Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Interactions Between Hiv And Opioids On Antiretroviral Accumulation, The Blood Brain Barrier, And The Inflammatory Response In The Brain., Kara Rademeyer

Theses and Dissertations

The complex mechanisms related to HIV infection, neurodegeneration, and chronic neuroinflammation collectively describe neuroHIV (Hauser et al. 2007; Chang et al. 2014; Smith et al. 2014). Specifically, opioid abuse, poor penetration of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, chronic inflammation and neuronal injury/degeneration are all implicated in neuroHIV (Fantuzzi et al. 2003; Letendre et al. 2004; Verani et al. 2005; Duncan and Sattentau 2011; Hong and Banks 2015; Simoes and Justino 2015; Olivier et al. 2018; Murphy et al. 2019; Osborne et al. 2020). For the first time, we demonstrate that morphine, fentanyl, and methadone in vivo alter the brain accumulation of ARVs, …

The Effects Of Prenatal And Perinatal Alcohol Exposure On Adult Mouse Behavior, Ericka Ann Schaeffer

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is a prevalent phenomenon conserved across cultures which can result in a heterogeneous set of symptoms associated with offspring development. Although there is much research characterizing the extent of disruptions in spatial and motor performance, there appears to be conflicting results dependent on the type of PAE model. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate a more reliable and translatable model of symptoms associated with fetal alcohol syndrome disorders. The current set of experiments evaluated the effects of alcohol exposure in mice during prenatal (gestation day 4-18) and early postnatal (postnatal day 4-12) development on organization …

Mapping The Malleable Self: How Self-Views Are Represented And Learned Within The Social Brain, Sasha Carmela Brietzke

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Humans possess a unique and wide-ranging ability to self-reflect that takes center stage in our everyday cognition. While many people believe their own self to be immutable, different contexts may warp how we perceive the self. The goal of this dissertation is to investigate two lenses through which we may view the self: (1) across time in the past and future, and (2) through the eyes of others via evaluative feedback. In Studies 1-3, I demonstrate that people’s ratings of their own personality become increasingly less differentiated as they consider more distant past and future selves. This effect was preferential …

American Sign Language (Asl): Linguistically And Cognitively - Why Deaf People Should Learn Asl & Learn It Early, Helena Isabel Berczes

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis presents data supporting the value of including American Sign Language (ASL) in the education of Deaf people. Historically, Deaf education has not fully included or has excluded ASL in an effort to focus on English due to a belief that ASL hinders learning English. ASL must fit within the definition of language with unique linguistic features for its inclusion in language education. Plasticity of the brain lends itself to the ability for language processing networks to form based on language experience. Deaf people can fully access visual language versus auditory language. Therefore, acquiring ASL early in life, during …

Hyperparameter Codependence In Fieldnet: Guidelines For Ann Construction, Seiji Akera

Pitzer Senior Theses

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) comprise a non-linear modeling method that is often used to analyze neural data in place of linear models. These networks fall under one of two classifications: pure prediction purposes and improving understanding of the brain through neural interpretability. FieldNet is an ANN designed by Dr. Gautam Agarwal that takes complex valued theta oscillations recorded from implanted multi-electrodes and predicts the rat’s location as it moves throughout a maze. In learning neural features to make this classification, FieldNet appears to reconstruct place fields. The construction of FieldNet has an impact on both the performance and reconstruction capabilities …

Mediators Between Job Stress And Health Quality Of Life Among Adults With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Aida M. Benitez-Rexach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal affliction that affects millions around the globe, impacting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The biopsychosocial model, Folkman and Lazarus’ transactional model of stress, Leventhal’s common sense model of self-regulation health and illness, and Bronfenbrenner’s human ecology theory are relevant to conceptualize interactions among environmental factors, biopsychosocial responses, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This quantitative, cross-sectional, complex correlational study sought to provide more understanding of how and whether IBS symptoms of pain, cognitive functioning, and interpersonal functioning serve as mediators between work stress and HRQoL. A total of 133 English-speaking volunteers from …

Exploring The Molecular Basis Of Touch: A Comparative Analysis Of Gene Expression In Sensory Corpuscle-Rich And Corpuscle-Poor Skin Regions In The Duck, Thomas Hart

