Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Mapping Specific Mental Content During Musical Imagery, Mor Regev, Andrea R. Halpern, Adrian Owen, Aniruddh Patel, Robert J. Zatorre

Faculty Journal Articles

Humans can mentally represent auditory information without an external stimulus, but the specificity of these internal representations remains unclear. Here, we asked how similar the temporally unfolding neural representations of imagined music are compared to those during the original perceived experience. We also tested whether rhythmic motion can influence the neural representation of music during imagery as during perception. Participants first memorized six 1-min-long instrumental musical pieces with high accuracy. Functional MRI data were collected during: 1) silent imagery of melodies to the beat of a visual metronome; 2) same but while tapping to the beat; and 3) passive listening. …

Opioid Use Disorder: The Timeline For Medication Assisted Therapy, Alexander Cristofori

Capstone Showcase

Opioid Use Disorder is patterns of opioid use leading to withdrawal, giving up important life events in order to use opioids, and excessive time spent using opioids, to name a few diagnostic criteria. The clinical progression of the disorder involves periods of acute exacerbation and remission that are cyclic in nature. Treatment is most effective when it includes both pharmacological and psychosocial modalities, referred to as medication assisted therapy (MAT). Three drugs used commonly in MAT-based treatment for OUD from oldest to newest include Methadone, Buprenorphine-naloxone, and Naltrexone. Treatment program models that prioritize total abstinence from the addictive substance attached …

How The Amino Acid L-Serine Provides Neuroprotection Against L-Bmaa Induced Alzheimer’S Disease, Joseph Cimino

Capstone Showcase

More than 6 million people in America are living with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and there are currently no cures or treatments. It is time to move on from the ꞵ-amyloid hypothesis and broaden AD research. New research is suggesting that dietary exposure to a cyanobacterial toxin known as L-BMAA is causing neurodegenerative diseases such as AD, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s Disease. L-BMAA is misincorporated during protein folding, in place of the proper amino acid, L-Serine. It has been shown that the naturally occurring amino acid, L-Serine, can provide neuroprotection against L-BMAA, but the mechanism by which L-Serine infers …

Developmental Influences On The Initial Subjective Rewarding Effects Of Etoh, Madison Waldron

Master’s Theses

The present studies were aimed to better understand developmental contributions to the risk for disordered drinking, and facilitate the long-term goal of developing effective interventions for individuals at high risk for alcohol use disorders. Experiment 1 assessed the effect of adolescent pre-exposure to ethanol on adult place preference, as well as, sex- and beta-endorphin(bE)-related contributions. Adolescent C57BL/6J and bE deficient mice were injected with 1.5g/kg of ethanol or saline and put back into their home cages. At the time of adulthood, we employed a single-exposure conditioned place preference paradigm (SE-CPP) to investigate the impact of preexposure on the initial subjective …

Protocadherin-19 Expression And Function In Vertebrate Brain Review, Makana Mcguire

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

For this project, a systematic review will be conducted on published studies on protocadherin-19 expression and function in vertebrate central nervous system development in the last 10 years. Protocadherin-19 (pcdh19) is a member of the cadherin superfamily. Cadherins are calcium-dependent cell adhesion molecules show to play important roles in vertebrate tissue development including the formation of the central nervous system. Understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the function of pcdh19 will help aid in understanding disease(s) caused by malfunction of this molecule, and lead to potential strategies for treatment. Data will be collected via online search of databases. The project …

Identifying Molecular Pathways Underlying Noise-Induced Tinnitus, Mckenzie Rice

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Tinnitus is a serious neurological condition effecting 10-15% of adults, and can lead to other symptoms such as difficulty concentrating and sleeping, anxiety, and depression. Currently there are no FDA approved drugs to prevent or treat tinnitus, mainly due to a lack of understanding of its cellular and molecular pathways. T- and L- type calcium channels have been implicated in the modulation of tinnitus, as well as the dysfunction of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons. This study used the sound-based avoidance detection (SBAD) method in order to detect tinnitus and determine whether pharmacological treatments had an effect in mediating tinnitus. T-type …

Characterizing Galectin And Lysosomal Rupture's Role In Spreading Parkinson Disease Pathology, Kevin Burbidge

