Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Effect Of Draxin Manipulation On Btbr Mouse Brain And Behavior, Adam Blau

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is known for distinct behavioral phenotypes such as a preference for repetitive activities and difficulty in socialization. However, little is known about what might cause ASD. Current evidence implicates genetics as playing a substantial role in ASD. Mouse models, such as BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) inbred mice, are an invaluable resource for ASD research, as they allow the investigation of both genetics and behavior in parallel. BTBR mice are of interest due to their reduced hippocampal commissure (HC) and absent corpus callosum (CC), along with increased exploratory activity, decreased anxiety, reduced sociability, and increased repetitive self-grooming …

Alterations In Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor Type 1 In The Hypothalamus And Preoptic Area During The Postpartum Period, Rose Ann M. De Guzman

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Despite the apparent sex difference in prevalence of anxiety in humans, pre-clinical studies that have led to anxiolytic drug discoveries between 1960 and 2012 used male animals and approximately 6% of 10,000 studies used female animals. The generalizability of the efficacy of these drugs to both sexes may be limited if data derived are predominantly based on the male brain. The purpose of this dissertation, therefore, was to investigate potential underlying neuronal mechanisms that could be contributing to the sex differences in stress-related mood disorder prevalence and to focus on shedding light on female brains.

Depression And Anxiety In A Female Adolescent Population With Sources Of Social Support Latent Profiles, Kathleen Kelly

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Social support is associated with various outcomes such as depression and anxiety. Less work has investigated how support received from various sources cumulatively is associated with internalizing symptoms. Research suggests that above other sources, parents and peers are the most strongly associated with internalizing outcomes. Looking at female adolescents specifically, the current study explored 1) what patterns of social support across sources emerge in a female adolescent sample, and 2) how do depressive and anxiety symptoms vary based on those patterns of social support? The study utilized Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) on data collected from a female high school sample …

Effects Of Chronic Stress On The Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide (Pacap) In The Bed Nucleus Of The Stria Terminalis (Bnst), Mahafuza Aktar

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Exposure to chronic stressors can produce maladaptive behavioral and physiological consequences. Previous work has demonstrated that chronic variant stress exposure enhances anxiety-like behavior and increases pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and PAC1 receptor transcripts in the anterolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in rats. The studies described here demonstrate that treatment with a chronic variant stress paradigm produced anxiety-like behavior in transgenic PACAP-Cre mice. Additionally, the stressed group did not gain weight during the 14 days of chronic stressor exposure compared to control mice. Furthermore, fewer PACAP-expressing neurons were observed in the posterior BNST and lateral hypothalamus …

Finding Brain Predictors Of Psychostimulant Medication Use In Adhd Using Machine Learning, Zoe Irene Hulce

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Psychostimulant medication is the first line of treatment for Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Despite the prevalence of ADHD, there is a lack of understanding of the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of the disorder and its pharmacological treatments. Existing neuroimaging research shows some consistent structural differences in ADHD, but it can be difficult to discern what is relevant. Machine learning algorithms present a novel way of analyzing a large amount of data by making predictions based on pattern detection.

The present study applied an elastic-net logistic machine learning model to structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development …

Regulation Of Neuroinflammation After Ischemic Stroke By Astroglial Endothelin Receptor Type-B Signaling, John Mcinnis

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

A large body of neuroscientific research has focused on reactive gliosis and glial scar formation because these are among the most prominent features of the cellular response to central nervous system (CNS) injury. Despite much progress in our understanding, controversy remains regarding the relative balance between the protective nature of the astroglial scar and its anti-regenerative features. Recent work suggests that astrocytes are heterogeneous in their resting state and in their reactivity. In traumatic injuries such as stroke and spinal cord injury, proliferative reactive astrocytes protect CNS tissue. By contrast, under neuroinflammatory and/or neurodegenerative conditions, neurotoxic astrocyte phenotypes may contribute …

Exosomes Isolated From Murine Astroglial Cells And Human Blood Samples Contain The Notch 1 Intracellular Domain, Nicholas Toker

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Notch 1 is an evolutionarily conserved cell signaling receptor with important functions ranging from control of stem cell proliferation and differentiation to regulation of angiogenesis. Accordingly, Notch 1 expression affects a diverse assortment of protein targets. Here, we explore the role that Notch 1 and related signaling molecules play in astrocyte cell biology. Specifically, we investigate exosomes and the transduction of Notch signaling in astrocytes. Exosomes are small (10-150 nm) vesicles secreted by most cell types and have been found to contain cargo ranging from small RNA species to full length transmembrane receptors. We report, for the first time to …

Exploring The Impact Of Affective Processing On Visual Perception Of Large-Scale Spatial Environments, Auroabah S. Almufleh

