Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Higher-Order Power Harmonics Of Pulsed Electrical Stimulation Modulates Corticospinal Contribution Of Peripheral Nerve Stimulation, Chiun-Fan Chen, Marom Bikson, Li-Wei Chou, Chunlei Shan, Niranjan Khadka, Wen-Shiang Chen, Felipe Fregni

Publications and Research

It is well established that electrical-stimulation frequency is crucial to determining the scale of induced neuromodulation, particularly when attempting to modulate corticospinal excitability. However, the modulatory effects of stimulation frequency are not only determined by its absolute value but also by other parameters such as power at harmonics. The stimulus pulse shape further influences parameters such as excitation threshold and fiber selectivity. The explicit role of the power in these harmonics in determining the outcome of stimulation has not previously been analyzed. In this study, we adopted an animal model of peripheral electrical stimulation that includes an amplitude-adapted pulse train …

Development Of Ad Like Symptoms Following Co-Administration Of Alcl3 And D-Gal In Rats: A Neurochemical, Biochemical And Behavioural Study, Laraib Liaquat, Saara Muddasir, Sadia Adir, Zehra Batool, Saima Khaliq, Saiqa Tabassum, Shaista Emad, Syeda Madiha, Sidrah Shahzad, Saida Haider

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder associated with neurochemical and neurobehavioural alterations. Aluminium (Al) is considered as a contributing factor in the etiology of several neurodegenerative disorders like AD. D-galactose (D-gal) is a physiological nutrient but over supply induces some neurochemical and biochemical changes that exacerbate natural aging process. In this study, we aimed to develop AD animal model by co-administration of Al and D-gal in rats. Male albino Wistar rats were intraperitoneally injected with AlCl₃ and D-gal at a dose of 150mg/kg and 300mg/kg respectively for one week. After one week rats were subjected to behavioural …

Cytomegalovirus Serostatus, Inflammation, And Antibody Response To Influenza Vaccination In Older Adults: The Moderating Effect Of Beta Blockade, Rebecca G. Reed, Richard N. Greenberg, Suzanne C. Segerstrom

Psychology Faculty Publications

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been implicated as a factor in immunosenescence, including poor antibody response to vaccination and higher immune activation and inflammation. Some people may be more or less vulnerable to the negative effects of CMV. The present investigation tested the effects of beta-blocker use and chronological age on the associations between CMV and immunity in adults aged 60–91 (N=98; 69% CMV seropositive) who were administered the trivalent influenza vaccine for up to 5 years. Peak antibody response, corrected for baseline, and spring (persistent) antibody response, corrected for peak, were assessed, as well as beta-2 microglobulin (β2μ) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). …

Neuroimaging Biomarkers Of Caloric Restriction On Brain Metabolic And Vascular Functions, Ai-Ling Lin, Ishita Parikh, Jared D. Hoffman, David Ma

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Purpose of Review

Non-invasive neuroimaging methods have been developed as powerful tools for identifying in vivo brain functions for studies in humans and animals. Here, we review the imaging biomarkers that are being used to determine the changes within brain metabolic and vascular functions induced by caloric restriction (CR) and their potential usefulness for future studies with dietary interventions in humans.

Recent Findings

CR causes an early shift in brain metabolism of glucose to ketone bodies and enhances ATP production, neuronal activity, and cerebral blood flow (CBF). With age, CR preserves mitochondrial activity, neurotransmission, CBF, and spatial memory. CR also …

Neurotensin Nts1 And Nts2 Receptor Agonists Produce Anxiolytic-Like Effects In The 22-Khz Ultrasonic Vocalization Model In Rats, Floyd F. Steele Iii, Shannon C. Whitehouse, Jacob S. Aday, Adam J. Prus

Journal Articles

Neurotensin is a neuropeptide neurotransmitter that interacts with multiple neurotransmitter systems, including those regulating amygdalar function, via NTS₁ and NTS₂ receptors. Both receptors are expressed in the amygdala and agonists for NTS₁ or NTS₂ receptors have exhibited anxiolytic effects in animal models. Systemic adminstration of NTS₁ receptor agonist PD149163 was recently shown to reduce footshock conditioned 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in rats, suggesting that PD149163 produced an anxiolytic effect. The effects that neurotensin may have or a selective NTS₂receptor agonist may have on 22-kHz vocalizations has yet to be examined. The current study evaluated …

Notes On Human Trials Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Between 1960 And 1998, Zeinab Esmaeilpour, Pedro Schestatsky, Marom Bikson, André R. Brunoni, Ada Pellegrinelli, Fernanda X. Piovesan, Mariana M. S. A. Santos, Renata B. Menezes, Felipe Fregni

Publications and Research

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is investigated to modulate neuronal function including cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychiatric therapies. While cases of human stimulation with rudimentary batteries date back more than 200 years, clinical trials with current controlled stimulation were published intermittently since the 1960s. The modern era of tDCS only started after 1998.

