Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

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 …

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 …

Investigating Habits: Strategies,Technologies And Models, Kyle S. Smith, Ann M. Graybiel

Dartmouth Scholarship

Understanding habits at a biological level requires a combination of behavioral observations and measures of ongoing neural activity. Theoretical frameworks as well as definitions of habitual behaviors emerging from classic behavioral research have been enriched by new approaches taking account of the identification of brain regions and circuits related to habitual behavior. Together, this combination of experimental and theoretical work has provided key insights into how brain circuits underlying action-learning and action-selection are organized, and how a balance between behavioral flexibility and fixity is achieved. New methods to monitor and manipulate neural activity in real time are allowing us to …

Hilar Mossy Cells Provide The First Glutamatergic Synapses To Adult-Born Dentate Granule Cells, Jessica H. Chancey, David J. Poulsen, Jacques I. Wadiche, Linda Overstreet-Wadiche

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Adult-generated granule cells (GCs) in the dentate gyrus must establish synapses with preexisting neurons to participate in network activity. To determine the source of early glutamatergic synapses on newborn GCs in adult mice, we examined synaptic currents at the developmental stage when NMDA receptor-mediated silent synapses are first established. We show that hilar mossy cells provide initial glutamatergic synapses as well as disynaptic GABAergic input to adult-generated dentate GCs.

Supraspinal And Spinal Mechanisms Of Morphine-Induced Hyperalgesia, Caroline A. Arout

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Morphine is the most prominent pharmacological treatment for moderate to severe pain in both acute and chronic paradigms. However, morphine notoriously elicits a paradoxical state of increased pain sensitivity known as hyperalgesia that complicates its use in clinical application. Research over the past three decades has reported that morphine-induced hyperalgesia is dose- and sex-dependent, and likely involves the synchronous activity of several neural networks beyond the opioid system. Whereas systemic, supraspinal, and spinal administration of morphine all cause hyperalgesia that is differentially reversible by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists or melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) antagonists, it is unknown as to whether or …

The Interplay Of Visual Attention And Saccade Planning In Active Vision, Afsheen Khan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Vision is a highly active process. When we view the world, we do not hold our eyes still, but constantly move them around in order to view the object or area of interest with the fovea (the region of the retina with the highest acuity). Saccades are the step-like movements that we most often employ for this purpose. In addition, our attention is constantly being covertly attracted or directed to points of interest. Combining these different aspects of viewing: visual processing, the orienting of attention, and eye movements can be referred to as `active vision'.

Most work on active vision …

Vegf Treatment During Status Epilepticus Alters Long-Term Hippocampal Astrocyte Morphology: A Detailed Description Of Astrocyte Morphology And Glutamate Transporter Patterns With And Without Administration Of Vegf And Seizure Induction, Janice Rene Lenzer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

VEGF treatment during pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE) causes enduring preservation of behavioral function in rats in the absence of enduring neuroprotection (Nicoletti et al., 2010). In addition, VEGF treatment reduces hyperexcitability in hippocampal slices without altering neuronal membrane properties (McCloskey et al, 2005). Combined, these data suggest the possibility that other cells or mechanisms could be involved in the beneficial effects of VEGF during SE. Our laboratory is interested in the potential contribution of astrocytes to these effects. Astrocytes are not only reported to contribute to epileptiform discharges in the hippocampus (Tian et al., 2005; Kang et al., 2005) but …

The Characterization Of Pb2+ Toxicity In Rat Neural Development: An Assessment Of Pb2+ Effects On The Gaba Shift In Neural Networks And Implications For Learning And Memory Disruption, Lorenz Simon Neuwirth

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The toxic effects of Pb2+ on the developing rat nervous system has been investigated to assess early developmental GABAergic disruption and its implications with altering inhibitory learning and memory. This goal was achieved using a multi-systems approach: blood lead levels (clinical physiology), qRT-PCR (molecular genetics), brain and primary neuronal culture immunology (immunohistochemical and cellular approaches), physiological cellular components (synaptosomes and protein expression) and finally through learning and memory assessment with GABA mimetic drug manipulations in the intact animal (behavioral pharmacology). The influence of a 956ppm Pb2+ gestational diet (i.e. from birth to sacrifice) resulted in pup mean blood lead levels …

Intracellular Mechanisms Associated With Cocaine Induced Conditioned Place Preference, Stephanie K. Nygard