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the interaction between emotions and visual perception using large scale spatial environment as the medium of this interaction. Emotion has been documented to have an early effect on scene perception (Olofsson, Nordin, Sequeira, & Polich, 2008). Yet, most popularly-used scene stimuli, such as the IAPS or GAPED stimulus sets often depict salient objects embedded in naturalistic backgrounds, or “events” which contain rich social information, such as human faces or bodies. And thus, while previous studies are instrumental to our understanding of the role that social-emotion plays in visual perception, they do not isolate the effect of emotion …

Divalent Metal Cation Entry And Cytotoxicity In Jurkat T Cells: Role Of Trpm7 Channels, Alayna N. Mellott

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Humans are exposed daily to a variety of metals that can be harmful to our immune system. Although certain divalent metal cations are essential for numerous cellular functions and are critical trace elements in humans, the uptake mechanisms of these ions remain mostly unknown. Transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7), which is expressed in a variety of human cell types, including lymphocytes and macrophages, conducts many divalent metal cations. TRPM7 channels are largely inactive under normal physiological conditions due to cytoplasmic magnesium acting as a channel inhibitor. Magnesium is a cofactor for many biochemical reactions. Low serum levels of magnesium, …

The Substantiality Of The Neuroplasticity Hypothesis Of Major Depressive Disorder: The Prospective Use Of Ketamine-Like Drugs As Antidepressants, Roma Kankaria

Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship

Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects approximately 17.3 million adults in the United States each year. For more than 50 years, the serotonin hypothesis of MDD, which hypothesizes that a deficiency of monoaminergic neurotransmitters results in depression, has been the foundation for neuropsychological research. However, studies reveal that only an estimated 50% of MDD patients respond to traditional, biogenic-amine-based antidepressants (ADs), like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Research has noted that the neuroplasticity hypothesis, which posits that weakened excitatory synaptic transmission results in depression, offers an alternative mechanism by which ketamine-like drugs lacking the abuse liability and psychoactive effects of …

Ideology And Predictive Processing: Coordination, Bias, And Polarization In Socially Constrained Error Minimization, Nathan E. Wheeler, Suraiya Allidina, Elizabeth U. Long, Stephen P. Schneider, Ingrid J. Haas, William A. Cunningham

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Recent models of cognition suggest that the brain may implement predictive processing, in which top-down expectations constrain incoming sensory data. In this perspective, expectations are updated (error minimization) only if sensory data sufficiently deviate from these expectations (prediction error). Although originally applied to perception, predictive processing is thought to generally characterize cognitive architecture, including the social cognitive processes involved in ideological thinking. Scaling up these simple computational principles to the social sphere outlines a path by which group members may adopt shared ideologies and beliefs to predict behavior and cooperate with each other. Because ideological judgments are of specific interest …

Basigin As An Immune Mediator In The Cns, Alicia Gonzalez

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative disorders. Although the central nervous system (CNS) can stave peripheral pathogens from crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) through a network of continuous endothelia, astrocytes, and pericytes, prolonged exposure to a pathogen can comprise this barrier. Basigin, a cell adhesion molecule, is found on the surface of endothelial cells and has been demonstrated to interact with toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). TLR4 recognizes lipopolysaccharide (LPS), found on the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. The activation of TLR4 produces pro-inflammatory cytokines, like IL-6. The present study aims to address the expression pattern of Basigin gene …

Artificially-Generated Scenes Demonstrate The Importance Of Global Properties During Early Scene Perception, Mavuso Wesley Mzozoyana

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

During scene perception, studies have shown the importance of the global distribution of a scene. Electrophysiological studies have found these global effects concentrated corresponding to the second positive and first negative peaks (P2 and N1, respectively) of the Event-related potential (ERP) during the first 600 ms of scene perception. We sought to understand in Experiment 1, to what extent early responses to scenes were driven by mid-level global information such as the degree of naturalness or openness in a scene image in the absence of specific low-and high-level information (color and semantic object detail). This was done using artificially-generated stimuli …

Protocol Development And Optimization For Rnls Mouse Characteristic Assessment, Hasan Farid

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Protocol development and optimization are vital in the scientific method process. By having accurate protocols, one can properly assess the characteristics of their animal model for any given experiment. One animal newly adopted in our lab was the novel regulatable nuclear localization sequence (rNLS) mouse model. This novel mouse model displays symptoms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), after the accumulation of the hTDP-43 (TAR DNA-binding protein 43) aggregate in the central nervous system. The expression of this protein occurs after the removal of deoxycycline from the mouse’s food source. Once the removal of the drug, this …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of A Luminally Restricted 5-Ht4 Agonist For The Treatment Of Colitis And Constipation, Molly C. Hurd

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 4 (5-HT4 receptor) is highly expressed in the gastrointestinal system on colonic epithelial cells and has been identified as a potential therapeutic target in altered bowel function and pain. 5-HT4 receptors influence propulsive motility, decrease sensitivity and visceral pain, increase enteric neuron survival, increase mucus secretion and mediate epithelial cell proliferation. Previous work in the Mawe laboratory has demonstrated that intraluminal application of the 5-HT4 receptor agonist, tegaserod, exerts protective actions in animal models of colitis as well as accelerate recovery from active colitis. The first aim of this study was to test a newly developed luminally …

