Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

The Progression Of Neurological Impairment In Sport-Related Brain Injuries, Nicole Leo

Honors Theses

Millions of Americans sustain traumatic head injuries each year when participating in various high and low-risk activities. Athletes, in general, are more prone to sustaining brain injuries than others, particularly those that participate in collision sports. This thesis discusses brain damage and long-term effects incurred by collision sport-related traumatic brain injuries such as the formation of amyloid-beta plaques in brain tissue and the increased possibility of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. In addition, brain development and plasticity over time are reviewed revealing the concept that brain plasticity and brain development are key processes that occur throughout childhood, adolescence, and …

A Review On Locomotor Training After Spinal Cord Injury: Reorganization Of Spinal Neuronal Circuits And Recovery Of Motor Function, Andrew C. Smith, Maria Knikou

Publications and Research

Locomotor training is a classic rehabilitation approach utilized with the aim of improving sensorimotor function and walking ability in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Recent studies have provided strong evidence that locomotor training of persons with clinically complete, motor complete, or motor incomplete SCI induces functional reorganization of spinal neuronal networks at multisegmental levels at rest and during assisted stepping. This neuronal reorganization coincides with improvements in motor function and decreased muscle cocontractions. In this review, we will discuss the manner in which spinal neuronal circuits are impaired and the evidence surrounding plasticity of neuronal activity after locomotor training …

The Use Of Doublecortin To Quantify The Effects Of Pharmacological Treatment On Neurogenesis And Functional Recovery After Stroke, Amber Lee Hensley

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Ischemic strokes account for 87% of all strokes and can have debilitating effects on language, sensory, and motor skills. Currently, tPA is the only medication approved by the FDA for the treatment of ischemic stroke, but the window of time to administer the drug is very small. In this thesis, we investigate the use of a simvastatin and fluoxetine drug combination (FS) as a possible treatment for ischemic stroke victims. To analyze the effects of FS on neurogenesis and functional recovery, we utilize the Montoya Staircase and quantify the amount of neurogenesis using doublecortin. Although the results of this study …

Cross Sensitization Of Depressive-Like Behavior Through Two Depression Related Paradigms: Maternal Separation And Its Effect On The Forced Swim Test In The Guinea Pig, Amanda Danielle Schreibeis

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Separation and Its Effect on the Forced Swim Test In the Guinea Pig Early-life stress such as parental neglect, absence, or abandonment, has been hypothesized to increase the susceptibility for developing depression later in life via sensitization of stress-responsive physiological systems (e.g., pro-inflammatory cytokines, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). Guinea pigs offer a potential model, but study has been limited to behavioral observations obtained during maternal separation tests. This thesis examined the generalization of this response by asking whether it would cross-sensitize to behavior in another depressive-related paradigm, the forced swim test. In three experiments, pups underwent three forced swim trials, in shallower …

Phonophobia Mediates The Relationship Between The Myelinated Vagus And Selective Mutism, Alexandra Sherwood Batzdorf

Senior Projects Spring 2016

When active, the myelinated vagus (the tenth cranial nerve) acts as a brake that inhibits sympathetic activity by reducing heart rate and blood pressure, and thus allows for social engagement by redirecting metabolic resources. Among those with selective mutism (SM), a disorder characterized by an inability to speak in certain situations, the vagal brake is dysregulated. One consequence of this is a weakening of the middle-ear acoustic reflex (MEAR), which helps clarify human voices and filters out low-frequency background noise, including the speaker’s own voice. I tested a proposed etiological model of SM and comorbid social anxiety disorder (SAD) by …

Effects Of Early Life Stress On Anhedonia And Striatal Dopamine Concentration Depends On Variation In Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (Comt) Genotype, Sally Lauren Cole