Objectives: To review methods and outcomes of tDCS studies from old literature (between 1960 and 1998) with intention of providing new insight for ongoing tDCS trials and development of tDCS protocols especially for the purpose of treatment.

Methods: Articles were identified through a search …

Effectiveness Of A Novel Qigong Meditative Movement Practice For Impaired Health In Flight Attendants Exposed To Second-Hand Cigarette Smoke, Peter Payne, Steven Fiering, James C. Leiter, David T. Zava, Mardi A. Crane-Godreau

Dartmouth Scholarship

This single-arm non-randomized pilot study explores an in ervention to improve the health of flight attendants (FA) exposed to second-hand cigarette smoke prior to the smoking ban on commercial airlines. This group exhibits an unusual pattern of long-term pulmonary dysfunction. We report on Phase I of a two-phase clinical trial; the second Phase will be a randomized controlled trial testing digital delivery of the intervention. Subjects were recruited in the Northeastern US; testing and intervention were administered in 4 major cities. The intervention involved 12h of training in Meditative Movement practices. Based on recent research on the effects of nicotine …

Calcium's Role As Nuanced Modulator Of Cellular Physiology In The Brain, Hilaree N. Frazier, Shaniya Maimaiti, Katie L. Anderson, Lawrence D. Brewer, John C. Gant, Nada M. Porter, Olivier Thibault

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Neuroscientists studying normal brain aging, spinal cord injury, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases have focused considerable effort on carefully characterizing intracellular perturbations in calcium dynamics or levels. At the cellular level, calcium is known for controlling life and death and orchestrating most events in between. For many years, intracellular calcium has been recognized as an essential ion associated with nearly all cellular functions from cell growth to degeneration. Often the emphasis is on the negative impact of calcium dysregulation and the typical worse-case-scenario leading inevitably to cell death. However, even high amplitude calcium transients, when executed acutely can …

Hippocampal Contribution To Context Encoding Across Development Is Disrupted Following Early-Life Adversity, Hilary K. Lambert, Margaret A. Sheridan, Kelly A. Sambrook, Maya L. Rosen, Mary K. Askren, Katie A. Mclaughlin

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

Context can drastically influence responses to environmental stimuli. For example, a gunshot should provoke a different response at a public park than a shooting range. Little is known about how contextual processing and neural correlates change across human development or about individual differences related to early environmental experiences. Children (N = 60; 8–19 years, 24 exposed to interpersonal violence) completed acon text encoding task during fMRI scanning using a delayed match-to-sample design with neutral, happy, and angry facial cues embedded in realistic background scenes. Outside the scanner, participants completed a memory test for context-face pairings. Context memory and neural correlates …

Quantifying Cerebral Contributions To Pain Beyond Nociception, Choong-Wan Woo, Liane Schmidt, Anjali Krishnan, Marieke Jempa, Mathieu Roy, Martin A. Lindquist, Lauren Y. Atlas, Tor D. Wager

Publications and Research

Cerebral processes contribute to pain beyond the level of nociceptive input and mediate psychological and behavioural influences. However, cerebral contributions beyond nociception are not yet well characterized, leading to a predominant focus on nociception when studying pain and developing interventions. Here we use functional magnetic resonance imaging combined with machine learning to develop a multivariate pattern signature—termed the stimulus intensity independent pain signature-1 (SIIPS1)—that predicts pain above and beyond nociceptive input in four training data sets (Studies 1–4, N¼137). The SIIPS1 includes patterns of activity in nucleus accumbens, lateral prefrontal and parahippocampal cortices, and other regions. In cross-validated analyses of …

The Association Of Serum Levels Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor With The Occurrence Of And Recovery From Delirium In Older Medical Inpatients, John Williams, Karen Finn, Vincent Melvin, David Meagher, Geraldine Mccarthy, Dimitrios Adamis

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Limited studies of the association between BDNF levels and delirium have given inconclusive results. This prospective, longitudinal study examined the relationship between BDNF levels and the occurrence of and recovery from delirium. Participants were assessed twice weekly using MoCA, DRS-R98, and APACHE II scales. BDNF levels were estimated using an ELISA method. Delirium was defined with DRS-R98 (score > 16) and recovery from delirium as ≥2 consecutive assessments without delirium prior to discharge. We identified no difference in BDNF levels between those with and without delirium. Excluding those who never developed delirium (), we examined the association of BDNF levels and …

