglion Cell Projection Of Lcr/Hcr Rats, Isabella K. Bartholomew, Samuel Crish, James Holda, Jordan Renna, Gina Wilson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Metabolic Syndrome is a human condition that presents with various metabolic issues such as abnormal distribution of body fat, high blood pressure, and a prothrombotic state, among other problems (Alberti,et al, 2005). This syndrome is a risk factor for visual disorders, such as glaucoma, and is often associated with increased levels of neuroinflammation. Currently, the animal model used to replicate this syndrome is The Low Capacity Runner and High Capacity Runner Rat Model. These rats have been bred based on their running capacities for 30+ generations to have drastic metabolic differences. We assessed key areas of the retinal ganglion cell …