Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Neuropsychological Change After A Single Season Of Head Impact Exposure In Youth Football, Arthur C. Maerlender, Eric Smith, P. Gunnar Brolinson, Joseph J. Crisco, Jillian Urban, Amaris Ajamil, Steven Rowson, Eamon T. Campolettano, Ryan A. Gellner, Srinidhi Bellamkonda, Emily Kieffer, Mireille E. Kelley, Derek Jones, Alex Powers, Jonathan Beckwith, Joel Stitzel, Richard M. Greenwald, Stefan Duma

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Objectives: Head impact exposure (HIE) in youth football is a public health concern. The objective of this study was to determine if one season of HIE in youth football was related to cognitive changes.

Method: Over 200 participants (ages 9–13) wore instrumented helmets for practices and games to measure the amount of HIE sustained over one season. Pre- and post-season neuropsychological tests were completed. Test score changes were calculated adjusting for practice effects and regression to the mean and used as the dependent variables. Regression models were calculated with HIE variables predicting neuropsychological test score changes.

Results: For the full …

The Effect Of In-Service Methodology On Learning Transfer For School Personnel Managing Students Following Concussion, Jennifer Parent-Nichols, Angela Desilva Mousseau, Joshua Cleland, Jonathan D. Lichtenstein, Arthur C. Maerlender

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Background: It is essential to increase the knowledge base of teachers involved in facilitating return to learning in middle school students following a concussion. However, the best method to enhance the transfer of learning for teachers remains to be elucidated. Application of Adult Learning Theory (ALT) is a plausible solution to this problem. Purpose: The purpose of this randomized post-test study was to examine the effects of ALTon the transfer of learning in teachers who work with individuals with concussion. Methods: A convenience sample of 169 teachers at four middle schools were randomized to receive an in-service regarding concussion management …

Sleep And Stress In The Acute Phase Of Concussion In Youth, Arthur C. Maerlender, Caitlin Masterson, Jessica L. Calvi, Todd Caze, Ross Mathiasen, Dennis Molfese

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

This study sought to address the complex interplay between both biological and psychological perceptions of stress and sleep in the acute stages following a mild traumatic brain injury. A secondary goal was to identify potential targets for intervention. Eleven acutely injured youth (mean age 12 years) were studied at home with overnight actigraphy, salivary cortisol and melatonin assays, and subjective ratings of stress and fatigue (injured group). Nine matched control youth also were assessed (control group). Results suggested longer sleep latencies (time to fall asleep) and higher levels of fatigue in the injured group exist (p ¼ 0.025 and p …

The Global Assessment Of School Functioning (Gasf): Criterion Validity And Interrater Reliability, Arthur C. Maerlender, Joseph Palamara, Jonathan Lichtenstein

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

The Global Assessment of School Functioning (GASF) provides a robust estimate of a student's overall level of functioning within the school environment. It is intended to capture a global metric reflecting academic, social and general behavioral functioning within the school. It is a modification of the Global Assessment of Functioning and reflects functioning across academics, interpersonal relationships, school behavior, and school participation. It was developed to allow school personnel a means to communicate the general level of student functioning without re- verting to specific issues or immediate concerns. This paper reports on the scale's criterion validity and interrater reliability. Confirmations …

Psychometric Properties Of The Standardized Assessment Of Concussion In Youth Football: Validity, Reliability, And Demographic Factors, Arthur C. Maerlender, Eric Smith, P. Gunnar Brolinson, Jillian Urban, Steven Rowson, Amaris Ajamil, Eamon T. Campolettano, Ryan A. Gellner, Srinidhi Bellamkonda, Mireille E. Kelley, Derek Jones, Alex Powers, Jonathan Beckwith, Joseph J. Crisco, Joel Stitzel, Stefan Duma, Richard M. Greenwald