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the intracellular responses associated with the acquisition and expression of cocaine-context associations. ERK (extracellular regulated kinase), CREB (cAMP responsive element binding protein), FosB and deltaFosB proteins were of particular interest due to their involvement in cocaine reward and in synaptic plasticity underlying learning and memory. We used the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm, which employs a Pavlovian conditioning procedure to establish an association between a drug-paired environment and the drug's rewarding effects, to study the role of these signaling pathways in cocaine-context associations. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonism prior to cocaine administration during …

On The Role Of Neuronal Oscillations In Auditory Cortical Processing, Monica Noelle O'Connell

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Although it has been over 100 years since William James stated that "everyone knows what attention is", its underlying neural mechanisms are still being debated today. The goal of this research was to describe the physiological mechanisms of auditory attention using direct electrophysiological recordings in macaque primary auditory cortex (A1). A major focus of my research was on the role ongoing neuronal oscillations play in attentional modulation of auditory responses in A1.

For all studies, laminar profiles of synaptic activity, (indexed by current source density analysis) and concomitant firing patterns in local neurons (multiunit activity) were acquired simultaneously via linear …

Neurophysiological Bases Of Frequency Discrimination In Children With Auditory Processing Disorder Or Specific Language Impairment, Christine Rota-Donahue

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine if 10-12 year old children with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) or Specific Language Impairment (SLI) could discriminate three different frequency changes behaviorally and electrophysiologically. Behavioral frequency discrimination and event-related potentials were examined using a 1000Hz pure tone base frequency. Typically developing children and children with APD or SLI differed in in their detection of frequency changes: behavioral results were below chance level and the MMN amplitude was smaller in the impaired population. Slight differences between children with APD and children with SLI were also found that might shed light on the controversy …

Neuroimmune Crosstalk: A Role For Neuropeptide Y In Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Henry H. Ruiz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36-amino acid peptide widely expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems. In addition to other cells, NPY is also synthesized and co-released from sympathetic nerve fibers functioning as a potent sympathetic neuromodulator. NPY has been implicated in playing important roles in the regulation of energy balance, appetite, anxiety, vascular tone, and immune cell functioning. In addition, immune cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems express functional NPY receptors. Some immune cells can produce and secrete NPY, and genetic alteration of these receptors results in altered immune cell functioning. Its direct association with …

Quantitative Evaluation Of Microglial Activation And Vascularization In Suicide, Tatiana Pavlovna Schnieder

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Accumulated evidence points to immunological factors in psychiatric disorders. In a variety of chronic neurological disorders, exacerbation is associated with inflammation and a loss of integrity of the blood-brain barrier. Microglia, the principal brain immunological cells in the healthy state, respond to changes in the internal environment of the brain through a sequence of activated states. This study compared microglial phenotypes in the white matter of autopsy brains from 11 suicide victims and 25 subjects who died involuntarily. Both groups included cases with and without major psychiatric disorders, which were determined by PA interviews. Cases were matched for sex, age, …

The Developmental Trajectory Of Contour Integration In Autism Spectrum Disorders, Ted S. Altschuler

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sensory input is inherently ambiguous and complex, so perception is believed to be achieved by combining incoming sensory information with prior knowledge. One model envisions the grouping of sensory features (the local dimensions of stimuli) to be the outcome of a predictive process relying on prior experience (the global dimension of stimuli) to disambiguate possible configurations those elements could take. Contour integration, the linking of aligned but separate visual elements, is one example of perceptual grouping. Kanizsa-type illusory contour (IC) stimuli have been widely used to explore contour integration processing. Consisting of two conditions which differ only in the alignment …

Effects Of 5-Hydroxytryptamine 2c Receptor Agonist Mk212 And 2a Receptor Antagonist Mdl100907 On Maternal Behavior In Postpartum Female Rats, Weihai Chen, Qi Zhang, Wenxin Su, Yu Yang, Jing Qiao, Nan Sui, Ming Li

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Maternal behavior in rats is a highly motivated and well-organized social behavior. Given the known roles of serotonin (5-HT) in emotion, motivation, social behavior, and major depression – and its known interaction with dopamine – it is likely that serotonin also plays a crucial role in this behavior. So far, there are surprisingly few studies focusing on 5-HT in maternal behavior, except for maternal aggression. In the present study,we examined the effects of 5-HT_2C receptor agonism and 5-HT_2A receptor antagonism on maternal behavior in postpartum female rats.We hypothesized that activation of 5-HT_2C receptors and blockade of 5-HT …

