Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Hemodynamic Characterization Of Cardiac Dysfunction After Traumatic Brain Injury Using A Controlled Cortical Impact Model In Male Rats, Preston So, Amit Iyengar, Noah Weingarten, Mrinal Patel, Jessica Dominic, Andrew Belec, Joyce Ho, Samuel Shin, Pavan Atluri

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with cardiovascular dysfunction that worsens clinical outcomes, yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly under stood. Clinical studies are limited by heterogeneity, highlighting the need for con trolled experimental models. Controlled cortical impact (CCI) provides precise control of injury severity, and invasive pressure- volume (PV) loop analysis allows detailed hemodynamic assessment. Adult male Wistar rats underwent sham op eration or mild or severe CCI- induced TBI. PV- loop assessment and transtho racic echocardiography were performed at 8 or 24 h after TBI or sham. Serum epinephrine (EPI) and norepinephrine (NE) were quantified by ELISA. At …

Polyphenol Diet And Exercise As Neuroprotection From Effects Of Alzheimer's Disease, Michelle Morgan

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Healthy non-pharmacological lifestyle factors, such as regular physical exercise and a dietary supplementation, have been shown to significantly improve cognitive outcomes over time compared to a more sedentary lifestyle and poor diet. Furthermore, exercise may serve as a potential protective factor in attenuating the effects associated with cognitive decline that are characteristic of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Further, evidence indicates that certain diet interventions can also attenuate the effects of neurodegeneration and positively impact longevity. Supplementation of polyphenols, such as ellagic acid (EA), which are abundant in pomegranate juice, may help provide neuroprotective benefits and elicit a …

The Relationship Between Depression And Cognitive Proficiency Index Across Biological Sex, Angela N. Ferdinardo

Dissertations

Depression is a widely studied mood disorder, and understanding its effect on cognitive functioning has become an important area of research. While research has examined relationships among depression, working memory, and cognitive deficits, limited research has explored depressive symptoms and cognitive proficiency across biological sex. Depression manifests similarly in men and women, though men are more likely to experience irritability, impulsivity, and anger, while women tend to experience sadness, stress, and sleep disturbances (Johns Hopkins Medicine, 2023). Women are also more likely to seek treatment and cope differently than men. This study examined the relationship between depression and cognitive proficiency …

The Rpm-1/Phr Signaling Hub Modulates Tau-Induced Neurodegeneration Through Regulation Of Microtubule Stability And Mapk Pathways In C. Elegans, Xinxing Ding

Theses and Dissertations

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia, are characterized by the accumulation of pathological tau proteins and progressive neuronal loss. Although research regarding tau-mediated toxicity is extensive, the specific pathology that determine whether neurons maintain homeostasis or succumb to collapse under tau-induced stress remain incompletely elucidated. A central, yet still insufficiently understood, feature of these diseases is the disruption of the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton . The PHR protein family is evolutionarily highly conserved; within this family, RPM-1 in C. elegans functions as an intracellular signaling hub that regulates axon development, synapse formation, axon termination, and various microtubule-associated processes. This …

Bridging The Gap In Science Research: Preparing Students For College- Level Research In The Sciences, Victoria Helwig, Yaoguang Li

UConn Library Presentations

Many first-year students enter college unprepared to fully engage with scientific literature and academic library resources. Drawing on experiences from academic librarians working with STEM students, this session explores common gaps in science research skills, including navigating databases, identifying scholarly sources, and understanding the structure of scientific literature. Participants will be introduced to practical strategies and classroom-ready activities to better prepare students for college-level research. Discussion questions: What science research skills do students struggle with most when entering college? How can high school instruction better support these skills? Where can librarians and educators collaborate to support student success?

Mapping And Modeling Threat-Evoked Brain States After Early Life Adversity, Taylor W. Uselman

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Early life adversity (ELA) increases lifelong neuropsychiatric vulnerability. Yet how ELA reorganizes brain-wide activity and circuit coordination across later experience remains unclear. This dissertation tests the hypothesis that ELA alters adult brain-wide activity and responses to threat through disrupted coordination among neural systems that regulate emotional experience, including prefrontal-limbic and monoaminergic systems. Longitudinal manganese-enhanced MRI of adult mice exposed to standard or fragmented early care, combined with computational processing and statistical modeling, quantified brain states before, during, and long after innate predator threat. These studies established that acute threat evokes large-scale, distributed brain activity that evolves over time. ELA potentiates …

Fish Tissue Digestion And Microplastic Polymer Identification Protocol Using Open-Source Ftir Database, Shawn L. Kissinger, Vick-Ariel Privert, Jason Bystriansky, Kyle A. Grice