Senior Projects Spring 2016

Depression is a serious, costly, and heterogeneous disorder for which no one genetic determinant has been identified. Research has shown that stress, and subsequent hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, is a significant predictor of depression, and one particular stressor that has been linked to vulnerability to depression and HPA axis dysregulation is early life trauma. Due to the heterogeneity and complexity of depression, it is likely that specific gene-environment interactions play a role in the development of depression. Interaction between catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val¹⁵⁸Met variants with specific environmental factors can potentially increase vulnerability to depression. The present proposed experiment …

Sensitivity Of Composite Scores To Amyloid Burden In Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: Introducing The Z-Scores Of Attention, Verbal Fluency, And Episodic Memory For Nondemented Older Adults Composite Score, Yen Ying Lim, Peter J. Snyder, Robert H. Pietrzak, Albulene Ukiqi, Victor L. Villemagne, David Ames, Olivier Salvado, Pierrick Bourgeat, Ralph N. Martins, Colin L. Masters, Christopher C. Rowe, Paul Maruff

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction:

Cognitive composite scores developed for preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) often consist of multiple cognitive domains as they may provide greater sensitivity to detect β-amyloid (Aβ)-related cognitive decline than episodic memory (EM) composite scores alone. However, this has never been empirically tested. We compared the rate of cognitive decline associated with high Aβ (Aβ+) and very high Aβ (Aβ++) in cognitively normal (CN) older adults on three multidomain cognitive composite scores and one single-domain (EM) composite score.

Methods:

CN older adults (n = 423) underwent Aβ neuroimaging and completed neuropsychological assessments at baseline, and at 18-, 36-, 54-, …

The Role Of Sox4 In Regulating Choroid Fissure Closure And Retinal Neurogenesis, Wen Wen

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

The development of the vertebrate eye is tightly controlled by precise genetic regulations. From a single ocular primordium to bilateral eyes with complex structures and cell types, it requires intensive proliferation and migration for cells in both the ectoderm and mesoderm to accomplish ocular morphogenesis, and during this process cell differentiation and interaction takes place to establish the complex composition of ocular cell types and cellular connections. Genetic defects can lead to severe abnormalities in eye morphogenesis and cell differentiation during ocular development. A tremendous amount of work has been done to identify both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that regulate …

Sleep Alterations In Mouse Genetic Models Of Human Disease, Mansi Sethi

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Sleep is a process essential for the well-being of an animal and in humans as much as one-third of our life is spent in sleep. Yet, the biological need for sleep still remains a conundrum. Our knowledge of the genes influencing sleep and the mechanisms regulating the process can be advanced with the utilization of genetic and genomic approaches which, in turn, may inform us about the functions of sleep as well. With this goal, I have investigated and examined sleep-wake phenotypes for a variety of transgenic and knock out animals.

For the first part of my research (Chapter 3), …

Modulatory Actions Of Serotonergic System In Cardiac Function, Behavior, And Sensorimotor Circuit Activity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Zana R. Majeed

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

In this dissertation, I have focused on the role of serotonin (5-HT) as a modulator in heart rate, feeding and locomotion behaviors as well as sensorimotor circuit activity in Drosophila melanogaster. A general overview in the actions of the serotonergic (5-HTergic) system on the larval heart and nervous system in larvae and adults is reviewed in Chapter One. I sought to further study the actions of serotonergic system to provide additional insights into cellular and molecular underpinnings in the actions of 5-HT.In Chapter two, I present studies on mechanisms of action by 5-HT in larvae cardiac system. For this …

The Effects Of External Focus Of Attention Exercise Rehabilitation On Dual Task Walking In Parkinson's Disease, Eric N. Beck

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Parkinson’s disease impairs control of well-learned movements, and therefore, individuals with Parkinson’s disease are forced to walk with greater conscious control. This causes difficulties while walking and completing a secondary task simultaneously (dual tasking), in that distractions from conscious control of walking increase the risk of falls and injury. Although, attention-based exercise may be a potential avenue to decrease the demands associated with walking in Parkinson’s disease. For example, an external focus of attention (on manipulated objects) has been found to recruit the networks that are important for walking with little conscious control (automatic control networks). In contrast, an internal …

