Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Current State Of Sleep-Related Performance Optimization Interventions For The E-Sports Industry, Allison Joy Brager, Guido Simonelli

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Abstract: The e-sports industry is rapidly expanding but despite industry growth, there are existing gaps in knowledge regarding holistic and pharmacological performance enhancement strategies. The current commentary focuses on the current state of performance intervention strategies that target sleep/wake and circadian timing systems. These performance intervention strategies are based on the current state of sleep/wake health and research portfolios of Army research laboratories. The intent is to provide a foundation for future research efforts directly targeting sleep/wake and circadian timing systems in order to optimize and enhance e-sports performance at both the individual and group levels.

Axonal Blockage With Microscopic Magnetic Stimulation, Hui Ye

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Numerous neurological dysfunctions are characterized by undesirable nerve activity. By providing reversible nerve blockage, electric stimulation with an implanted electrode holds promise in the treatment of these conditions. However, there are several limitations to its application, including poor bio-compatibility and decreased efficacy during chronic implantation. A magnetic coil of miniature size can mitigate some of these problems, by coating it with biocompatible material for chronic implantation. However, it is unknown if miniature coils could be effective in axonal blockage and, if so, what the underlying mechanisms are. Here we demonstrate that a submillimeter magnetic coil can reversibly block action potentials …

Comparative Efficacies Of Calmare Therapy And Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation In Randomized Peripheral Neuropathy Subjects With Resting State Fmri Monitoring, Ty A. Bodily, Logan Edvalson, Jordan B. Peacock, Zack M. Bradshaw, Carson Hart, Cameron Ernst, Samuel Biggs, David D. Busath

Faculty Publications

Clinical reports of Calmare protocol efficacy suggest enhanced durability compared to TENS and the possibility changes in resting fMRI connectivity. The objective was to compare peripheral neuropathy pain relief and resting fMRI changes with Calmare and TENS treatments. Randomized double-blind trials performed in August 2015 and between August 2016 and November 2017, with 18 and 20 human peripheral neuropathy subjects, respectively. The initial trial examined effects of a single session while the latter trial examined the effects of a course of ten treatment sessions on consecutive weekdays. fMRI scans were examined for changes in blood flow correlations and connectivity. Subjective …

An Acute Application Of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Does Not Improve Motor Performance In Parkinson’S Disease, Lidio Lima De Albuquerque, Milan Pantovic, Mitchel Clingo, Katherine Fischer, Sharon Jalene, Merrill Landers, Zoltan Mari, Brach Poston

Integrated Health Sciences Faculty Research

Transcranial direct current stimulation of the cerebellum (c-tDCS) improves motor performance in young and old adults. Based on the cerebellar involvement in Parkinson’s disease (PD), c-tDCS could have potential to improve motor function in PD. The purpose was to determine the effects of c-tDCS on motor performance in PD while participants were on medications. The study was a randomized, double-blind, SHAM-controlled, between-subjects design. Twenty-two participants with PD were allocated to either a c-tDCS group or a SHAM group. All participants completed one experimental session and performed two motor tasks with their most affected hand in a Baseline condition (no stimulation) …

Visual Corticocortical Inputs To Ferret Area 18, Reem Khalil, Moody Roberne Jensy Saint Louis, Shaima Alsuwaidi, Jonathan B. Levitt

Publications and Research

Visual cortical areas in the adult mammalian brain are linked by a network of interareal feedforward and feedback circuits. We investigated the topography of feedback projections to ferret (Mustela putorius furo) area 18 from extrastriate areas 19, 21, and Ssy. Our objective was to characterize the anatomical organization of the extrastriate feedback pool to area 18. We also wished to determine if feedback projections to area 18 share similar features as feedback projections to area 17. We injected the tracer cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) into area 18 of adult ferrets to visualize the distribution and pattern of retrogradely labeled …

Modeling Self-Organization In Human Crowds, Trenton D. Wirth

Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Reports

Developing an understanding of human crowd movement is critical for optimizing crowd safety, both on the streets and in buildings. It is well understood from the study of animal collective motion that individuals are better able coordinate and respond to perturbations by perceiving movements from their neighbors (Ballerini et al., 2008; Couzin & Krause, 2003; Partridge, 1982). Thus, modeling and simulating human crowd behavior depends on the modeler’s ability to accurately characterize how an individual is influenced by his or her neighbors (Ballerini et al., 2008); i.e., identifying the local rules of engagement that lead to self-organization (Rio et al., …