The Neurodevelopment Of Basic Sensory Processing And Integration In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Alice Brown Brandwein

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis presents three studies that together explore the neurophysiological basis for the sensory processing and integration abnormalities that have been observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) since the disorder was first described over half a century ago. In designing these studies we seek to fill a hole that currently exists in the research community‟s knowledge of the neurodevelopment of basic multisensory integration -- both in children with autism and as well as in those with typical development. The first study applied event related potentials (ERPs) and behavioral measures of multisensory integration to a large group of healthy participants ranging …

Direct Control Of Visual Perception With Phase-Specific Modulation Of Posterior Parietal Cortex, Andrew Jaegle, Tony Ro

Publications and Research

We examined the causal relationship between the phase of alpha oscillations (9–12 Hz) and conscious visual perception using rhythmic TMS (rTMS) while simultaneously recording EEG activity. rTMS of posterior parietal cortex at an alpha frequency (10 Hz), but not occipital or sham rTMS, both entrained the phase of subsequent alpha oscillatory activity and produced a phase-dependent change on subsequent visual perception, with lower discrimination accuracy for targets presented at one phase of the alpha oscillatory waveform than for targets presented at the opposite phase. By extrinsically manipulating the phase of alpha before stimulus presentation, we provide direct evidence that the …

Using Otoacoustic Emissions To Evaluate Efferent Auditory Function In Humans, Simon Henin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The auditory system continually adapts to changes in the acoustic environment over short periods of time. This fine-tuning of its dynamics is mediated in part by the medial olivocochlear (MOC) bundle, a neural feedback loop which aids in the regulation of cochlear micro-mechanics. The ability to measure the response of the MOC system in humans may provide significant insight into unique cochlear functions, such as its sharp frequency selectivity and wide dynamic range. In humans the efferent system can be investigated non-invasively using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). However, how OAEs can best be used to evaluate efferent function, the pitfalls associated …

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, …

A Kinder, Gentler Dopamine. . . Highlighting Dopamine's Role In Behavioral Flexibility, Jeff A. Beeler, Roshan Cools, Monica Luciana, Sean B. Ostlund, Giselle Petzinger

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

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 international^2,5,7,10,12 and Olympic¹ levels have shown memory^{2,3,4,6,8,9,10,12}, attention^3,6,11,12, concentration^2,3,6,11,12, 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?

The Mammalian Neocortex New Pyramidal Neuron: A New Conception, Miguel Marín-Padilla

Dartmouth Scholarship

The new cerebral cortex (neocortex) and the new type of pyramidal neuron are mammalian innovations that have evolved for operating their increasing motor capabilities while essentially using analogous anatomical and neural makeups. The human neocortex starts to develop in 6-week-old embryos with the establishment of a primordial cortical organization, which resembles the primitive cortices of amphibian and reptiles. From the 8th to the 15th week of age, new pyramidal neurons, of ependymal origin, are progressively incorporated within this primordial cortex forming a cellular plate that divides its components into those above it (neocortex first layer) and those below it (neocortex …

Morphine Enhances Hiv-1sf162-Mediated Neuron Death And Delays Recovery Of Injured Neurites, Ruturaj R. Masvekar, Nazira El-Hage, Kurt F. Hauser, Pamela E. Knapp

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

HIV-1 enters the CNS soon after initial systemic infection; within the CNS parenchyma infected and/or activated perivascular macrophages, microglia and astrocytes release viral and cellular toxins that drive secondary toxicity in neurons and other cell types. Our previous work has largely modeled HIV-neuropathology using the individual viral proteins Tat or gp120, with murine striatal neurons as targets. To model disease processes more closely, the current study uses supernatant from HIV-1-infected cells. Supernatant from HIV-1SF162-infected differentiated-U937 cells (HIV+sup) was collected and p24 level was measured by ELISA to assess the infection. Injection drug abuse is a significant risk factor for HIV-infection, …

Post-Acute Brain Injury Urinary Signature: A New Resource For Molecular Diagnostics, Andrew K. Ottens, Jillian E. Stafflinger, Hailey E. Griffin, Richard D. Kunz, David X. Cifu, Janet P. Niemeier