The Effects Of Manipulated Somatosensory Input On Simulated Falls During Walking, Sarah Mitchell-Ewart

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Previous research has demonstrated that there is a distinct relationship between aging and instability. The somatosensory system plays a significant role in balance control in conjunction with vision and the vestibular system (Qiu et al., 2012). Evidence has shown that manipulation of the mechanoreceptors on the plantar surface of the foot has a direct effect on balance control. By manipulating these receptors with hypothermic anesthesia and vibration, researchers are capable of simulating the effect of sensory modification on healthy individuals, in order to understand the role that plantar-surface sensation has in adapting to perturbation during gait (Perry et al., 2001; …

Contrast Response Functions Of On- And Off-Cells In Motion-Induced Blindness, Megan E. Lusignan

Honors Theses and Capstones

Motion-Induced Blindness (MIB) is the perceived, spontaneous disappearance of a salient target when it is viewed in the presence of a moving mask, and is believed to be controlled by extrastriate area 5 (Donner et al., 2008). The ON and OFF pathways in the human visual system are responsible for the detection of increments and decrements of light, respectively. The OFF pathway is more sensitive to decrements than the ON pathway is to increments before the middle layers of V1. However, after this point, the sensitivities are comparable in strength. Past experiments in this lab have shown that the ON …

Social Buffering By Unfamiliar Adult Males In Preweaning Guinea Pigs (Cavia Pocellus): The Effects On Hpa Activity And Fos Induction In The Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Withayapon Watanasriyakul

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Social buffering, a phenomenon in which the presence of a social partner can reduce stress responses, is often most effective between strongly attached partners. Our laboratory previously found a surprising buffering effect of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response in preweaning guinea pigs by unfamiliar adult males. It was hypothesized that this HPA-buffering effect was driven by social interactions between the two partners and may involve an activation of the prelimbic cortex. Therefore, the current study examined these potential associations. To limit social interactions, the adult male was anesthetized in one condition compared to another condition where the adult male remained conscious. …

Changes In Brain Water Content In The Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) And In The Goldfish (Carassius Auratus) Due To High External Ammonia Exposure, Phillip Q.H. Pham-Ho

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In fishes, hyperammonemia may occur following feeding or exposure to abnormally high concentrations of environmental ammonia due to sewage effluents, agricultural run-off and in crowded aquaculture pens. Increased internal ammonia can result in hyperactivity, convulsions, coma and death. In mammals, it is also associated with potentially fatal brain edema, in which the accumulation of intracellular water results in swelling, increased intracranical pressure and herniation leading to death. Recently it was shown that rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and goldfish (Carassius auratus) experience brain swelling following exposure to high external ammonia (HEA). However, the mechanism of ammonia-induced brain …

Enzyme Analysis Of Oxidatively Modified Proteins Post-Tbi, Brittany Rice

Online Theses and Dissertations

The brain is one of the most important organs in the body. It functions as a control center by regulating and coordinating actions and reactions, which is facilitated via signal transduction pathways. Its function is primarily dependent upon sufficient supply of glucose for energy metabolism. The dysfunction of the brain resulting from an external force is known as traumatic brain injury (TBI). Symptoms range from physical to psychological and effects can be mild, moderate, or severe depending on the extent of injury. TBI is associated with oxidative damage, the overproduction of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. Reduced energy metabolism is a consequence …

Cerebellar Nuclei Neurons Show Only Small Excitatory Responses To Optogenetic Olivary Stimulation In Transgenic Mice: In Vivo And In Vitro Studies, Huo Lu, Bo Yang, Dieter Jaeger