Aci-35 And Aadvac1 Active Immunotherapy As Preventative Treatment Options For Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Emily C. Boehlein

Selected Honors Theses

One of the most common, as well as one of the most dangerous injuries amongst athletes today is mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), commonly known as concussion. Aside from physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, and headaches; concussions have can have longterm effects on brain physiology. A common neurological disease that can result from multiple concussions is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), characterized by symptoms such as severe depression, anxiety, confusion, and aggression; amongst others.1 On the cellular level, CTE is classified by a unique pathway that leads to the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein and subsequent clumping of tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles …

Predictors Of Pathology Smartphone Use: Reward Processing, Depressive Symptoms, And Self-Control, Ashley Dapore, Robert West, Carl Ash, Bridget Kirby, Kaitlyn Malley, Shasha Zhu

Annual Student Research Poster Session

The widespread adoption of smartphones that allow us to work, engage with friends and family, and pursue leisure activities has been associated with the emergence of pathological smartphone use wherein individuals experience anxiety and depressive symptoms when separated from their devices and may be more likely to engage in risky behavior while using their phone. Consistent with the broader literature on behavioral addictions, smartphone pathology is associated with increased depressive symptoms and decreased self-control. The current study builds upon a foundation of evidence from studies of pathological technology use including video games, the Internet, and social media to explore the …

Core Neuropsychological Measures For Obesity And Diabetes Trials: Initial Report, Kimberlee D'Ardenne, Cary R. Savage, Dana Small, Uku Vainik, Luke E. Stoeckel

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Obesity and diabetes are known to be related to cognitive abilities. The Core Neuropsychological Measures for Obesity and Diabetes Trials Project aimed to identify the key cognitive and perceptual domains in which performance can influence treatment outcomes, including predicting, mediating, and moderating treatment outcome and to generate neuropsychological batteries comprised of well-validated, easy-to-administer tests that best measure these key domains. The ultimate goal is to facilitate inclusion of neuropsychological measures in clinical studies and trials so that we can gather more information on potential mediators of obesity and diabetes treatment outcomes. We will present the rationale for the project and …

Degradation Of Transcriptional Repressor Atf4 During Late-Phase Long-Term Potentiation, Spencer Smith

Biology Theses

Maintenance of long-term synaptic plasticity requires gene expression mediated by cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB). Gene expression driven by CREB can commence only if the inhibition by a transcriptional repressor ATF4 (activating transcription factor 4; aka CREB2) is relieved. Previous research showed that the removal of ATF4 occurs through ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated proteolysis. Using chemically induced hippocampal long-term potentiation (cLTP) as a model system, we investigated the mechanisms that control ATF4 degradation. We observed that ATF4 phosphorylated at Serine-219 increases upon induction of cLTP and decreases by about 30 min thereafter. Proteasome inhibitor β-lactone prevents the decrease in ATF4. We found that …

Tonic And Phasic Amperometric Monitoring Of Dopamine Using Microelectrode Arrays In Rat Striatum, Martin Lundblad, David A. Price, Jason J. Burmeister, Jorge E. Quintero, Peter Huettl, Francois Pomerleau, Nancy R. Zahniser, Greg A. Gerhardt

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Here we report a novel microelectrode array recording approach to measure tonic (resting) and phasic release of dopamine (DA) in DA-rich areas such as the rat striatum and nucleus accumbens. The resulting method is tested in intact central nervous system (CNS) and in animals with extensive loss of the DA pathway using the neurotoxin, 6-hydroxyDA (6-OHDA). The self-referencing amperometric recording method employs Nafion-coated with and without m-phenylenediamine recording sites that through real-time subtraction allow for simultaneous measures of tonic DA levels and transient changes due to depolarization and amphetamine-induced release. The recording method achieves low-level measures of both tonic and …

Winning In Weight-Loss: The Interaction Of Conscientiousness And Perceived Autonomy, Jason M. Curtis, Marc Lochbaum

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

ABSTRACT

Background

Understanding determinants for weight-loss is a national priority. Obesity is an epidemic with serious health consequences. Most of today’s obesity and overweight problems are being attributed to poor diets and not enough physical activity. These problems show no signs of slowing down with the behaviors of most Americans. The phenomenon of “The Biggest Loser” (different variants of weight-loss programs that consist of group exercise participation and nutrition therapy to elicit weight-loss, and hopefully behavior change) has spawned many variants in commercial health clubs. This prospectus study examined the direct and interactive or moderated effects of known determinants of …