Mechanisms And Effects Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, James Giordano, Marom Bikson, Emily S. Kappenman, Vincent P. Clark, H. Branch Coslett, Michael R. Hamblin, Roy Hamilton, Ryan Jankord, Walter J. Kozumbo, R. Andrew Mckinley, Michael A. Nitsche, J. Patrick Reilly, Jessica Richardson, Rachel Wurzman, Edward Calabrese

Publications and Research

The US Air Force Office of Scientific Research convened a meeting of researchers in the fields of neuroscience, psychology, engineering, and medicine to discuss most pressing issues facing ongoing research in the field of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and related techniques. In this study, we present opinions prepared by participants of the meeting, focusing on the most promising areas of research, immediate and future goals for the field, and the potential for hormesis theory to inform tDCS research. Scientific, medical, and ethical considerations support the ongoing testing of tDCS in healthy and clinical populations, provided best protocols are used …

A Novel Educational Module To Teach Neural Circuits For College And High School Students: Ngss-Neurons, Genetics, And Selective Stimulations, Zana R. Majeed, Felicitas Koch, Joshua Morgan, Heidi Anderson, Jennifer Wilson, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

This report introduces various approaches to target defined neural pathways for stimulation and to address the effect of particular neural circuits on behavior in a model animal, the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). The objective of this novel educational module described can be used to explain and address principle concepts in neurobiology for high school and college level students. A goal of neurobiology is to show how neural circuit activity controls corresponding behavior in animals. The fruit fly model system provides powerful genetic tools, such as the UAS-Gal4 system, to manipulate expression of non-native proteins in various populations of …

Measurements And Models Of Electric Fields In The In Vivo Human Brain During Transcranial Electric Stimulation, Yu Huang, Anli A. Liu, Belen Lafon, Daniel Friedman, Michael Dayan, Xiuyuan Wang, Marom Bikson, Werner K. Doyle, Orrin Devinsky, Lucas C. Parra

Publications and Research

Transcranial electric stimulation aims to stimulate the brain by applying weak electrical currents at the scalp. However, the magnitude and spatial distribution of electric fields in the human brain are unknown. We measured electric potentials intracranially in ten epilepsy patients and estimated electric fields across the entire brain by leveraging calibrated current-flow models. When stimulating at 2 mA, cortical electric fields reach 0.8 V/m, the lower limit of effectiveness in animal studies. When individual whole-head anatomy is considered, the predicted electric field magnitudes correlate with the recorded values in cortical (r = 0.86) and depth (r = 0.88) electrodes. Accurate …

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy, Michael Bradshaw, Jeffrey Brown, Kyril Cole, Whitney Harris, Kody Hasebi, Ysabella Del Rosario, Sara Werner, Bryan Witt, Alonzo Cook

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

No abstract provided.

Nerve Growth Factor And Lysophosphatidylcholine In Peripheral Nerve Repair, Keaton Karlinsey 8741888

Biomedical Engineering Western Regional Conference

NGF, Nerve Growth Factor, Lysophosphatidylcholine, Peripheral nerve regeneration, Sciatic nerve, Sciatic crush injury

Correcting The Trajectory Of Stroke Therapeutic Research, Keith R. Pennypacker, Gregory J. Bix, Justin F. Fraser

Neurology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Sazetidine-A And Other Nicotinic Ligands On Nicotine Controlled Goal-Tracking In Female And Male Rats, S. Charntikov, A. M. Falco, K. Fink, Linda P. Dwoskin, R. A. Bevins

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Nicotine is the primary addictive component of tobacco products and its complex stimulus effects are readily discriminated by humans and non-human animals. Previous preclinical research investigating directly the nature of the nicotine stimulus has been limited to male rodents. The current study began to address this significant gap in the literature by training female and male rats to discriminate 0.4 mg/kg nicotine from saline in the discriminated goal-tracking task. In this task, access to sucrose was intermittently available on nicotine session. On saline session, intermixed with nicotine sessions on separate days, sucrose was not available. Both sexes acquired the discrimination …

Physical Mechanisms And Biological Consequences Of Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Modulation By Fhf Proteins, Yue Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Purpose: FHFs are cytosolic proteins that bind to voltage-gated sodium channels (Na_Vs) and modulate their functions to control membrane excitability. FHFs raise the voltage dependence of Na_V fast inactivation to promote excitability, while A isoforms FHF (A-FHFs) also capture open sodium channels into a long-term inactivated (LTI) state to limit excitability. My research has addressed how FHFs balance membrane excitability as it relates to normal and pathological brain functions. Part of this work stemmed from the discovery of a missense FHF1 mutation in patients with severe early onset epilepsy. Methods and Results: Wild-type FHF1A and FHF1B were …