DePaul Discoveries

Microplastic (MP) contamination in aquatic ecosystems poses significant concerns for environmental and public health, as seafood represents a critical food source worldwide. Despite increasing evidence of MP presence in marine organisms, efficient and accessible detection methods remain essential for characterizing contamination patterns and informing regulatory frameworks. This study extracted MPs from brain, gill, intestine, liver, and muscle tissues of gilt-head bream (Sparus aurata) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), two commercially important species from the Gulf of Cádiz, Spain, using a NaOH–HNO₃ chemical digestion protocol. Isolated particles were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, with …

Developmental Stability Of Task-Rest Neural Efficiency In Youth Using A Threat And Cognitive Control Task, Parmis Khosravi, Julia O. Linke, Anjali D. Poe, Chase Antonacci, Reut Naim, Elise M. Cardinale, Katharina Kircanski, Anderson M. Winkler, Nathan A. Fox, Daniel Samuel Pine, Simona P. Haller

School of Medicine Publications

Behaviors arise from coordinated neural activity across diverse spatial and temporal scales. Prior work has linked better task performance and cognitive functioning to patterns of global network connectivity requiring minimal reconfiguration when switching between task demands. This metric indexing similarity in functional connectivity across task and rest has been termed “neural efficiency.” Here we assess stability of neural efficiency over approximately 3 years in adolescence, specificity across two task-rest combinations and associations with anxiety. At approximately age 16 and/or 19, 95 participants completed a resting state scan alongside a cognitive control and/or threat task. Neural efficiency was quantified as partial …

Acute Intermittent Hypoxia And Acute Intermittent Hypercapnic Hypoxia Elicit Cortico-Diaphragmatic Plasticity In People With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury, Alysha Bogard, Michela Mir, Tommy Sutor, Jessica Dunn, Kathryn Cavka, Arian Vistamehr, Hannah Snyder, Joseph Welch, Jayakrishnan Nair, Gina Brunetti, Gordon Mitchell, Emily Fox

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Papers

Respiratory impairment is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after spinal cord injury (SCI), highlighting the need for interventions that improve breathing function. In people with SCI, acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) elicits respiratory motor plasticity and improves inspiratory function. However, in uninjured people facilitation of corticospinal diaphragm motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude occurs only when AIH is combined with mild hypercapnia (acute intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia; AIHH). It remains unclear whether AIHH similarly enhances diaphragm corticospinal excitability after SCI. We tested the hypothesis that AIHH increases diaphragm MEP amplitude and reduces MEP onset latency in individuals with chronic SCI, whereas …

Exploring Primary Care Providers’ Compassionate Care And Their Evidence-Based Practice With Death, Grief, And Loss: Patient Experience And Perspective, Kathryn Krzykala

Dissertations

Research on primary care providers’ (PCPs) education regarding Death, Grief, and Loss (DGL) remains limited. Specifically, data is lacking regarding patients' perceptions and opinions on what they need and expect from their PCPs regarding grief and loss. This exploratory mixed-method study comprised 146 participants who had experienced death and non-death loss. It examined participants' perceptions of 1) PCP compassion, 2) PCP utilization of evidence-based grief and loss practices, 3) their own level of comfort discussing DGL with their PCPs during medical visits, and 4) their personal grief and loss experiences. The findings revealed that PCPs' grief-informed evidence-based treatment, as reflected …

Intrathecal (G4c2)149 Delivery In C9orf72-Deficient Mice Yields Mild Motor Dysfunction And Als/Ftd Pathological Hallmarks, Katelyn Russell, Amelia Shahrabi, Suleyman Akerman, Matthew D. Byrne, Jeffrey Rothstein, Davide Trotti, Brigid Jensen, Aaron Haeusler

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

A repeat expansion in C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), yet existing mouse models incompletely engage spinal regions implicated in disease. Here, an adeno-associated virus encoding (G4C2)149 repeats was delivered via neonatal intrathecal injection, achieving widespread CNS expression with robust spinal cord targeting. This approach was applied to mice with graded loss of endogenous C9orf72 to interrogate both gain- and loss-of-function mechanisms. Longitudinal motor, behavioral, and pathological analyses revealed that repeat expression primarily drives mild, progressive muscle weakness, whereas coordination deficits were largely genotype dependent. Subtle gait abnormalities and hyperactivity …

Preoperative Low-Intensity Blood Flow Restriction Training Does Not Improve Quadriceps Strength Or Hypertrophy After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Daniel Mcgurren, Kaycee Glattke, Molly Klanderman, Jedediah Lee, Anikar Chhabra, Arthur De Luigi

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy of a preoperative low-intensity blood flow restriction (LI-BFR) training intervention for patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

Design: Pilot study

Methods: Twenty-eight patients undergoing primary ACLR participated in either a LI-BFR training or sham intervention at a rate of 2 sessions per week for 2 weeks before surgery. Quadriceps strength and cross-sectional area were measured via handheld dynamometry and leg press test before and after the intervention before surgery and at 5 different time points after surgery, through 24 weeks after surgery.