Dissertations

The misfolding and subsequent accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is central to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). Several lines of evidence suggest pathological α-syn spread cell-to-cell via a "prion-like" mechanism. Furthermore, this pathological α-syn is capable of "seeding" further misfolding of non-pathological α-syn, converting them to the pathological form. While a vast body of both genetic and experimental evidence indicates that α-syn is critical to PD development, how α-syn induces progressive neuronal dysfunction and cell death remains unclear.Autophagy, conventional for macroautophagy, is the primary degradation pathway for α-syn aggregates. Autophagy also influences the unconventional secretion of both pathological and non-pathological …

Repeated Electromagnetic Field Stimulation Lowers Amyloid-Β Peptide Levels In Primary Human Mixed Brain Tissue Cultures, Nipun Chopra, Felipe P. Perez, Bryan Maloney, Jorge J. Morisaki, Debomoy K. Lahiri

Biology Faculty publications

Late Onset Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia, characterized by extracellular deposition of plaques primarily of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and tangles primarily of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. We present data to suggest a noninvasive strategy to decrease potentially toxic Aβ levels, using repeated electromagnetic field stimulation (REMFS) in primary human brain (PHB) cultures. We examined effects of REMFS on Aβ levels (Aβ40 and Aβ42, that are 40 or 42 amino acid residues in length, respectively) in PHB cultures at different frequencies, powers, and specific absorption rates (SAR). PHB cultures at day in vitro 7 (DIV7) treated with 64 …

Probation Officer’S Experiences Regarding Juvenile Delinquency And Alternatives To Detention Centers, Bailey Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With a shift in focus from punitive measures to rehabilitation within the juvenile justice system, it is imperative that the efficacy of alternative resources is more closely examined. Given the existing research that highlights adolescent development and the negative or neutral impacts detention centers impose on juveniles, the conversation has now shifted to the use of alternative resources or alternatives to detention. The question now, however, is whether or not these alternatives are sufficient enough to ensure the safety of the community, victims, and the well-beings of the juveniles, when a violent crime has been committed. This study, which was …

Stratifying Ischaemic Stroke Patients Across 3 Treatment Windows Using T2 Relaxation Times, Ordinal Regression And Cumulative Probabilities, Bryony Mcgarry, Elizabeth Hunter, Robin Damian, Michael Knight, Philip Clatworthy, George Harston, Keith Muir, Risto Kauppinen, John Kelleher

Conference papers

Unknown onset time is a common contraindication for anti-thrombolytic treatment of ischaemic stroke. T2 relaxation-based signal changes within the lesion can identify patients within or beyond the 4.5-hour intravenous thrombolysis treatment-window. However, now that intra-arterial thrombolysis is recommended between 4.5 and 6 hours from symptom onset and mechanical thrombectomy is considered safe between 6 and 24 hours, there are three treatment-windows to consider. Here we show a cumulative ordinal regression model, incorporating the T2 relaxation time, predicts the probabilities of a patient being within one of the three treatment-windows and is more accurate than signal intensity changes from T2 weighted …

Effects Of Fluoxetine/Simvastatin/Ascorbic Acid Combination Treatment On Neurogenesis And Functional Recovery In A Model Of Multiple Sclerosis, Olivia Cameron Webb

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Whereas immune modulation has proven beneficial in multiple sclerosis (MS), we hypothesized that targeting down-stream modulators of neurogenesis and subsequent remyelination may offer an additional, if not superior, point of intervention in an attempt to repair damage and recover lost function. As such, the present study assessed the effectiveness of 30-day administration of the drug combination fluoxetine (5 mg/kg), simvastatin (1 mg/kg), and ascorbic acid (50 mg/kg) (FSA) on an early marker of neurogenesis, doublecortin (DCX), and functional recovery using the Montoya Staircase following lysolecithin-induced focal demyelination of the corpus callosum in middle-aged (10-11 month) male and female rats. Lysolecithin …

A Novel Method For Analysis Of Proprioceptor Sensory Neuron Subtypes In The Mouse Dorsal Root Ganglia, Delaney C. Grant