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Cutaneous touch is facilitated by discrete cellular complexes composed of non-neuronal cells associated with mechanoreceptor neuron endings. The non-neuronal cells of these cutaneous end organ complexes (CEOCs) are believed to contribute to touch, but their role in touch sensation remains unclear. To better understand the function of CEOC cells, we sought to characterize the transcriptional profile of CEOC-rich tissue and identify genes expressed in CEOC cells. Bill skin of the tactile foraging Pekin duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is dense with CEOCs, specifically the avian analogs of mammalian Pacinian and Meissner corpuscles, while corpuscles in duck foot skin are scarce. Using RNA …

Therapeutic Implications Of The Gut-Cns Axis In Promoting Recovery Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury, Jessica Wilson

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Nearly 60% of all spinal cord injuries (SCI) occur at the cervical level. These high-level injuries can interrupt the descending respiratory pathways required for breathing. Indeed, therapies in animal studies have been successful at restoring breathing after SCI; however, these interventions appear to be more effective at chronic time points. One potential cause for this observation is the impact of the injury on the gut microbiome. Neurotrauma can induce gut dysbiosis, an imbalance of pathogenic and beneficial gut microbiota, which has previously been shown to negatively impact the central nervous system (CNS) and impair recovery. We aimed to build upon …

Age- And Sex-Dependent Alterations In Primary Somatosensory Neuronal Calcium Network Dynamics During Locomotion, Sami L. Case

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Over the past 30 years, the calcium (Ca2+) hypothesis of brain aging has provided clear evidence that hippocampal neuronal Ca2+ dysregulation is a key biomarker of aging. Indeed, age-dependent Ca2+-mediated changes in intrinsic excitability, synaptic plasticity, and activity have helped identify some of the mechanisms engaged in memory and cognitive decline. However, much of this work has been done at the single-cell level, mostly in slice preparations, and in restricted structures of the brain. Recently, our lab identified age- and Ca2+-related neuronal network dysregulation in the cortex of the anesthetized animal. Still, investigations in the awake animal are needed to …

Effects Of Traumatic Brain Injury On The Intestinal Tract And Gut Microbiome, Anthony Desana

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates not only complex neurovascular and glial changes within the brain but also pathophysiological responses that extend beyond the central nervous system. The peripheral response to TBI has become an intensive area of research, as these systemic perturbations can induce dysfunction in multiple organ systems. As there are no approved therapeutics for TBI, it is imperative that we investigate the peripheral response to TBI to identify targets for future intervention. Of particular interest is the gastrointestinal (GI) system. Even in the absence of polytrauma, brain-injured individuals are at increased risk of suffering from GI-related morbidity and …

Clinical And Biological Factors Determine Spinal Cord Injury Outcomes: Liquor To Lipids, Ethan Glaser

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Spinal cord injuries (SCI) are debilitating and life altering events that can lead to permanent motor and sensory loss. SCI outcomes are impacted by both clinical factors such as blood alcohol content (BAC) at the time of injury as well as biological factors like the lipid-rich myelin debris that accumulates in the injury site. Both clinical and biological factors contribute to SCI recovery, impacting neuroinflammation, locomotor recovery, and histopathology. The purpose of the studies described here is to investigate the role of acute alcohol intoxication and intracellular lipid processing pathways on SCI outcomes in a rodent model.

An elevated BAC …

The Effect Of Pubertal Stress On Prefrontal Cortex Related Behavior In Adult And Adolescent Mice, Bryan Rodriguez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is an area of associated with cognitive flexibility, decision making, and value processing. The most common neuropsychiatric disorders globally, including generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and substance abuse disorders, have been associated with dysfunction in the PFC. One of the environmental factors that may lead to increased risk for developing these disorders is exposure to stressful or traumatic situations during key developmental periods, such as adolescence. Human studies found that individuals who were faced with early adverse events but had some form of social interaction or support during that time, had a lower risk …

Accelerated Forgetting In People With Epilepsy: Pathologic Memory Loss, Its Neural Basis, And Potential Therapies, Sarah Ashley Steimel Phd

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

While forgetting is vital to human functioning, delineating between normative and disordered forgetting can become incredibly complex. This thesis characterizes a pathologic form of forgetting in epilepsy, identifies a neural basis, and investigates the potential of stimulation as a therapeutic tool. Chapter 2 presents a behavioral characterization of the time course of Accelerated Long-Term Forgetting (ALF) in people with epilepsy (PWE). This chapter shows evidence of ALF on a shorter time scale than previous studies, with a differential impact on recall and recognition. Chapter 3 builds upon the work in Chapter 2 by extending ALF time points and investigating the …