Astrocytes Deliver Ck1 To Neurons Via Extracellular Vesicles In Response To Inflammation Promoting The Translation And Amyloidogenic Processing Of App, Zhigang Li, Mohammed Moniruzzaman, Raha M. Dastgheyb, Seung-Wan Yoo, Meina Wang, Hongbo Hao, Jia Liu, Patrizia Casaccia, Carlos Nogueras-Ortiz, Dimitrios Kapogiannis, Barbara S. Slusher, Norman J. Haughey

Advanced Science Research Center

Chronic inflammation is thought to contribute to the early pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the precise mechanism by which inflammatory cytokines promote the formation and deposition of Aβ remains unclear. Available data suggest that applications of inflammatory cytokines onto isolated neurons do not promote the formation of Aβ, suggesting an indirect mechanism of action. Based on evidence astrocyte derived extracellular vesicles (astrocyte derived EVs) regulate neuronal functions, and data that inflammatory cytokines can modify the molecular cargo of astrocyte derived EVs, we sought to determine if IL-1β promotes the formation of Aβ indirectly through …

Flexible Coordinator And Switcher Hubs For Adaptive Task Control, Carrisa V. Cocuzza, Takuya Ito, Douglas H. Schultz, Dabielle D. Bassett, Michael W. Cole

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Functional connectivity (FC) studies have identified at least two large-scale neural systems that constitute cognitive control networks, the frontoparietal network (FPN) and cingulo-opercular network (CON). Control networks are thought to support goal-directed cognition and behavior. It was previously shown that the FPN flexibly shifts its global connectivity pattern according to task goal, consistent with a “flexible hub” mechanism for cognitive control. Our aim was to build on this finding to develop a functional cartography (a multimetric profile) of control networks in terms of dynamic network properties. We quantified network properties in (male and female) humans using a high-control-demand cognitive paradigm …

Validating Tackle Mechanics In American Football: Improving Safety And Performance, Arthur C. Maerlender, Caitlin J. Masterson, Rex Norris, Adam Hinthorne

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Research has helped to understand the risks of injuries of tackling in American football and rugby; however, approaches to teaching and analysis are not well-documented. Shoulder-led tackling has been proposed as a safer approach to tackling even though data on the effectiveness for safety and defensive performance is limited. Additionally, some have argued that safety and effectiveness are incompatible. The purpose of the study was to validate a specific sequence of tackling actions as a tool for teaching safer and more effective tackling skills. Results suggested tackle scores help predict presence of head contact, and that higher tackle scores were …

Ubc-9 Acts In Gaba Neurons To Control Neuromuscular Signaling In C. Elegans, Victoria A. Kreyden, Elly B. Mawi, Jennifer Kowalski

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

Regulation of excitatory to inhibitory signaling balance is essential to nervous system health and is maintained by numerous enzyme systems that modulate the activity, localization, and abundance of synaptic proteins. SUMOylation is a key post-translational regulator of protein function in diverse cells, including neurons. There, its role in regulating synaptic transmission through pre- and postsynaptic effects has been shown primarily at glutamatergic central nervous system synapses, where the sole SUMO-conjugating enzyme Ubc9 is a critical player. However, whether Ubc9 functions globally at other synapses, including inhibitory synapses, has not been explored. Here, we investigated the role of UBC-9 and the …

Optimal Control Of Excitable Systems Near Criticality, Kathleen Finlinson, Woodrow L. Shew, Danile B. Larremore, Juan G. Restrepo

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Experiments suggest that the cerebral cortex gains several functional advantages by operating in a dynamical regime near the critical point of a phase transition. However, a long-standing criticism of this hypothesis is that critical dynamics are rather noisy, which might be detrimental to aspects of brain function that require precision. If the cortex does operate near criticality, how might it mitigate the noisy fluctuations? One possibility is that other parts of the brain may act to control the fluctuations and reduce cortical noise. To better understand basic aspects of controlling neural activity fluctuations, here we numerically and analytically study a …

Biological Aging In Childhood And Adolescence Following Experiences Of Threat And Deprivation: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Natalie L. Colich, Maya L. Rosen, Eileen S. Williams, Katie A. Mclaughlin