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Proprioceptive sensory neurons encode critical mechanosensory information that helps determine how the body interacts with the outside world and monitors the proper execution of motor movements. Housed in skeletal muscles lie specialized mechanoreceptors that are critical to this feedback loop: muscle spindles supplied by group Ia & group II afferents, and Golgi tendon organs supplied by group Ib afferents relay information regarding changes in muscle force, length, and tension. All three afferent subtypes originate in the muscle and travel to the dorsal root ganglia, relaying information to the central nervous system. GTO and MS proprioceptive afferent subtypes have been identified, …

Potential Involvement Of Micro Vesicle Particles In The Synergistic Effects Of Ultraviolet-B Radiation And Platelet -Activating Factor Receptor Agonists On Cytokine Production, Shweta Bhadri

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Cytokines play a pivotal role in regulating inflammation, which is a condition that makes the tissue vulnerable to different pathological and physiological conditions. Thus, how cytokines are regulated is an important area of study. Skin that receives ultraviolet B radiation (UVB), a major pro-oxidative stressor, results in the release of multiple cytokines and chemokines like tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-8. Previous studies from our group and others have demonstrated synergistic release of TNF-alpha when UVB is combined with IL-1 or the lipid mediator Platelet-activating factor (PAF). Of interest, subcellular microvesicle particles (MVP) have been proposed to play an …

The Membrane As An Rc Circuit: A Teaching Method For Undergraduate Neuroscience Students, Harlie Ann Mckelvey

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Understanding the roles that current, resistance, and capacitance play in neuronal function are important, yet challenging concepts for undergraduate neuroscience students to grasp. Using simple labs and hands-on activities can improve understanding and reduce intimidation. Previously, the Resistance-Capacitance (RC) circuit has been used to create an equivalent model of the neuronal membrane. However, these electrical properties can still be difficult to understand and see in the lab. Here we describe an updated lab exercise where students build an equivalent RC circuit that utilizes a light emitting diode (LED). This allows for students to see the effects of capacitance and resistance …

Cloning And Functional Characterizations Of Circular Rnas From The Human Mapt Locus, Justin R. Welden

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Under pathophysiological conditions, the microtubule protein tau (MAPT) forms neurofibrillary tangles that are the hallmark of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease as well as familial frontotemporal dementias linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17). In this work, I report that MAPT forms circular RNAs through backsplicing of exon 12 to either exon 10 or exon 7 (12→10; 12→7), and that these circular RNAs are translated into proteins.

Using stable cell lines overexpressing the circular tau RNAs 12→7 and 12→10, we have discovered that the tau circular RNA 12→7 is translated in a rolling circle, giving rise to multiple proteins. This circular RNA …

Animal Sentience: History, Science, And Politics, Andrew N. Rowan, Joyce M. D'Silva, Ian J.H. Duncan, Nicholas Palmer

Animal Sentience

This target article has three parts. The first briefly reviews the thinking about nonhuman animals’ sentience in the Western canon: what we might know about their capacity for feeling, leading up to Bentham’s famous question “can they suffer?” The second part sketches the modern development of animal welfare science and the role that animal-sentience considerations have played therein. The third part describes the launching, by Compassion in World Farming, of efforts to incorporate animal sentience language into public policy and regulations concerning human treatment of animals.

Cloning And Characterization Of The Vasopressin-Oxytocin Neuropeptide Signaling System In The Vocal Control System Of The Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Guttata), Emily R. Tortora

Dissertations and Theses

Vasopressin (VP) and Oxytocin (OT) are neuropeptides produced in the hypothalamus and expressed in the cerebrum and pituitary gland of the brain. Studies of VP and OT have long demonstrated their influence on social behaviors in mammals. Comparative analyses of these neuropeptides and in-depth analyses in non-mammalian species may reveal the specific mechanistic roles these hormones play in social behavioral functioning. The acquisition of complex behavioral patterns involves sensory-motor functions. How social interactions modulate sensory-motor mechanisms that promote complex behavior acquisition and maintenance can be well study in vocal learning birds. Here, in addition to reviewing the pertinent literature, I …

Analyzing Ultrastructural Characteristics Of Post-Synaptic Targets Of Pre-Identified Presynaptic Boutons In Layer 3 And Layer 4 Of The Ferret Primary Visual Cortex, Donia Shehab

