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Articles 121 - 137 of 137

Full-Text Articles in Neuroscience and Neurobiology

Methods For Integrative Analysis Of Genomic Data, Paul Manser Jan 2014

Methods For Integrative Analysis Of Genomic Data, Paul Manser

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the development of new genomic technologies has allowed for the investigation of many regulatory epigenetic marks besides expression levels, on a genome-wide scale. As the price for these technologies continues to decrease, study sizes will not only increase, but several different assays are beginning to be used for the same samples. It is therefore desirable to develop statistical methods to integrate multiple data types that can handle the increased computational burden of incorporating large data sets. Furthermore, it is important to develop sound quality control and normalization methods as technical errors can compound when integrating multiple genomic …


Metergoline, The Basolateral Amygdala And The Ventral Pallidum: Implications For Panic Disorder, Douglas Ryan Schuweiler Nov 2013

Metergoline, The Basolateral Amygdala And The Ventral Pallidum: Implications For Panic Disorder, Douglas Ryan Schuweiler

Theses and Dissertations

Panic disorder (PD) is a common mental illness characterized by recurring spontaneous panic attacks. Scientific investigation into PD has been accelerated by the development of rat models of PD. These models can be validated by responses to intravenous sodium lactate (NaLac), including tachycardia, that are similar to PD patient responses. Previous work on established PD models has suggested that antagonism of serotonin (5-HT) receptors in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) may be sufficient to model PD. To test this hypothesis metergoline (MET), a 5-HT receptor antagonist, or vehicle was microinjected into the BLA of anesthetized rats. Following the microinjection, NaLac or …


An Investigation Into The Presynaptic Actions By Which Amphetamine Activates Dopamine Signaling Within Striatal Subregions Of The Rat., Dan P. Covey Oct 2013

An Investigation Into The Presynaptic Actions By Which Amphetamine Activates Dopamine Signaling Within Striatal Subregions Of The Rat., Dan P. Covey

Theses and Dissertations

Despite decades of intense research and a consensus view in the field, the work presented herein provides strong evidence that the primary mechanism of amphetamine action should be re-evaluated. Rather than depleting vesicular dopamine stores and promoting non-exocytotic efflux through the dopamine transporter in vivo, recent evidence demonstrates that amphetamine augments phasic dopamine signaling instead. This signaling modality is critical for reinforcement learning and is dependent on intact vesicular stores. The new findings support over-activation of phasic dopamine signaling as a common mechanism in the addiction process.


Resolving Disulfide Bond Patterns In Snap25b Cysteine-Rich Region Using Lc Mass Spectrometry, Nozomi Ogawa Jul 2012

Resolving Disulfide Bond Patterns In Snap25b Cysteine-Rich Region Using Lc Mass Spectrometry, Nozomi Ogawa

Theses and Dissertations

A global analysis of the human proteome demonstrates that there are ~5500 tryptic fragments that contain four cysteines in close proximity. Elucidating whether they form disulfide bonds in vivo under different conditions is particularly important because cysteines are known to be a vital cellular redox sensor as well as a catalytic site for important biochemical reactions. However, currently there are no methods that can resolve disulfide patterns in closely-packed cysteine residues from a complex sample. In order to address this problem, we have developed a novel mass-spectrometry-based method to identify the different disulfide bonding patterns possible, using SNAP25B cysteine-rich region …


The Putative Cannabinoid Receptor Gpr55 Modulates Synaptic Plasticity In The Hippocampus, Corinne Marie Badgley Jun 2012

The Putative Cannabinoid Receptor Gpr55 Modulates Synaptic Plasticity In The Hippocampus, Corinne Marie Badgley

Theses and Dissertations

Endocannabinoids (eCBs) are small molecules that are capable of modulating synaptic plasticity of both excitatory and inhibitory synapses in the brain. While eCBs bind to transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) in the central nervous system, we recently identified a form of non-CB1, non-TRPV1 mediated long term depression activated by the eCB anandamide at CA1 hippocampal stratum radiatum interneurons. GPR55, an orphan G-protein receptor, has been identified in the hippocampus and is capable of activation by eCBs, making it a good candidate for mediating this non-CB1, non-TRPV1 form of synaptic plasticity. Here we performed whole-cell …


A Parametric Investigation Of Pattern Separation Processes In The Medial Temporal Lobe, Sarah E. Motley Feb 2012

A Parametric Investigation Of Pattern Separation Processes In The Medial Temporal Lobe, Sarah E. Motley