Results: Adjusting for sex, time, and strength/hypertrophy at baseline, there were no …

Neuromuscular Responses During Vigorous Intensity Heart Rate-Clamp Cycling Exercise, Clara J. Mitchinson, Pasquale J. Succi, Brian Benitez, Djadmann Gustave, Minyoung Kwak, Erik Snell, Haley C. Bergstrom

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Introduction: Electromyography (EMG) and mechanomyography (MMG) provide non-invasive assessments of neuromuscular function and fatigue during dynamic exercise. This study examined neuromuscular fatigue and cycling performance through changes in power output (PO), total work (TW), EMG and MMG, amplitude (AMP) and mean power frequency (MPF) during three, heart rate (HR)-Clamp trials in the vigorous range (77-95% HR_max). Methods: Ten men (mean±SD, 25.9±5.0yr, 74.9±15.0kg, HR_max=178±12b×min^-1) performed a cycle ergometer graded exercise test, followed by three separate HR-Clamp trials at 77%HR_max (HR_L, time to exhaustion [T_Lim]=58.5±4.6 min, range=45.3-60.0min), 86%HR_max (HR_{M …}

Determinants Of Corporal Punishment And Severe Physical Punishment In Egypt: A Mixed-Methods Analysis For Child Protection Policy, Marwa Moustafa Nassef

Theses and Dissertations

Corporal punishment (CP) and severe physical punishment (SPP) remain a major public health, child rights, and child protection policy concern. In Egypt, despite legislative reforms, survey-weighted analysis of the 2021 Egypt Family Health Survey (EFHS) 2021 (CAPMAS, 2022) reveals prevalence rates of 60.5% for CP and 27.4% for SPP among children aged 1–14 (author’s calculations using EFHS-2021, n=7623), yet evidence distinguishing the determinants of routine corporal punishment from escalation to severe physical punishment remains limited in low- and middle-income contexts. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this mixed-methods study identifies key drivers of CP and its escalation to SPP among Egyptian …

Mapping The Neuroexposome: Integrative Analysis Of Dementia Risk Factors Through Multi-Omics And Environmental Profiling In The Egyptian Population., Mai Ahmed Saadzaghloul Othman

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Dementia represents one of the most pressing public health challenges of the twenty-first century, with the global burden projected to reach 153 million cases by 2050. Egypt, as the most populous Arab nation, faces a corresponding rise in age-related diseases, yet comprehensive data from low- and middle-income countries remain severely limited. The neuroexposome framework, integrating genetic susceptibility, environmental exposures, and metabolic alterations, offers a powerful strategy to characterize the complex interplay between internal and external risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's disease Related Dementias (ADRD).

Objectives: This thesis aimed to: (1) examine the distribution of APOE alleles …

Intramuscular Nad⁺ Therapy And Neuroenergetic Symptom Modulation: An Exploratory Retrospective Human Pilot Study, Zachary J. Dickey Do, Kirtan Patel Bs, Randy Aldret Edd, Cscs, Atc, Navneet Sharma Md, Glenn Goodwin Do

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Abstract

Background: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is a central regulator of neuronal energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, and axonal integrity. Following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and repetitive subconcussive exposure, neurons undergo a neurometabolic crisis characterized by impaired oxidative phosphorylation, increased ATP demand, and depletion of intracellular NAD⁺ pools. Pre clinical models demonstrate that NAD⁺ depletion contributes to central energy dysregulation, cognitive dysfunction, and axonal and neuronal degeneration through disruption of NAD⁺-dependent pathways including SIRT1-mediated mitochondrial resilience, PARP1-driven NAD⁺ consumption, and SARM1-associated axonal breakdown. Despite growing preclinical evidence supporting NAD⁺based neuroprotection, human clinical data remains absent.