Investigating Visinin-Like Protein 1 And Ubiquitinated Visinin-Like Protein 1 As Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Biomarkers, Yueming Wu

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite significant progress in understanding the complex pathophysiology of TBI, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The primary brain damage is acute and irreversible. However, secondary brain injuries often develop gradually over months to years, creating an opportunity for critical therapeutic interventions. In the past decade, research on TBI biomarkers has seen significant progress. This progress has been driven by the diverse nature of TBI pathologies and the challenges they present for evaluation, management, and prognosis. TBI biomarker proteins resulting from axonal, neuronal, or glial …

To Laugh Or Not To Laugh: That Is The Question Of Humor Techniques And Sex Differences, Yu-Chen Chan

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

A humor structure comprises two essential stages: the setup and the punch line. The punch line stage is to provide the incongruity resolution that creates amusement in humor. The current article aimed to look into how humor is amusing and how it differs between the sexes. Functional and effective connectivity analyses in cognitive and affective neuroscience have facilitated the implications of humor comprehension, appreciation, and laughter responses. The processing of incongruity-resolution humor revealed effective connectivity from the amygdala to the precuneus (amygdala → precuneus). Conversely, the processing of nonsense humor demonstrated effective connectivity from the amygdala to the inferior frontal …

Alzheimer’S Disease Genetics And Short-Chain Fatty Acid Treatment In Studies Of The Murine Gut Microbiome, Diana Zajac

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Elucidating the relationship of the gut microbiome in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) risk and pathogenesis is an area of intense interest. Since 60 to 80% of AD risk is related to genetics and APOE alleles represent the most impactful genetic risk factors for AD, their mechanism(s) of action are under intense scrutiny.

First, I conducted a study on APOE targeted replacement mice to investigate the impact of APOE alleles on the murine gut microbiome. The relative abundance of bacteria from the family Ruminococacceae and related genera increased with APOE2 status. The relative abundance of the class Erysipelotrichia increased with APOE4 status, …

The Effects Of Age On Working Memory Capacity And Neural Function, Jasmin P. Joshi

CMC Senior Theses

Do age-related differences in working memory capacities predict specific neural responses? Theories of working memory (WM) suggest that there are different types of WM processes that are associated with specific neural networks and WM declines with age. Event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by certain tasks are also associated with specific cognitive functions. This study investigates whether specific types of working memory capacities are related to corresponding neural indices of attention and context updating (P3; visual oddball task) or semantic (N400; word-pair paradigm task) processes. In addition, it examines whether age affects this relationship. Younger adults (n=30; ages 18-23) and older adults …

Eeg-Based Spanish Language Proficiency Classification: An Eeg Power Spectrum And Cross-Spectrum Analysis, Blaise Xavier O'Mara, Skyler Baumer

Honors Theses and Capstones

Second language proficiency may be predicted with electrophysiological techniques. In a machine learning application, this electrophysiological data may be used for language instructors and language students to assess their language learning. This study identifies how electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectrum and cross spectrum data of the brain cortex relates to Spanish second language (L2) proficiency of 20 Spanish language students of varying proficiency levels at the University of New Hampshire. The two metrics for assessing cortical power and processing were event-related desynchronization (ERD)—a measure of relative change in power—of the alpha (8-12 Hz) brain frequency band, and alpha and beta (13-30Hz) …

Role Strain And The Mental Health Of College-Educated African American Women, Andrea Alston-Brundage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWomen occupy many roles today, including wife, partner, parent, student, employee, and caregiver. This study addressed the effects of multiple roles on degreed African American women. The specific purpose was to assess the relationships between the marital and parental roles and employment status of college-educated African American women and assess mental health impacts as a result of role strain. The theoretical foundation for the study was Goode's role strain theory. The Working Women’s Role Strain Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and General Anxiety Disorder-7 were administered to 82 women participants between the ages of 22 and 61 who were involved in …