Theses and Dissertations

The hippocampus is thought to be involved in memory formation and consolidation, with computational models proposing the process of pattern separation as a means for encoding overlapping memories. Previous research has used semantically related targets and lures to investigate hippocampal responses to mnemonic interference. Here, we attempted to define the response function of the hippocampus and its inputs during pattern separation by parametrically varying target-lure similarity in a continuous recognition task. We also investigated the effect of task demands (intentional versus incidental encoding) on pattern separation processes. We collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data while participants were shown a …


Association Between Academic Performance And Electrocortical Processing Of Cognitive Stimuli In College Students, Mary Menn Wolf Mar 2011

Association Between Academic Performance And Electrocortical Processing Of Cognitive Stimuli In College Students, Mary Menn Wolf

Theses and Dissertations

Because event-related potentials (ERPs) can reflect individual differences in intellectual ability, individual differences in college grade-point average (GPA) may be associated with specific individual ERP waves, such as the P300. However, P300 amplitude is higher in women than in men and varies across the menstrual cycle, factors that could confound the association between GPA and ERPs. In this regard, our objective was to determine whether differences in GPA are reflected in ERPs while standardling for sex and menstrual phase. After participants provided informed consent, we obtained GPAs from 22 right-handed college students (11 male, age range 22 to 26 and …


Gender And Color Specific Differences In Event Related Potentials, Abhishek Trikha Dec 2010

Gender And Color Specific Differences In Event Related Potentials, Abhishek Trikha

Theses and Dissertations

This project analyzed gender and color-specific differences in event-related potentials (ERPs). Previous studies have shown that males process color differently than females. In a recent study, sex differences were found in ERPs during a visual object recognition task. There were higher EEG amplitudes in females (especially P300) than males. Significant sex and color-specific differences have been found in diseases involving altered dopamine (DA) machinery. Thus, we analyzed differences between ERPs in males vs females during a color task. We also compared the color-specific differences in ERPs between males and females. Males and females participated in EEG recording sessions for 2 …


The Cost Of Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries, Amy L. Gilliland Mar 2010

The Cost Of Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries, Amy L. Gilliland

Theses and Dissertations

Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries (mTBIs) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are two of the signature wounds of war. Due to the advances in technology the survival rates are higher than in previous wars, however, the weaponry has changed. The world has seen an increase in the use of suicide bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) which increases the number of blast related injuries. One of the major problems with blast related injuries is that they can be invisible to the naked eye. The lack of physical evidence suggests the soldier is not injured and can …


Cocaine And Mefloquine-Induced Acute Effects In Ventral Tegmental Area Dopamine And Gaba Neurons, David Wilbanks Allison Dec 2009

Cocaine And Mefloquine-Induced Acute Effects In Ventral Tegmental Area Dopamine And Gaba Neurons, David Wilbanks Allison

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of the two studies presented here was to evaluate the effects of cocaine and mefloquine (MFQ) on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Cocaine: In vivo, lower doses of intravenous cocaine (0.25-0.5 mg/kg), or methamphetamine (METH), enhanced VTA GABA neuron firing rate via D2/D5 receptor activation. Higher cocaine doses (1.0-2.0 mg/kg) inhibited their firing rate. Cocaine and lidocaine inhibited the firing rate and spike discharges induced by stimulation of the internal capsule (ICPSDs) at dose levels 0.25-2 mg/kg (IC50 1.2 mg/kg), but neither DA nor METH reduced ICPSDs. In VTA …


The Role Of Connexin-36 Gap Junctions In Alcohol Intoxication And Reward, Kathryn Diane Bradley Apr 2009

The Role Of Connexin-36 Gap Junctions In Alcohol Intoxication And Reward, Kathryn Diane Bradley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis project was to examine the function of connexin-36 (Cx36) gap junctions (GJs) in producing alcohol's intoxicating and rewarding effects. GABA neurons are thought to inhibit dopamine (DA) neurotransmission in the mesocorticolimbic system, which originates in the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) and projects to limbic structures such as the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). The mesolimbic DA system is believed to be the neural substrate of alcohol intoxication and addiction (Tepper, Paladini, & Celada, 1998). Alcohol suppresses the firing rate of GABA neurons in the VTA (Gallegos, Criado, Lee, Henriksen, & Steffensen, 1999) and presumably disinhibits DA …


Expression Of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Mrna As A Function Of Age In Whole Hippocampus Preparations From Wistar Rats, Kasey C. Welch Apr 2008

Expression Of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Mrna As A Function Of Age In Whole Hippocampus Preparations From Wistar Rats, Kasey C. Welch

Theses and Dissertations

Whole hippocampus preparations, isolated bilaterally, from untreated Wistar rats at various ages (10-90 days old) were analyzed for the mRNA expression of the alpha 2, alpha 3, alpha 4, alpha 5, alpha 7, beta 2, beta 3, and beta 4 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits. To do so, RNA was isolated from acutely isolated hippocampal samples, converted to cDNA by means of a reverse transcription reaction, then analyzed with quantitative real-time PCR to determine the relative levels of the mRNAs the cells were expressing at the age when the samples were obtained. The relative expression of the levels of RNA …