Involvement Of The Sigma-1 Receptor In Methamphetamine-Mediated Changes To Astrocyte Structure And Function, Richik Neogi

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive psychostimulant drug. There are currently no FDA-approved pharmacological treatments for methamphetamine addiction. Pharmacologically, (+)-methamphetamine is a dopamine releasing agent and dopamine transporter substrate that redistributes dopamine from intracellular vesicles via the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) and reverses the direction of dopamine transport in the dopamine transporter. Methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs of abuse are also sigma-1 receptor ligands, and previous studies have demonstrated the role of the sigma-1 receptor in modulating the behavioral and cellular effects of these drugs. However, almost all these studies were conducted in cell culture systems or with emphasis on …

Insights Into The Structure, Pharmacology, And Evolution Of The Glycine Transporter 2, Ashley Bryan Lopez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The balance between neuronal excitation and inhibition in the central nervous system is vital for survival. Overexcitation can be toxic and lead to certain manias or even death. On the other hand, extremely low levels of inhibition cause hyperekplexia, pain, and even forms of autism. Neuronal inhibition is, for the most part, achieved by two neurotransmitters, GABA and glycine. Levels of both neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft are meticulously regulated by the GABA and glycine transporters, respectively, which belong to the solute carrier 6 (SLC6) family of neurotransmitter transporters and share structural similarities with other family members. In Chapter 1, …

Sex Differences In The Mechanisms That Modulate The Neurochemical Effects Of Nicotine, Kevin Uribe

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Prior behavioral studies in our laboratory revealed that overexpression of the stress peptide, corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), in the mesocorticolimbic reward pathway enhanced the reinforcing effects of nicotine. The latter effect was greater in female versus male rats, suggesting that females are uniquely susceptible to the effects of stress on nicotine reinforcement. The goal of this dissertation was to examine the neurochemical mechanisms by which overexpression of CRF in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a terminal region of the mesocorticolimbic pathway, modulates the behavioral effects of nicotine. Specifically, we examined whether nicotine-induced dopamine levels are altered by CRF overexpression via excitatory (glutamate) …

Assessing Morphology Of Iprgcs After Traumatic Brain Injury, Brian Foresi, Matt Smith

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

ipRGCs are retinal ganglion cells that project to visual processing centers of the brain for nonimage forming visual functions. The relation of ipRGCs to tramatic brain injury (TBI) is emerging as data has been published describing ipRGC functional changes in TBI affected military veterans. Major symptomologies of concussions, a mild form of TBI, also overlap with the function governed by sites in the brain with major ipRGC projection percentages. Assesing if a morphological change is occuring in the ipRGCs after a TBI could support the idea of a pathological mechanism of the injury. This study could also indicate further relevance …

What Makes An Image Memorable? Effects Of Encoding On The Mechanism Of Recognition, Asiya Gul

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Memory is undoubtedly one of the most important processes of human cognition. A long line of research suggests that recognition relies on the assessment of two explicit memory phenomena: familiarity and recollection. Researchers who support the Dual Process Signal Detection (DPSD) model of recognition memory link the FN400 component (a negative ERP deflection peaking around 400 ms at frontal electrodes) with familiarity; however, it is currently unclear whether the FN400 reflects familiarity or implicit memory. Three event-related potentials (ERP) studies were conducted to determine whether implicit memory plays a role in setting up encoding strategies, and how these encoding strategies …

Spinal Motor Neuron Excitability And Balance Control Changes Following Downslope Walking, Nikki Aitcheson-Huehn

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Downslope walking (DSW) has been proposed as a rehabilitation tool for people with Multiple Sclerosis (PwMS) although there are mixed findings in young adults (YA) regarding the balance control changes, despite both populations experiencing depressed spinal motor neuron (MN) pool excitability. Our aim was to determine whether YAs could demonstrate improved balance control in conjunction with SOL H reflex depression (estimate of spinal MN excitability) following DSW. We also aimed to determine whether reciprocal inhibition was a potential mechanism for H reflex depression via conditioned SOL H reflexes. Thirty young adults (23±1.4y, 6 males) were assigned to 30-minutes of DSW …

The Effects Of Dorsal Lateral Telencephalon Lesions On Zebrafish Social Behaviour, Hailey Katzman

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Zebrafish are extremely social and aggregate in groups to form shoals. This social behaviour has been studied in the wild and in a laboratory setting, yet the mechanisms underlying the behaviour are unknown. There is evidence to suggest that the dorsal lateral telencephalon might play a role in shaping shoaling behaviour, being involved in modulating social behaviours and social reward associated with shoaling. In the current thesis, I adapted and combined several existing methods for performing lesions on the dorsal lateral telencephalon to create my own method to measure the role of the dorsal lateral telencephalon in social reward and …