Ubiquitination Of The Protocadherin-Γa3 Variable Cytoplasmic Domain Modulates Cell-Cell Interaction, Albert Ptashnik, Nicole Lamassa, Aliya Mambetalieva, Emily Schnall, Mike Bucaro, Greg R. Phillips

Publications and Research

The family of ∼60 clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs) are cell adhesion molecules encoded by a genomic locus that regulates expression of distinct combinations of isoforms in individual neurons resulting in what is thought to be a neural surface “barcode” which mediates same-cell interactions of dendrites, as well as interactions with other cells in the environment. Pcdh mediated same-cell dendrite interactions were shown to result in avoidance while interactions between different cells through Pcdhs, such as between neurons and astrocytes, appear to be stable. The cell biological mechanism of the consequences of Pcdh based adhesion is not well understood although various signaling …

Investigation Of Regulator Of G Protein Signaling-12 (Rgs12) As A Modulator Of Monoamine Transporters And Behavioral Responses To Cocaine, Allison Noel White

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Stimulant use disorder is a psychiatric illness that is characterized by repeated use of stimulant drugs despite harm to the user. There are currently no Federal Drug Administration (FDA)- approved medications for stimulant use disorder, and the number of stimulant use-associated deaths have increased over the past decade. Given the prevalence of and lack of treatments for stimulant use disorder, there is an urgent need to identify new drug targets and treatments for this illness. Our group is investigating Regulator of G protein Signaling-12 (RGS12) as one such potential drug target for stimulant use disorder. Mice lacking RGS12 are insensitive …

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Tdcs) To Improve Lower Limb Motor Recovery Following Stroke: A Review And Study Proposal, Jessica Fantz-Sands

Scripps Senior Theses

Strokes are the result of restricted blood flow to particular areas of the brain classified by their cause. The neural damage they cause are of growing concern as the number of young adults experiencing strokes has increased by 11% in the last decade. Following stroke, there is an imbalance of inhibitory and excitatory neuronal activity, and disruption of neural networks. These changes lead to neuronal death and loss of synaptic connections that, depending on which part of the brain is affected, result in behavioral deficits such as weakness, limb hemiparesis, and loss of coordination, as well as speech and cognitive …

Interpersonal Emotions As Emergent Phenomena: Social Neuroscience Beyond Western Cultural Constructions, Kaitlyn Penchina

Scripps Senior Theses

Because science as it exists today is a cultural construction of the West, studies of neuroscience have often been limited by Western perspectives. In particular, the Western proclivity towards individualism has led to a field of neuroscience which has historically focused on studying single individuals, as opposed to social or collective neuroscience. For the most part, it has just been assumed that collective phenomena such as interpersonal emotions must be able to be reduced in terms of individual phenomena such as individual emotions. However, closer review reveals that interpersonal emotions have emergent properties that individual emotions alone do not account …

Polyrhythmic Pathways: Using Bimanual Coordination Research To Develop A New Framework For Practice, Performance, And Pedagogy, Christian Swafford

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This study reviews and compares percussion literature pertaining to polyrhythms and scientific literature pertaining to bimanual coordination. There exists a gap in the pedagogical approach to polyrhythms, and there is much disagreement between common instructional methods, especially when considered against the findings of several bimanual coordination studies. The purpose of this study is to reveal insight to the percussion community that the learning of polyrhythms is facilitated by the brain in novel ways, and the uniqueness of this learning process requires a rethinking of the current pedagogical approach. Percussion articles, method books, popular literature, and music scores are surveyed alongside …

Radiogenomics Of C9orf72 Expansion Carriers Reveals Global Transposable Element Derepression And Enables Prediction Of Thalamic Atrophy And Clinical Impairment, Luke W. Bonham, Ethan G. Geier, Daniel W. Sirkis, Josiah K. Leong, Eliana Marisa Ramos, Qing Wang, Anna Karydas, Suzee E. Lee, Virginia E. Sturm, Russell P. Sawyer, Adit Friedberg, Justin K. Ichida, Aaron D. Gitler, Leo Sugrue, Michael Cordingley, Walter Bee, Eckard Weber, Joel H. Kramer, Katherine P. Rankin, Howard J. Rosen, Adam L. Boxer, William W. Seeley, John Ravits, Bruce L. Miller, Jennifer S. Yokoyama