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to determine the psychometrics (reliability, validity) of the original Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) in a youth sample (ages 11 to 13). Demographic factors of race, level of vocabulary knowledge, mother’s level of education were also considered. Over 150 youth football athletes completed the SAC and a brief battery of NIH Toolbox cognitive tests as part of a larger study on biomechanical factors in youth sport concussion. This was a within-subjects design (pre-season, post-season assessments), and correlational analysis of convergent and discriminant validity. Between groups analysis based on demographic differences was also employed. The …

Modeling Interactions Between Brain Function, Diet Adherence Behaviors, And Weight Loss Success, Amanda N. Szabo-Reed, Laura E. Martin, Jinxiang Hu, Hung-Wen Yeh, Joshua Powell, Rebecca J. Lepping, Trisha M. Patrician, Florance J. Breslin, Joseph E. Donnelly, Cary R. Savage

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Summary

Introduction: Obesity is linked to altered activation in reward and control brain cir-cuitry; however, the associated brain activity related to successful or unsuccessful weight loss (WL) is unclear.

Methods: Adults with obesity (N = 75) completed a baseline functional magnetic res-onance imaging (fMRI) scan before entering a WL intervention (ie,3-month diet and physical activity [PA] program). We conducted an exploratory analysis to identify the contributions of baseline brain activation, adherence behavior patterns, and the asso-ciated connections to WL at the conclusion of a 3-month WL intervention. Food cue-reactivity brain regions were functionally identified using fMRI to index brain activation …

Males With Chronic Ankle Instability Demonstrate Deficits In Neurocognitive Function Compared To Control And Copers, Adam B. Rosen, Melanie L. Mcgrath, Arthur C. Maerlender

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were neurocognitive deficits among controls, copers and those with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Participants included those without history of ankle injury (n = 14), ankle sprain copers (n = 13) and patients with self-reported CAI (n = 14). They completed a battery of valid and reliable computer-based neurocognitive tests. The differences between neurocognitive domain scores were compared across the Control, Coper and CAI groups. Patients with CAI had lower composite memory, visual memory and simple attention compared to controls. In males with CAI, large differences in memory and attention were …

Neural Bases Of Phonological And Semantic Processing In Early Childhood, Avantika Mathur, Douglas H. Schultz, Yingying Wang Dr.

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

During the early period of reading development, children gain phonological (letter-to-sound mapping) and semantic knowledge (storage and retrieval of word meaning). Their reading ability changes rapidly, accompanied by learning-induced brain plasticity as they learn to read. This study aims at identifying the neural bases of phonological and semantic processing in early childhood by using a combination of univariate and multivariate pattern analysis. Nineteen typically developing children between the age of five and seven performed visual word-level phonological (rhyming) and semantic (related meaning) judgment tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. Our multivariate analysis showed that young children with good reading …

Using Fmri To Investigate The Potential Cause Of Inverse Oxygenation Reported In Fnirs Studies Of Motor Imagery, Androu Abdalmalak, Daniel Milej, David J. Cohen, Udunna Anazodo, Tracy Ssali, Mamadou Diop, Adrian M. Owen, Keith St. Lawrence

BrainsCAN Publications

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Motor imagery (MI) is a commonly used cognitive task in brain–computer interface (BCI) applications because it produces reliable activity in motor-planning regions. However, a number of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) studies have reported the unexpected finding of inverse oxygenation: increased deoxyhemoglobin and decreased oxyhemoglobin during task periods. This finding questions the reliability of fNIRS for BCI applications given that MI activation should result in a focal increase in blood oxygenation. In an attempt to elucidate this phenomenon, fMRI and fNIRS data were acquired on 15 healthy participants performing a MI task. The fMRI data provided global …

Cis-Regulatory Analysis Of Onecut1 Expression In Fate-Restricted Retinal Progenitor Cells, Sruti Patoori, Nathalie Jean-Charles, Ariana Gopal, Sacha Sulaiman, Sneha Gopal, Brian Wang, Benjamin Souferi, Mark Emerson