Methods: A real-world clinical pilot …

Neural Correlates Of Recognition Memory And Metamemory In Breast Cancer Survivors: An Event-Related Potential Study, Dishari Zaman Azad

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Breast cancer survivors (BCS) often report noticeable cognitive difficulties despite showing limited impairment on standardized neuropsychological tests. Some have theorized that this is simply an insensitivity of standardized testing to subtle cognitive changes (test-insensitivity hypothesis), whereas others have suggested there are early neural changes that are detected by patients but precede detection by these tests (early signal hypothesis) or that when they achieve normal performance, it is through saliently effortful compensatory processes (compensation hypothesis). The present study tested these theories by assessing metamemory and recognition memory retrieval in BCS and non-cancer controls (NCC) using both behavioral and event-related potential (ERP) …

A Predictive Coding Account Of Spatial Working Memory Following Prophylactic Levetiracetam Administration Prior To Traumatic Brain Injury, Omeima Mutwali

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) symptom prevention and remediation is an important area of research that would benefit vulnerable groups, including active-duty and veteran soldiers. These patients can sustain penetrative forces in fields of combat or in training, which result in focal lesions that trigger inflammatory and degenerative processes in the brain. Both primary and secondary injuries are associated with changes to cognition, behavior and affective state. This disease poses increased risk of epileptogenesis, as well. Given these outcomes, prior research has evaluated levetiracetam (LEV) as a prophylactic treatment for seizures, cognitive deficits and negative emotionality. LEV acts as a presynaptic …

Exercise Therapy For Mood Disorders In Retiring/Former Athletes, Christian Antos

Dissertations

This dissertation examined the potential integration of exercise therapy and psychotherapy as a treatment approach for mood-related difficulties experienced by former elite athletes during the transition out of competitive sport. Retirement from athletics is often associated with significant biopsychosocial challenges, including disruptions in identity, healthy routines, social support, and emotional well-being. Existing literature suggests that exercise may serve as an effective adjunctive intervention for improving mood and overall psychological functioning, though limited research has explored its application among retiring athletes within psychotherapeutic contexts. This literature review synthesized current research related to athletic retirement, neurobiological mechanisms associated with physical activity, and …

Vergence Task-Based Neural Pathways With Binocularly Normal Vision And Comorbid Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms -Convergence Insufficiency, Ayushi Sangoi

Dissertations

Binocular dysfunctions are more prevalent in the persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) population than in the general population. The most prevalent binocular disorder is convergence insufficiency (CI), affecting 3-17% of the general population and up to 10 times as many people with PPCS. CI makes it difficult to fuse or maintain fusion on targets at near, and its symptoms include double or blurry vision and headaches when performing close-range tasks such as reading, which can exacerbate PPCS symptoms. Given controversy over the subjectivity and effectiveness of diagnostic tools and symptom surveys for both PPCS and CI, understanding why CI has high …

Transcranial Ac Modulation Of Cerebellar Nuclear Activity In Awake Animals, Nuran Kavakli

Dissertations

Entrainment of cerebellar nuclear (CN) cells via cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation (ctACS) has been reported in animals under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia. Our main objective was to demonstrate modulation of CN activity in unanesthetized, freely moving animals using ctACS. Multi-channel carbon-fiber electrodes were implanted into the interpositus nucleus for recording multi-unit (MU) activity, and thin-film electrodes were implanted subcutaneously over the posterior cerebellum for stimulation. A frequency-domain-based metric was developed to quantify modulation from MU signals. The results demonstrated modulation in a wide range of frequencies (4 Hz-300 Hz) as in anesthetized animals. In contrast, the amplitude of the peak in …

Foveate, Dahlia Aggarwal

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates how textiles can unsettle visual assumptions, encouraging a perceptual shift. Through weaving, upholstery, and spatial installation, the work stages a tension between what a surface appears to be and how it is encountered by the body. Through woven pattern, tactile texture, and trompe l’oeil textile surfaces, perception is something negotiated rather than fixed: the eye anticipates one reality while the hand discovers another.

Drawing on a range of sensations gathered from observing landscape formations and textures, it translates enduring scale and material qualities into an interior landscape of woven surfaces and textile-based furniture. Rather than serving as …

Somatic Prosthetics For Planetary Resonance, Disha Dharesh Kumar R

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates how industrial design can transcend extractive technological paradigms in favor of relational interfaces that foster planetary attunement. Framing the climate crisis as a 'crisis of imagination', the research challenges the Western bifurcation of nature and culture by drawing on Indic cosmologies- which recognize stones, plants, and ecosystems as conscious at different levels and participants in a shared cosmic field. By synthesizing research in Biosemiotics, Quantum Information Pansycishm, and Neuroscience, the project redefines intelligence as a distributed, more-than-human phenomenon.