PCOM Scholarly Papers

BACKGROUND: To study the olivary input to the cerebellar nuclei (CN) we used optogenetic stimulation in transgenic mice expressing channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) in olivary neurons. We obtained in vivo extracellular Purkinje cell (PC) and CN recordings in anesthetized mice while stimulating the contralateral inferior olive (IO) with a blue laser (single pulse, 10 - 50 ms duration). Peri-stimulus histograms were constructed to show the spike rate changes after optical stimulation. Among 29 CN neurons recorded, 15 showed a decrease in spike rate of variable strength and duration, and only 1 showed a transient spiking response. These results suggest that direct olivary …

Sk Channel Clustering In Sod1-G93a Motoneurons, Saihari Shekar Dukkipati

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neuromuscular disease that currently has no cure and extremely limited treatment options. The specific mechanisms that underlie motoneuron degeneration and death, which are classical features of this disease, are mostly unknown. This thesis tests the hypothesis that small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels (SK) may be downregulated in ALS motoneurons, as suggested by computational modelling. SK channel expression was measured in spinal alpha-motoneuron cell bodies or somata of wildtype (WT) and mutant (mt) SOD1-G93A mice, a transgenic animal model of ALS. Quantitative immunohistochemical analysis of the developmental expression of SK channel isoforms SK2 and SK3 …

Ultrasonic Vocalizations As A Predictor Of Resilience To Intermittent Swim Stress-Induced Anxiety: An Investigation Of Re-Exposure Effects, Yandan Wang, Robert C. Drugan, Nathaniel Stafford

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Adams As Potential Regulators Of Stem Cell Quiescence In The Olfactory Epithelium, Elaine Elizabeth Orendorff

Master's Theses

I demonstrate that a member of the protein family A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease (ADAM), ADAM23, is expressed in the olfactory epithelium (OE) and may inhibit neural progenitor cell (NPC) proliferation. I generated a list of ten gene candidates and selected ADAM23 for further study, based on its conserved protein structure and accumulating evidence for its role in cell cycle progression of proliferative cells. I next determined ADAM23 protein localization using immunohistochemistry and measured both mRNA and protein expression post-lesion with RT-qPCR and Western blot. ADAM23 is expressed in multiple cell types of the OE, including glial Sustentacular (Sus) cells and …

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 …

Echoes, Sarah Abigail Adleman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

When I was sixteen, my mother was killed one evening while running on the bayou behind our house in Houston. The man, who is now on Death Row in Texas, beat, raped, and then strangled her to death. Writer Mary Cappello says of Creative Nonfiction, to compose discursively requires that we turn in the direction of the discourses that have made us who we are rather than start from a place of what we think happened to us in the course of our lives. She goes on further to say, Creative nonfiction appreciates the power of prepositions. Instead of writing …

Age-Related Hearing Loss: Inhibition--Excitation Balance In The Rat Inferior Colliculus, Sydney Cason 16

Honor Scholar Theses

Aging is an increasingly important research topic due to the aging populations in the United States and other developed countries. One aspect of aging, age-related hearing loss, is caused by changes in the peripheral and the central auditory systems. The age-related changes in the central auditory system, including the integrating midbrain area inferior colliculus (IC), are not well understood. Studies have revealed that GABA levels in the IC decrease with age. However, no studies have quantified the age-related changes in IC glutamate levels or the relationship between GABA and glutamate levels in the aging IC. This study aimed to elucidate …

Itch Mediation And How It Differs From Pain, Nechama Rappaport

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Itch, to most, is a common nuisance, although when chronic it can negatively affect quality of life. It is obvious that itch is processed differently than pain, but how it differs is not clear. Researchers have been trying to find a path that specifically mediates itch. They have found that itch is mediated through at least two different pathways: histamine dependent and histamine independent. However, many of the mediators involved in the transduction of itch also mediate pain. Although some itch-specific neurons have been found, the majority of the pruritogenic neurons are also responsive to pain stimuli. Two theories that …