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Heterogeneity within brain injury presents a challenge to the development of informative molecular diagnostics. Recent studies show progress particularly in cerebrospinal fluid with biomarker assays targeting one or a few structural proteins. Protein-based assays in peripheral fluids, however, have been more challenging to develop in part due to restricted and intermittent barrier access. Further, a greater number of molecular variables may be required to inform on patient status given the multifactorial nature of brain injury. Presented is an alternative approach profiling peripheral fluid for a class of small metabolic by-products rendered by ongoing brain pathobiology. Urine specimens were collected for …

An Introduction To Drugs And The Neuroscience Of Behavior, Adam J. Prus

Books

This up-to-date text provides an introductory overview of the nervous system actions and behavioral effects of the major classes of psychoactive drugs, using pedagogy unique among pharmacology texts to make the topic approachable.

Neuropathological Responses To Chronic Nmda In Rats Are Worsened By Dietary N-3 Pufa Deprivation But Are Not Ameliorated By Fish Oil Supplementation, Vasken L. Keleshian, Matthew Kellom, Hyung-Wook Kim, Ameer Y. Taha, Yewon Cheon, Miki Igarashi, Stanley I. Rapoport, Jagadeesh S. Rao

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

Dietary long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation may be beneficial for chronic brain illnesses, but the issue is not agreed on. We examined effects of dietary n-3 PUFA deprivation or supplementation, compared with an n-3 PUFA adequate diet (containing alpha-linolenic acid [18:3 n-3] but not docosahexaenoic acid [DHA, 22:6n-3]), on brain markers of lipid metabolism and excitotoxicity, in rats treated chronically with NMDA or saline.

Methods

Male rats after weaning were maintained on one of three diets for 15 weeks. After 12 weeks, each diet group was injected i.p. daily with saline (1 ml/kg) or a subconvulsive dose …

Estimating The Amount Of Information Conveyed By A Population Of Neurons, Marshall Crumiller

Knight Laboratory

Recent advances in electrophysiological recording technology have allowed for the collection of data from large populations of neurons simultaneously. Yet despite these advances, methods for the estimation of the amount of information conveyed by multiple neurons have been stymied by the “curse of dimensionality”–as the number of included neurons increases, so too does the dimensionality of the data necessary for such measurements, leading to an exponential and, therefore, intractible increase in the amounts of data required for valid measurements. Here we put forth a novel method for the estimation of the amount of information transmitted by the discharge of a …

Short-Term Activity-Dependent Changes In Schaffer Collateral Axon Function, Benjamin Michael Owen

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Schaffer collaterals are the unmyelinated axons of pyramidal neurons in the CA3 area of the hippocampus, a brain structure essential for memory formation. Schaffer collateral axons conduct electrical signals in the form of action potentials from CA3 pyramidal cells to synaptic terminals in area CA1. The fidelity with which these axons conduct action potentials determines the nature of the information which can be transmitted between areas CA3 and CA1. Conduction fidelity may be affected by both normal and abnormal patterns of firing, fluctuations in ion concentration, and some drugs and toxins. In this dissertation, I examined the function of Schaffer …

Perceived Depth In Non-Transitive Stereo Displays, Bart Farell, Cherlyn J. Ng

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering - All Scholarship

The separation between the eyes shapes the distribution of binocular disparities and gives a special role to horizontal disparities. However, for one-dimensional stimuli, disparity direction, like motion direction, is linked to stimulus orientation. This makes the perceived depth of one-dimensional stimuli orientation dependent and generally non-veridical. It also allows perceived depth to violate transitivity. Three stimuli, A, B, and C, can be arranged such that A > B (stimulus A is seen as farther than stimulus B when they are presented together) and B > C, yet A 6 C. This study examines how the visual system handles the depth of A, …

Rho Gtpases In Neuronal Apoptosis And Neurodegeneration, Trisha Stankiewicz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Several studies have identified Rho family GTPases (i.e. Rho, Rac, Cdc42) as mediators of diverse critical cellular processes, such as actin cytoskeleton remodeling, gene transcription, cell-cell adhesion, and cell cycle progression. However, more recent data highlight an essential role for Rho GTPases as regulators of neuronal morphology and neuronal survival. In particular, Rac GTPase generally induces neurite outgrowth and promotes neuronal survival while Rho GTPase typically provokes neurite retraction and induces neuronal apoptosis. However, the precise signaling pathways that regulate neuronal survival downstream of Rho GTPases and the potential involvement of dysregulated activity of Rho GTPases as a causative factor …