The research materializes as a speculative design artifact: a device that functions as a somatic prosthetic for planetary resonance. …

When Faced With Persistent Crying, Will Adults Follow The Advice To Take A Break?, Lauren J. Duplessis, Remington K. Asta, Benjamin N. Witts

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

Inconsolable crying in early infancy can have detrimental effects on caregiver mental health, the caregiver-infant relationship, and infant safety. Professionals often advise caregivers to walk away and take a break. This study used n-of-1 methodology to examine how frequently undergraduate students will follow this advice when tasked with calming a simulated inconsolable infant. Results are mixed, but suggest active training prior to the baby’s arrival might yield promising outcomes

Empowering Women: Understanding Neurological Changes In The Aging Brain, Joy Mckenzie

InnovateHER Meeting 2026

Women tend to have more neurological changes than men as they age starting in their mid-30s (Mosconi, 2024). While aging is a natural process, the neurological changes can impact a woman’s personal and professional quality of life (Faubion et al., 2023; Gravini, 2023). For years, women’s neurological symptoms have been ignored by being told that their experiences are normal and just a part of life (Haver, 2025). That narrative is starting to shift with the increased awareness of changes specific to women. There are resources to assess cognitive changes such as memory, processing speed, and word finding and strategies to …

Rhythms Of Hippocampal Function And Memory After Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, Lilliana May Sanchez

Psychology ETDs

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders involve morphologic and neurobiological abnormalities in offspring subjected to prenatal alcohol exposure. Although not as well studied as high exposure, moderate prenatal alcohol exposure represents the most common and undetected form in humans. While learning and memory deficits have been well characterized at the behavioral level in humans with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and in animal models of moderate prenatal alcohol exposure, few studies have determined the circuit or systems level mechanisms of the behavioral deficits. A complete understanding of the neural bases of memory deficits after moderate prenatal alcohol exposure is needed to ultimately identify …

Postural And Load Dependent Modulation Of Lower Limb H-Reflex Excitability After Stroke, Daniel Bamiro, Matthew Berdiago, Ethan Hunter, Tia Nguyen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis

Leg stiffness is regulated by reflexive, intrinsic, and passive mechanisms, which are influenced by posture, body weight loading, and motor task demands. After a stroke, the capacity to modulate these mechanisms is often compromised. The H-reflex is a widely used electrophysiological tool to assess the excitability of the Ia afferent pathway within spinal circuitry. Although prior studies in healthy individuals have examined limb loading effects, results have been variable, and the role of postural and loading changes during standing remains underexplored, particularly in individuals post-stroke. This study investigated how different postural and limb loading conditions, specifically prone, standing, and …

Effectiveness Of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy On The Quality Of Life Of Adults With Dementia: A Secondary Analysis, Evelyn Airam

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This secondary analysis study evaluated the effectiveness of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) on quality of life (QoL), depressive symptoms, and cognitive function in 108 community-dwelling older adults with cognitive impairments, including dementia. Outcomes involved Quality of Life (QoL) measured by the Quality of Life in Alzheimer’s Disease (QoL-AD), symptoms of depression by the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), and cognitive function using the Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS). After the CST, significant improvements were observed in QoL (p = .004), depressive symptoms (p = .002), and cognitive function (p < .001), with small effect sizes. Additionally, a significant interaction between sex and dementia diagnosis status was found in predicting cognitive changes, suggesting that the relationship between dementia diagnosis and cognitive improvement differs by sex. No between-group differences were found for QoL or depression. Findings support CST as a multidimensional, non-pharmacological intervention that improves cognitive, psychological, and social outcomes. Although effects were small, consistent improvements are clinically meaningful given the progressive nature of dementia. This study extends existing literature by demonstrating CST’s effectiveness in a community-based setting and reinforces its alignment with occupational therapy’s emphasis on participation and holistic care. Results highlight the need for early intervention and expanded access to CST programs to enhance quality of life in this population.

Delineating Differences In Firing Rate Estimates Of Healthy And Parkinsonian Single-Unit Basal Ganglia Recordings, Richard R. Foster, Cheng Ly

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

The Legacy Of Lead: Lead Exposure's Harmful Effects And Its Concentration In Poc Communities, Layla Sophronia Barber

Student Theses 2015-Present

This thesis examines the disproportionate burden of lead exposure carried by low income, POC communities. The systemic nature of this problem is a symptom of a longstanding legacy of environmental injustice in the United States. Decades of federal neglect are reflected in the higher statistics of lead exposure and poisoning in predominantly black communities. While it is understood that lead exposure poses a serious threat to physical health and early cognitive development, there is a discouraging lack of urgency to remove the toxin from non-wealthy communities. The material covered by this thesis aims to identify and correct the discriminatory social …