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

Life history theory argues that exposure to early life adversity (ELA) accelerates development, although existing evidence for this varies. We present a meta-analysis and systematic review testing the hypothesis that ELA involving threat (e.g., violence exposure) will be associated with accelerated biological aging across multiple metrics, whereas exposure to deprivation (e.g., neglect, institutional rearing) and low-socioeconomic status (SES) will not. We meta-analyze 54 studies (n = 116,010) examining associations of ELA with pubertal timing and cellular aging (telomere length and DNA methylation age), systematically review 25 studies (n = 3,253) examining ELA and neural markers of accelerated development (cortical thickness …

Neurodevelopmental Mechanisms Of Adverse Trauma Outcomes In Emerging Adulthood, Olena Kleshchova

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: Exposure to traumatic stress and adversity during the formative years of development can have adverse effects on mental health, neuroendocrine stress system function, and the brain, that persist into adulthood. One candidate mechanism that might confer vulnerability to enduring adverse outcomes of early life trauma is disruption of normal brain maturation. As the brain matures, functional interactions among brain regions change until the functional brain architecture (i.e., the functional connectome) reaches a mature state in adulthood. Given that different neural circuits have distinct developmental trajectories and sensitive periods, traumatic stress at a given point in development might have …

Sex/Gender Differences In Serial Position Profiles In Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment And Healthy Controls, Emnet Z. Gammada

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Introduction: Alzheimer’s disease disproportionately affects more women, but paradoxically, men have a higher incidence of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Researchers have suggested that women’s verbal memory advantage across the lifespan reflects better premorbid skills, which then require more neurodegeneration to manifest early clinical impairment. To date, measurement of sex differences in verbal memory have used total list scores. We proposed that a granular examination of serial position effects (SPE) in list-learning can refine the source of sex/gender differences.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of participants with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Healthy Controls (HC) was examined from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging …

Integrating Affect Perception Tasks From The New York Emotion Battery Into A Comprehensive Measure Of Neuropsychological Change Across The Lifespan, Melinda A. Cornwell

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Background: The ability to perceive others’ emotions is a vital skill for social competency, impacting the success of personal and professional relationships (Brinton & Fujiki, 2011; Cassidy et al., 1992; Côté & Miners, 2006). According to Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST; Carstensen, 1991), human motivation develops to become more discerning in choosing milieus that yield the most gratifying return on the investment of personal resources (e.g., time, attention, and effort), perhaps explaining why some research findings indicate that older adults may demonstrate an affect perception (AP) bias described as a positivity effect (Reed et al., 2014). Moreover, AP predicts cognitive and …

The Temporal Dynamics Of Ensemble Perception, Michael L. Epstein

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The striking disparity between the subjective richness of experience and the considerable limitations of perceptual processing has emerged as an essential, enduring question in both vision science and philosophy of mind. A potential solution to this issue is ensemble perception: the ability for the visual system to compute the statistical summaries of object groups, effectively compressing an otherwise overwhelming amount of information. Previous work has supported that ensemble statistics can be perceived quickly and accurately for a wide range of object features. This has motivated models of ensemble perception as an early process in vision, providing an initial sense of …

Structural And Functional Brain Markers Of Trauma-Related Symptoms, Glenn Blessington

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The neurocircuitry model of posttraumatic stress disorder suggests an association between trauma-related symptoms and abnormalities in the structure and function of limbic and prefrontal brain regions. Evidence also suggests that these structural and functional abnormalities are related. We tested the relation between whole brain white matter integrity, resting-state functional connectivity of a fronto-limbic network, and trauma-related symptoms in 22 trauma-exposed women. We hypothesized that components of whole brain white matter would correlate with components of resting connectivity within a fronto-limbic network. We used parallel independent component analysis (pICA) to test the associations between whole brain fractional anisotropy (FA) maps and …

Functions Of Fibroblast Growth Factor Homologous Factor 2 In Excitable Tissues, Christopher Marra

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Purpose: Fibroblast Growth Factor Homologous Factors (FHFs) are a group of proteins known to associate with and modulate voltage-gated sodium channels (Na_v) in excitable cells. The four FHF genes are differentially expressed in specific cell-types, with FHF2 expressed prominently in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, heart and dorsal root ganglia. Due to previous unavailability of an Fhf2 knockout mouse, this gene’s functions have been understudied in comparison to other those encoding other FHFs. The purpose of this research has been to better understand the normal physiological functions of FHF2 at the cellular and system levels in the heart, sensory …