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this study was to analyze the size and ultrastructural characteristics of post-synaptic elements apposed to previously characterized pre-synaptic elements in layers 3 and 4 of the primary visual cortex (PVC). We are aiming to quantify a range of values for synaptic element morphologies as well as to correlate pre- and post-synaptic elements to find a set of rules that is prevalent in the visual cortex that can also be upheld in other mammals. We hypothesize that bigger pre-synaptic elements correlate to bigger synapses and bigger post-synaptic elements. We compared these two different layers because they receive synaptic …

When The Brain Plays A Game: Neural Responses To Visual Dynamics During Naturalistic Visual Tasks, Jason Ki

Dissertations and Theses

Many day-to-day tasks involve processing of complex visual information in a continuous stream. While much of our knowledge on visual processing has been established from reductionist approaches in lab-controlled settings, very little is known about the processing of complex dynamic stimuli experienced in everyday scenarios. Traditional investigations employ event-related paradigms that involve presentation of simple stimuli at select locations in visual space and discrete moments in time. In contrast, visual stimuli in real-life are highly dynamic, spatially-heterogeneous, and semantically rich. Moreover, traditional experiments impose unnatural task constraints (e.g., inhibited saccades), thus, it is unclear whether theories developed under the reductionist …

Morphological Changes In Dorsal Root Ganglia Macrophages Associated With Neuropathic Pain Mechanisms Suggest A Novel Target For Chronic Pain Therapy, Emily Kussick

CMC Senior Theses

The present study examined morphological changes in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) following an innate immune stimulus. The importance of the DRG has increasingly become recognized in pain processing as more than just the home of primary afferent cell bodies. All sensory information passes through the DRG via the primary afferents, and on to the spinal cord. The primary afferents synapse with second-order neurons in the spinal cord that ascend towards the brain, where they transmit the pain signal to the limbic forebrain and/or the somatosensory cortex for processing. The DRG is an interesting niche to study at as it …

Motivation To Persevere Among Nontraditional Black Online College Students, Alice Ginwright Sapp

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is limited research on grit among nontraditional online adult learners, especially focusing on male and female Black college students who are adult online learners, including those who are older than 40. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to examine possible between-group differences in motivation to persevere, as defined by grit, among nontraditional-age Black online college students. The theoretical framework for this study was life-span development theory and the grit motivational factor model. A sample of 138 Black male and female online, nontraditional-age college students completed an online survey. Demographic information was collected, and scores from the Short …

Influence Of 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-Iodoamphetamine (Doi) On Ethanol Preference And Consumption In C57bl/6 Male Mice, Alaina M. Jaster, Sam Gottlieb, Michael Miles, Javier González-Maeso

Graduate Research Posters

Substance use disorders (SUD) account for a large number of mental health diagnosis in the United States and around the world. Approximately 13.6 million adults 26 or older and 5.1 million young adults (ages 18-24) battled with a SUD in 2017. Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) alone effects nearly 6% of the adult population within the United States. This creates a substantial burden on the individual, with alcohol being the third-leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Few treatments for AUD exist, with no new FDA-approved therapeutic treatments within the last 15 years. Additionally, the limited treatments we do …

Describing A Putative Corollary Discharge Circuit In Drosophila, Kaitlyn Nicole Boone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Corollary discharge (CD) circuits provide critical information about movement and behavior to provide context to sensory processing. However, to date, there has not been a comprehensive study of CD circuits at a single-cell level. In this thesis, I aimed to resolve the connectivity of ascending histaminergic neurons, consisting of two pairs, the mesothoracic pair (MsAHNs) and metathoracic pair (MtAHNs) at a single-cell level and characterize contexts of activation. Using transgenic techniques, connectomics and transcriptomics, we identify neural populations receiving input from the AHNs and neural populations with significant output to the AHNs. We explored where the AHNs predominantly receive synaptic …

Manipulating The Perineuronal Net In The Deep Cerebellar Nucleus, Deidre E. O'Dell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Perineuronal nets (PNN) are a type of specialized extracellular matrix in the central nervous system. The PNN forms during postnatal development but the ontogeny of the PNN has yet to be elucidated. Studying the PNN in the rat brain may allow us to further understand the PNN’s role in development, learning, and memory. The PNN is fully developed in the deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) of rats by post-natal day 18. By using enzymatic digestion of the PNN with chondroitinase ABC (ChABC), we studied how digestion of the PNN affects cerebellar-dependent eyeblink conditioning (EBC) and performed electrophysiological recordings from DCN neurons. …