Dopamine D1 And D3 Receptor Polypharmacology In Cocaine Reward And Cocaine Seeking, Ewa J. Galaj

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: In the search for efficacious pharmacotherapies to treat cocaine addiction much attention has been given to agents targeting D1 or D3 receptors because of the involvement of these receptors in cocaine-related behaviors. D1 and D3 receptor partial agonists and antagonists have been shown to reduce cocaine reward, reinstatement of cocaine seeking and conditioned place preference (CPP) in rodents and non-human primates. However, translation of these encouraging results with selective D1 or D3 receptor agents has been limited due to a number of factors including toxicity, poor pharmacokinetic properties and extrapyramidal and sedative side effects.

Purpose: Given the …

Safety And Improvement Of Movement Function After Stroke With Atomoxetine: A Pilot Randomized Trial, Andrea Ward, Cheryl Carrico, Elizabeth Powell, Philip M. Westgate, Laurie Nichols, Anne Fleischer, Lumy Sawaki

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Faculty Publications

Background: Intensive, task-oriented motor training has been associated with neuroplastic reorganization and improved upper extremity movement function after stroke. However, to optimize such training for people with moderate-to-severe movement impairment, pharmacological modulation of neuroplasticity may be needed as an adjuvant intervention.

Objective: Evaluate safety, as well as improvement in movement function, associated with motor training paired with a drug to upregulate neuroplasticity after stroke.

Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 12 subjects with chronic stroke received either atomoxetine or placebo paired with motor training. Safety was assessed using vital signs. Upper extremity movement function was assessed using Fugl-Meyer Assessment, …

Adaptor Protein 2 (Ap-2) Complex Is Essential For Functional Axogenesis In Hippocampal Neurons, Jae Won Kyung, In Ha Cho, Sukmook Lee, Woo Keun Song, Timothy A. Ryan, Michael B. Hoppa, Sung Hyun Kim

Dartmouth Scholarship

The complexity and diversity of a neural network requires regulated elongation and branching of axons, as well as the formation of synapses between neurons. In the present study we explore the role of AP-2, a key endocytic adaptor protein complex, in the development of rat hippocampal neurons. We found that the loss of AP-2 during the early stage of development resulted in impaired axon extension and failed maturation of the axon initial segment (AIS). Normally the AIS performs two tasks in

concert, stabilizing neural polarity and generating action potentials. In AP-2 silenced axons polarity is established, however there is a …

A Cognitive Electrophysiological Signature Differentiates Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment From Normal Aging, Juan Li, Lucas S. Broster, Gregory A. Jicha, Nancy B. Munro, Frederick A. Schmitt, Erin L. Abner, Richard J. Kryscio, Charles D. Smith, Yang Jiang

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

Background: Noninvasive and effective biomarkers for early detection of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) before measurable changes in behavioral performance remain scarce. Cognitive event-related potentials (ERPs) measure synchronized synaptic neural activity associated with a cognitive event. Loss of synapses is a hallmark of the neuropathology of early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that ERP responses during working memory retrieval discriminate aMCI from cognitively normal controls (NC) matched in age and education.

Methods: Eighteen NC, 17 subjects with aMCI, and 13 subjects with AD performed a delayed match-to-sample task specially designed not only to be …

Cerebellar Tdcs: A Novel Approach To Augment Language Treatment Post-Stroke, Rajani Sebastian, Sadhvi Saxena, Kyrana Tsapkini, Andreia V. Faria, Charltien Long, Amy Wright, Cameron Davis, Donna C. Tippett, Antonios P. Mourdoukoutas, Marom Bikson, Pablo Celnik, Argye E. Hillis

Publications and Research

People with post-stroke aphasia may have some degree of chronic deficit for which current rehabilitative treatments are variably effective. Accumulating evidence suggests that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may be useful for enhancing the effects of behavioral aphasia treatment. However, it remains unclear which brain regions should be stimulated to optimize effects on language recovery. Here, we report on the therapeutic potential of right cerebellar tDCS in augmenting language recovery in SMY, who sustained bilateral MCA infarct resulting in aphasia and anarthria. We investigated the effects of 15 sessions of anodal cerebellar tDCS coupled with spelling therapy using a randomized, …