The Cognitive Thalamus: Source Analysis Of Scene Working Memory Delay Activity, Bernard A. Gomes

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Working Memory represents a limited-capacity store for maintaining information and manipulating the store's contents over a short period for the guidance of goal-directed behavior. Working Memory is an essential component of executive functions that are intricately associated with the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The PFC has been implicated in maintaining task-related information online for brief periods in the absence of relevant information. This active maintenance phase is called the delay period that occurs between encoding and retrieval of the stimulus. Previous studies have attempted to understand the relationship between working memory and the PFC, especially during the delay or maintenance phase …

Rehabilitative Movement Approaches And Dance Interventions In Parkinson’S Disease, Cecilia Fontanesi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The scope of this work is to address the functional deficits and symptoms experienced by those living with Parkinson’s Disease through movement interventions.

Chapter 1 offers a brief overview of current pharmacotherapy and rehabilitation approaches in Parkinson’s, focusing on dance in particular as a movement intervention that may be particularly suited to this population.

Chapter 2 focuses on brain plasticity and motor learning in PD, reporting the effects of rTMS applied after the acquisition of a motor skill. In this study, adaptation tested in patients with PD was comparable in the sham and TMS sessions, while retention indices tested on …

Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of Psilocybin From January 1, 1989 To December 31, 2019, Dax Oliver

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Psilocybin is a chemical compound that has received a lot of attention from medical researchers in recent years. However, this research is not merely a medical issue but a social and political one as well. In the 1960s, psilocybin and other psychedelic compounds were widely ingested outside of clinical settings. This alarmed some of the American public, resulting in severe legal restrictions on psilocybin use and research.

Today, many psilocybin advocates hope that it will avoid the negative public sentiment of the 1960s. To help gauge public sentiment about other psychoactive compounds, some studies have examined newspaper coverage, but there …

Employing High Probability Gene Choice Elements To Understand Singular Odorant Receptor Expression, Raena Mina

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ability to detect odorous chemicals in the environment is the oldest of the senses necessary for survival, from escaping danger, finding mates, to locating food. It is said that humans can identify and discriminate up to a trillion different odor mixtures. For chemoreception to have such a high discriminatory power, would require a diverse population of cells dedicated for odor detection. These detector cells are the olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs), which express odorant receptors (ORs) that bind to chemical odors in the environment. In order to increase specificity and sensitivity, an essential property in olfaction is for each OSN …

A Glance At The Mirror: Ensemble Perception Of Symmetry, Gene Jerskey

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A growing body of research has demonstrated the ability of subjects to extract representative statistics from visual ensembles, images of similar but distinct groups of objects, without conscious effort or attention focused on individual members of the ensemble. When presented with ensembles, subjects have been able to accurately report the mean, range, and even distribution of various features in the ensemble. Research into ensemble perception, as it has become known, has divided mainly into studies of either low-level features, such as orientation, motion, and color, which are processed in early visual areas, at least for individual objects, or high-level features, …

Identification Of De Novo Mutations In Prenatal Neurodevelopment-Associated Genes In Schizophrenia In Two Han Chinese Patient-Sibling Family-Based Cohorts, Shan Jiang, Daizhan Zhou, Yin-Ying Wang, Peilin Jia, Chunling Wan, Xingwang Li, Guang He, Dongmei Cao, Xiaoqian Jiang, Kenneth S. Kendler, Ming Tsuang, Travis Mize, Jain-Shing Wu, Yimei Lu, Lin He, Jingchun Chen, Zhongming Zhao, Xiangning Chen

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a severe psychiatric disorder with a strong genetic component. High heritability of SCZ suggests a major role for transmitted genetic variants. Furthermore, SCZ is also associated with a marked reduction in fecundity, leading to the hypothesis that alleles with large effects on risk might often occur de novo. In this study, we conducted whole-genome sequencing for 23 families from two cohorts with unaffected siblings and parents. Two nonsense de novo mutations (DNMs) in GJC1 and HIST1H2AD were identified in SCZ patients. Ten genes (DPYSL2, NBPF1, SDK1, ZNF595, ZNF718, GCNT2, SNX9, AACS, KCNQ1, and MSI2) were found to …