Publications and Research

Background: The vertebrate retina consists of six major classes of neuronal cells. During development, these cells are generated from a pool of multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) that express the gene Vsx2. Fate-restricted RPCs have recently been identified, with limited mitotic potential and cell fate possibilities compared to multipotent RPCs. One population of fate-restricted RPCs, marked by activity of the regulatory element ThrbCRM1, gives rise to both cone photoreceptors and horizontal cells. These cells do not express Vsx2, but co-express the transcription factors (TFs) Onecut1 and Otx2, which bind to ThrbCRM1. The components of the gene regulatory networks that control …

Individual Differences In Cocaine-Conditioned Avoidance Behavior And Implication For Addiction Vulnerability, Maya Eid

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Decades of studies have examined the mechanisms by which drugs of abuse produce strong rewarding effects that drive addictive behavior. However, these drugs also produce aversive effects that are less well understood, but that also strongly influence drug-seeking, and may contribute to individual variation in addiction liability. For example, individuals with particularly strong aversive responses to nicotine or alcohol may be less likely to acquire smoking or drinking habits, with these protective effects arising from specific biological differences in nicotinic receptor function or alcohol metabolism, respectively. These aversive effects can also be exploited therapeutically, as in widely available treatments for …

Role Of Dynorphin/Kappa Opioid Receptor Activity Within The Extended Amygdala In Binge Alcohol Drinking, Harold Lewis Haun

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a significant national and global public health problem. Of concern, binge drinking is the most common pattern of excessive alcohol consumption and serves as a risk factor for the development of AUD. Recent studies have implicated the dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor (DYN/KOR) neuropeptide system in this pattern of drinking but the precise circuitry mediating these effects are poorly understood. The central amygdala (CeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) are two interconnected structures within the extended amygdala macrostructure that are rich in DYN/KOR and thought to contribute to binge drinking behavior. In the present …

Invertebrates Should Be Given Ethical Consideration, Marie-Claire Cammaerts

Animal Sentience

Invertebrates are far more numerous than vertebrates. Most of them are essential to the survival of humanity. Their physiology, behavior, know-how, and cognitive abilities are often as complex as those of vertebrates. Invertebrates should be considered and studied as are vertebrates, i.e., ethically, and cautiously.

Transcriptome Analysis Of Neuro-2a Cells Treated With Asiatic And Madecassic Acid, Fatimah M. Alqam

Masters Theses

Traditional herbal medicine is ingrained as a source of therapeutic compounds to medicate various diseases. The family Araliaceae (Ginseng family) is rich in traditional medicine species, such as Centella asiatica (CA). For many centuries, CA has been used by the indigenous Indian and Chinese in Ayurvedic and traditional medicine, respectively, to improve intelligence, learning, memory, and cognitive performance. Previous studies on cell culture and animal models supported the beneficial effects of CA on the nervous system. However, the exact composition of CA extract and its molecular mechanism that leads to neuroprotection is still unclear. We examined the effect of asiatic …

Assessing The Role Of Planar Cell Polarity Protein Ptk7 In Axon Pathfinding Of Spinal Commissural Neurons, Joseph Paul Miano

Theses and Dissertations

Axon pathfinding is a fundamental step that establishes the vast networks of the nervous system. Understanding this process is important because disruptions to these neural networks can impair quality of life. During axon pathfinding, an axon’s growth cone comes in contact with a variety of secreted chemotropic signaling cues that control growth cone behavior through activation of signal transduction pathways which cause changes to the cytoskeleton. One such pathway is the Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) signal transduction pathway that responds to gradients of non-canonical Wnt ligands. PCP has a well-known role in axon pathfinding, including axon pathfinding in the spinal …