The Receptor Basis Of Serotonergic Modulation In An Olfactory Network, Tyler Ryan Sizemore

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neuromodulation is a nearly ubiquitous process that endows the nervous system with the capacity to alter neural function at every level (synaptic, circuit, network, etc.) without necessarily adding new neurons. Through the actions of neuromodulators, the existing neural circuitry can be adaptively tuned to achieve flexible network output and similarly dynamic behavioral output. However, despite their near ubiquity in all sensory modalities, the mechanisms underlying neuromodulation of sensory processing remain poorly understood. In this dissertation, I address three main questions regarding the mechanisms of one modulator (serotonin) within one sensory modality (olfaction). I begin by establishing a "functional atlas" of …

Targeting The Cerebrovasculature In Sepsis: A Focus On The Brain Microvascular Endothelium, Divine C. Nwafor

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical interface between the systemic circulation and the brain. It is a specialized multicellular unit composed of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), pericytes, a basement membrane, and astrocytic end foot processes. BMECs are a principal component of the BBB that provide the structural framework needed for the stringent transport of molecules into the brain. BMEC dysfunction permits the trafficking of neurotoxins from systemic circulation into the brain, which ultimately exacerbates BBB dysfunction and neuroinflammation. Studies have shown that BBB dysfunction is a key determinant of cognitive decline in sepsis. However, there are critical knowledge …

Bypassing The Blood-Brain Barrier: A Physical And Pharmacological Approach For The Treatment Of Metastatic Brain Tumors, Samuel A. Sprowls

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation (a) provided an in depth literature review of methods to disrupt the BBB/BTB and improve therapeutic distribution to brain tumors, (b) evaluated the use of azacitidine as a single agent therapy for the treatment of brain metastasis of breast cancer and a potential molecular mechanism by which brain tropic cells are sensitized to hypomethylating agents, (c) determined the impact cannabidiol has on P-glycoprotein mediated efflux at the blood-brain barrier and its potential for use as a single agent treatment for metastatic brain tumors, (d) developed a preclinical radiation therapy protocol for use in small animals and in vitro …

Investigating The Role Of Attention And Memory In Visual Exploration, Jacob E. Suffridge

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research investigates the role that attention and memory plays in visual exploration through a comprehensive analysis of eye movement and behavioral data, alongside incorporation of a computational saliency model. The purpose of this project is to quantify differences in visual attention over repeated viewings of natural scene images by employing a free viewing task that contains a memory component. In Chapter 2, we explore the task’s behavioral data showing that participants generally memorize our images well before we investigate the effect of numerous object and individual feature inclusion. In Chapter 3, we develop four primary methods to quantify visual …

Biomechanically Inspired Assistive Technology To Restore Movement Of The Upper Limbs After Stroke, Ariel Thomas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A stroke often damages the neural structures responsible for movement. Stroke is a heterogeneous disease, affecting each survivor differently. There are common motor features of a stroke, but even these features vary across time as an individual proceeds through different stages of recovery. The different ways in which stroke motor impairment can present itself are often overlooked, but these differences are fundamental to the understanding of the disease and its recovery. When motor assessments are capable of acquiring information necessary to parse out a detailed profile of each stroke case, this will lead to an improved neuromechanical understanding of the …

How Does Direct Volunteering Affect The Onset Of Alzheimer’S Dementia In Elderly Patients With Preexisting Cardiac Comorbidities?, Sneha R. Gade

Undergraduate Research Posters

Alzheimer's Dementia is a disease that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. The Alzheimer's Association reported Alzheimer's as the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and a cure does not exist. Donepezil, a cholinesterase inhibitor drug, is frequently prescribed to treat Alzheimer's disease. Still, patients must continuously take the medication for years to receive any measurable improvement in quality of life after developing Alzheimer's Dementia. Further, research shows prolonged use of Donepezil can lead to other health problems, such as QTc prolongation, for cardiac disease patients. Therefore, the effectiveness of non-drug interventions, such as volunteering to prevent the disease's …