The Healthy Brain Network Serial Scanning Initiative: A Resource For Evaluating Inter-Individual Differences And Their Reliabilities Across Scan Conditions And Sessions, David O'Connor, Natan Vega Potler, Meagan Kovacs, Ting Xu, Lei Ai, John Pellman, Tamara Vanderwal, Lucas C. Parra, Samantha Cohen, Satrajit Ghosh, Jasmine Escalera, Natalie Grant-Villegas, Yael Osman, Anastasia Bui, R. Cameron Craddock, Michael P. Milham

Publications and Research

Background: Although typically measured during the resting state, a growing literature is illustrating the ability to map intrinsic connectivity with functional MRI during task and naturalistic viewing conditions. These paradigms are drawing excitement due to their greater tolerability in clinical and developing populations and because they enable a wider range of analyses (e.g., inter-subject correlations). To be clinically useful, the test-retest reliability of connectivity measured during these paradigms needs to be established. This resource provides data for evaluating test-retest reliability for full-brain connectivity patterns detected during each of four scan conditions that differ with respect to level of engagement (rest, …

Ck2—An Emerging Target For Neurological And Psychiatric Disorders, Julia Castello, Andre Ragnauth, Eitan Friedman, Heike Rebholz

Publications and Research

Protein kinase CK2 has received a surge of attention in recent years due to the evidence of its overexpression in a variety of solid tumors and multiple myelomas as well as its participation in cell survival pathways. CK2 is also upregulated in the most prevalent and aggressive cancer of brain tissue, glioblastoma multiforme, and in preclinical models, pharmacological inhibition of the kinase has proven successful in reducing tumor size and animal mortality. CK2 is highly expressed in the mammalian brain and has many bona fide substrates that are crucial in neuronal or glial homeostasis and signaling processes across synapses. Full …

Collective Behaviour In Video Viewing: A Thermodynamic Analysis Of Gaze Position, Kate Burleson-Lesser, Flaviano Morone, Paul Deguzman, Lucas C. Parra, Hernan Makse

Publications and Research

Videos and commercials produced for large audiences can elicit mixed opinions. We wondered whether this diversity is also reflected in the way individuals watch the videos. To answer this question, we presented 65 commercials with high production value to 25 individuals while recording their eye movements, and asked them to provide preference ratings for each video. We find that gaze positions for the most popular videos are highly correlated. To explain the correlations of eye movements, we model them as ªinteractionsº between individuals. A thermodynamic analysis of these interactions shows that they approach a ªcritical º point such that any …

Acute Neuroinflammation Induces Ais Structural Plasticity In A Nox2-Dependent Manner, S. D. Benusa, N. M. George, B. A. Sword, G. H. Devries, J. L. Dupree

Anatomy and Neurobiology Publications

Background

Chronic microglia-mediated inflammation and oxidative stress are well-characterized underlying factors in neurodegenerative disease, whereby reactive inflammatory microglia enhance ROS production and impact neuronal integrity. Recently, it has been shown that during chronic inflammation, neuronal integrity is compromised through targeted disruption of the axon initial segment (AIS), the axonal domain critical for action potential initiation. AIS disruption was associated with contact by reactive inflammatory microglia which wrap around the AIS, increasing association with disease progression. While it is clear that chronic microglial inflammation and enhanced ROS production impact neuronal integrity, little is known about how acute microglial inflammation influences AIS …

The Effect Of Aging On The Blood Brain Barrier Permeability And Response To Fluoxetine Enantiomers, Ethar Arkan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

We tested the effect of the fluoxetine enantiomers (S-fluoxetine and R-fluoxetine) versus Prozac (50:50 ratio of R- and S- fluoxetine enantiomers) and/or control on blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability in different brain regions in both male and female rats. The rats consumed orally the drug (5 mg/kg) or vehicle for a total of three days, then were injected with sterile Evans blue dye ip, at least 12 hours before euthanasia.. We see significant regional brain differences in BBB permeability (hippocampus has tighter BBB), significant differences based on the age of the animals (young rats show enhanced permeability in lower brain …

Examing The Effects Of Energy Deprivation On The Strength Model Of Self-Control: An Imposition Theory, Jiayin Qu

Psychology Honors Projects

The strength model of self control suggests exerting self-control consumes an energy resource that is depleted in subsequent tasks. Past research is equivocal whether such depletion happens and whether glucose can reverse it. We proposed an imposition theory to reconcile the contradiction: (1) energy deprivation is a prerequisite condition; (2) awareness of deprivation modulates the extent of depletion. The results suggested that rats showed more self-control depletion and performance across different conditions was more consistent when food deprived compared to when not. There was also a marginal effect of awareness of the deprivation.