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) within C9orf72 is the most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Thalamic atrophy occurs in both sporadic and familial FTD but is thought to distinctly affect HRE carriers. Separately, emerging evidence suggests widespread derepression of transposable elements (TEs) in the brain in several neurodegenerative diseases, including C9orf72 HRE-mediated FTD (C9-FTD). Whether TE activation can be measured in peripheral blood and how the reduction in peripheral C9orf72 expression observed in HRE carriers relates to atrophy and clinical impairment remain unknown. We used FreeSurfer software to assess the effects of C9orf72 HRE and clinical diagnosis (n …

Female Middle Aged Rats Showed Increased Recovery From A Focal Demyelination With Drug Combination : Changes In Dcx And Nfkb Suggest Increased Oligodendrocytes Production, Andrew James Smith

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis affect millions of people around the globe, and promising treatments to counter its progress have been studied extensively. In our study, we used Dawley rats and tested them using the Montoya Staircase test to evaluate their ability to use their forelimbs. After training, surgery was performed using lysolecithin to induce focal demyelination on the rats. After the surgery a drug combination of fluoxetine, ibuprofen, and ascorbic acid was used on injured rats and they were then retested on the Montoya Staircase test. They were then sacrificed and were stained for doublecortin (DCX) and nuclear …

Effect Of Reduced Cardiomyocyte O-Glcnacylation On The Expression And Activity Of The Cardiac Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel, Chiagozie Dawn Bede Paul-Onyia

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Abnormal glycosylation can impact cardiac proteins, affecting signaling, contraction, and metabolism, which leads to compromised cardiac function. O-GlcNAcylation, the only form of intracellular glycosylation, involves adding a single GlcNAc molecule to proteins via enzymes: O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGT) for addition and O-GlcNAcase (OGA) for removal. The Ednie/Bennett lab has previously demonstrated that in both chronic (OGT KO) and acute (OGT inhibition) models of reduced cardiomyocyte O-GlcNAcylation, a disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis occurs. This study delved into the cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel (NaV 1.5) in these models. NaV 1.5 expression was analyzed through western blotting and immunocytochemistry, while its functional activity was …

Repeated Occupational-Level Exposure To The Pesticide Malathion Leads To Neuronal Atrophy In The Dorsal Root Ganglion, Arian K. Mcneil

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Environmental exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides, such as malathion, is a risk factor for neuropathy and neurodegeneration. Toxic levels of OPs irreversibly inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AchE) activity, leading to acute paralysis and even death as the neurotransmitter acetylcholine accumulates at cholinergic synapses. In addition, there is compelling evidence that repeated low-level “occupational-like” exposure to OPs is associated with somatosensory defects but the cellular mechanisms for this effect are unclear. We show sensory neuron cell size in the dorsal root ganglia is significantly reduced in rats exposed to occupational level malathion. However, co-administration of a reversible AchE inhibitor, galantamine, prevented this effect.

Brain Glycogen – Beyond Energy Storage In Glycogen Storage Diseases, Kia H. Markussen

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Glycogen is a carbohydrate molecule that is traditionally viewed as a convenient and easily accessible energy storage form of glucose. However,emerging evidence supports the role of glycogen as more than a glucose storage form. During the last 20 years, glycogen has been shown to play pivotal roles in learning and memory, signaling events, viscosity, protein glycosylation, and be acritical hallmark in devastating diseases. Not only, does glycogen play a role as an energy substrate and critical metabolite during energy deprivation, glycogen is central for neurotransmitter homeostasis, tumor initiation, and ontributes to proper protein glycosylation in the brain. In this work, …

Ultrastructural Correlates Of Axons And Synapses Belonging To Different Circuits In Ferret Primary Visual Cortex, Anjelique Sawh

Dissertations and Theses

The goal of this study was to determine differences in distinctive layers of mammalian primary visual cortex through analysis of their ultrastructural characteristics. Characterizing brain circuitry using 3-dimensional reconstruction of electron microscopy images, and subsequent ultrastructural analysis of axonal populations provides us with a better understanding of the connectivity of the neural circuits. By quantifying ultrastructural differences in axonal processes such as synaptic densities, types of synapses and their post-synaptic densities (PSDs), mitochondrial volumes, synaptic vesicle aggregates, dendritic targets, and bouton volumes, we aimed to understand whether differences in anatomical specializations among different cortical layers could underlie differences in function …