Cognitive Effects Of Breastfeeding, Abraham Englard

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

This paper explores the cognitive effects of breastfeeding through Intelligence Testing and Imaging Testing that compares IQ, success, and brain structure of individuals that were breastfed, formula fed, and both breastfed and formula fed. Intelligence studies available are widespread for all age groups and signify a causal relationship between breastfeeding and intelligence. However, imaging testing is not as extensive, but shows a strong correlation between cognitive development and breastfeeding. The mechanism of breast milk’s impact on cognitive development is at an exploratory phase, with a possibility that docosahexaenoic and arachidonic acids, along with other nutrients found in breast milk, contribute …

Effects Of Vaccine Preservatives And Adjuvants On Childhood Neurodevelopment, Reut Raveh

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Parental concerns about the safety of childhood vaccinations began in the 1990’s and continue until today. A primary concern of many parents is whether the adjuvants and preservatives added to the vaccines have the potential to cause neurodevelopmental disorders in young children. An overview of various studies was done to determine if thimerosal affects childhood neurodevelopment with studies suggesting that thimerosal potentially causes neurodevelopmental disorders. However, some studies suggest the opposite. As a result it is impossible to conclude whether thimerosal affects childhood neurodevelopment. However, measures should be taken to remove thimerosal from the childhood vaccination schedule. Additionally, the studies …

Sensing And Mapping Of Surface Hydrophobicity Of Proteins By Fluorescent Probes, Nethaniah Dorh

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Surface hydrophobic interactions in proteins play a critical role in molecular recognition, influence biological functions, and play a central role in many protein misfolding diseases. As significance of surface hydrophobic interactions in age-related proteinopathies is becoming clear; it has led to an increased demand for better probes and tools to sense and characterize protein surface hydrophobicity. Current commercially available fluorescent probes such as 8-anilino-1-naphthalene sulfonic acid (ANS), 4,4′ -dianilino-1,1′-binaphthyl-5,5′-disulfonic acid (Bis-ANS), 6-propionyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthalene (PRODAN), tetraphenylethene derivative, and Nile Red can sense proteins average hydrophobicity. However, probe limitations prevents their application for measuring the protein surface hydrophobicity. Some of the major deficiencies …

Law & Neuroscience: What, Why, And Where To Begin, Owen D. Jones, Jeffrey D. Schall, Francis X. Shen

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

This provides the Summary Table of Contents and Chapter 1 of our coursebook “Law and Neuroscience” (forthcoming April 2014, from Aspen Publishing). Designed for use in both law schools and beyond, the book provides user-friendly introductions, as well as detailed explorations, of the many current and emerging issues at the intersection of law and neuroscience.

One part of the book lays general foundations by exploring the relationships between law and science generally, and by comparing the views from law and from neuroscience regarding behavior and responsibility. A later part explains the basics of brain structure and function, the methods for …

Scalar Short-Term Memory, Tyler D. Bancroft

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The location of the brain’s working and short-term memory (WM/STM) “system” is unclear. The existence of a dedicated WM/STM system is itself under debate. Recently, it has been proposed that WM/STM storage relies not on a dedicated system in prefrontal cortex, but rather that it is an emergent function of interaction between attentional and representational systems (e.g., sensory cortex) in the brain. However, mnemonic representations of very simple stimuli have repeatedly been shown to exist in frontal cortex. In this manuscript, I use computational and behavioural methods to demonstrate similarities between the representations of different types of very simple stimuli …

The Contribution Of The Cerebello-Thalamo-Cortical Circuit To The Pathology Of Non-Dopaminergic Responsive Parkinson's Disease Symptoms, Shannon C. Lefaivre

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

It has been well established that motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are primarily associated with dopaminergic degeneration in the basal ganglia. However, symptoms which respond poorly to dopaminergic replacement, such as tremor, gait, and balance deficits, point to an alternative pathology to dysfunction of the basal ganglia. Over-activity of the cerebellum has been demonstrated in PD, however it is not entirely clear how the cerebellum might be affecting motor symptoms. A lack of consensus exists regarding how cerebellar over-activity might be influencing PD tremor, and whether resting and postural tremor are differentially influenced by cerebellar dysfunction. It is also …