Neuronal And Molecular Adaptations Of Gaba Neurons In The Ventral Tegmental Area To Chronic Alcohol, Kimberly Hales Dec 2007

Neuronal And Molecular Adaptations Of Gaba Neurons In The Ventral Tegmental Area To Chronic Alcohol, Kimberly Hales

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis project was to examine the effects of chronic alcohol on the excitability and molecular adaptation of GABA neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). GABA neurons are of interest with regards to ethanol intoxication, reinforcement, and dependence due to their widespread distribution and connectivity to mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) neurons implicated in alcohol reward and addiction. Since we have previously shown adaptation of VTA GABA neuron firing rate to chronic ethanol (Gallegos, Criado et al. 1999) and suppression of gap-junction (GJ) mediated coupling between these neurons by acute ethanol (Stobbs, Ohran et al. 2004), we wanted …


Palmitoylation And Oxidation Of The Cysteine Rich Region Of Snap-25 And Their Effects On Protein Interactions, Derek Luberli Martinez Jul 2007

Palmitoylation And Oxidation Of The Cysteine Rich Region Of Snap-25 And Their Effects On Protein Interactions, Derek Luberli Martinez

Theses and Dissertations

Neurons depend upon neurotransmitter release through regulated exocytosis to accomplish the immense processing performed within the central nervous system. The SNARE hypothesis points to a family of proteins that are thought to enable the membrane fusion that leads to exocytosis. The secondary structure of SNAP-25 is unique among SNARE proteins in that it has two alpha helical SNARE motifs and a cysteine rich (C85, C88, C90, C92) membrane interacting region but notransmembrane domain. The cysteines may be modified by palmitoylation or oxidation but the role of these modifications in vivo is not well understood. Our goal is to elucidate possible …


Effects Of Exposure To Perinatal Ultrasound Radiation On Information Processing In The Auditory System, Jennifer Burnett Apr 2007

Effects Of Exposure To Perinatal Ultrasound Radiation On Information Processing In The Auditory System, Jennifer Burnett

Theses and Dissertations

Ultrasound (US) has become a standard procedure used during pregnancy to document the health and development of a fetus. When ultrasound was first developed, some researchers urged caution, suggesting that the possibility of hazard should be kept under constant review. Given the routine application of fetal ultrasound imaging, any possibility of deleterious developmental effects resulting from its use is an important public health issue. Rats have a well characterized central nervous system whose neurochemical pathways and neuronal electrophysiology qualitatively correspond to those of humans. Because of this, we opted to use Wistar rats as an animal model to document effects …


Brain Stimulation Reward Is Integrated By A Network Of Electrically-Coupled Gaba Neurons, Matthew Brian Lassen Dec 2006

Brain Stimulation Reward Is Integrated By A Network Of Electrically-Coupled Gaba Neurons, Matthew Brian Lassen

Theses and Dissertations

Although it is well-established that animals will self-stimulate electric current to various diverse brain structures, the neural substrate of brain stimulation reward (BSR) has eluded identification since its discovery more than a half-century ago. We show that GABA neurons in the midbrain, hypothalamus and thalamus express connexin-36 (Cx36) gap junctions and couple electrically with dopamine application or by stimulation of the internal capsule (IC), which also supports self-stimulation. The threshold for responding for self-stimulation of the IC is the threshold for coupling between these GABA neurons, the degree of responding for IC ICSS is proportional to the magnitude of electrical …


Classification Of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Rat Ca1 Hippocampal Interneuron Subpopulations Defined By Calcium-Binding Protein Mrna Expression, Richard M. Burgon Jul 2006

Classification Of Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Rat Ca1 Hippocampal Interneuron Subpopulations Defined By Calcium-Binding Protein Mrna Expression, Richard M. Burgon

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the single-cell relative quantitative mRNA expression of three Calcium-binding proteins (CaBPs; calbindin, calretinin, parvalbumin) and eight nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits (alpha2-alpha5, alpha7, beta2-beta4) from interneurons from the stratum radiatum or stratum oriens within the CA1 region of rat hippocampi was analyzed using quantitative real time RT-PCR. Eighty-seven percent of the interneurons examined expressed CaBP mRNA. Parvalbumin mRNA was detected in 64%, while calbindin and calretinin expression was detected in 26% and 40% of interneurons, respectively. CaBP expression was not exclusive; the average number of CaBP mRNA detected per interneuron of the 47 interneurons examined for CaBP …