Ndrg1 And Myelin-Related Disease: Alcoholism And Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy, Guy Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a prevalent neuropsychiatric disease with profound health, social, and economic consequences. With an estimated 50% heritability, identifying genes that engender risk and contribute to the underlying neurobiological mechanisms represents an important first step in developing effective treatments. Gene expression studies are an important source of candidate genes for studying AUD, providing windows into the molecular machinery engaged by the brain in response to ethanol. Our laboratory has implicated N-myc down-regulated gene 1 (Ndrg1) as a potential candidate gene that modulates ethanol-induced changes in myelin-related gene expression and acute sensitivity to ethanol. Analysis of …

Focal Augmentation Of Somatostatin Interneuron Function And Subsequent Circuit Effects In Developmentally Malformed, Epileptogenic Cortex, Nicole Ekanem

Theses and Dissertations

Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) is a common clinical sequela of developmental cortical malformations such as polymicrogyria. Unfortunately, much remains unknown about the aberrant GABA-mediated circuit alterations that underlie DRE's onset and persistence in this context. To address this knowledge gap, we utilized the transcranial freeze lesion model in optogenetic mice lines (Somatostatin (SST)-Cre or Parvalbumin (PV)-Cre x floxed channelrhodopsin-2) to dissect features of the SST, PV, and pyramidal neuron microcircuit that are potentially associated with DRE. Investigations took place within developmental microgyria’s known pathological substrate, the adjoined and epileptogenic paramicrogyral region (PMR). As well, microcircuit relationships within the previously unexplored range …

Diverse Autonomic Nervous System Stress Response Patterns In Childhood Sensory Modulation, Jacquelyn Christensen, Heather Wild, Erin S. Kenzie, Wayne Wakeland, Deborah Budding, Connie Lillas

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

The specific role of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in emotional and behavioral regulation—particularly in relation to automatic processes—has gained increased attention in the sensory modulation literature. This mini-review article summarizes current knowledge about the role of the ANS in sensory modulation, with a focus on the integrated functions of the ANS and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and their measurement. Research from the past decade illustrates that sympathetic and parasympathetic interactions are more complex than previously assumed. Patterns of ANS activation vary across individuals, with distinct physiological response profiles influencing the reactivity underlying automatic behavioral responses. This review article advances …

Young African American Men's Conception Of Fatherhood Among Survivors Of Childhood Abuse, Ohan Patricia Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Male survivors of abuse who become fathers themselves face challenges different from female survivors, such as conceptualizing their roles as providers and heads of households after the traumatic and often belittling experiences of abuse. However, very few researchers have studied the connection between child abuse and fatherhood, and none specific to young African American fathers. An interpretative phenomenological approach enabled exploration of how African American fathers who were abused as children, conceptualized and perceived their own experiences with fatherhood. The theoretical framework for this study was identity theory, which indicates that how people conceptualize a social role influences their actions …

Toward Automated Region Detection & Parcellation Of Rat Brain Tissue Images, Alexandro Arnal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

People who analyze images of biological tissue often rely on segmentation of structures as a preliminary step. In particular, laboratories studying the rat brain manually delineate brain regions to position scientific findings on a brain atlas to propose hypotheses about the rat brain, and ultimately, the human brain. Our work intersects with the preliminary step of delineating regions in images of brain tissue via computational methods.

We investigate pixel-wise classification or segmentation of brain regions using ten histological images of brain tissue sections stained for Nissl substance, and two deep learning models: U-Net and Tile2Vec. Our goal is to assess …

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 …

Characterizing The Diverse Cells That Associate With The Developing Commissures Of The Zebrafish Forebrain, Jake Schnabl, M.P.H Litz, Caitlin Schneider, N. Penkofflidbeck, Sarah Bashiruddin, M. S. Schwartz, Kristin Alligood, Michael Barresi

Zebrafish Forebrain Cellular Characterization

During embryonic development of bilateral organisms, neurons send axons across the midline at specific points to connect the two halves of the nervous system with a commissure. Little is known about the cells at the midline that facilitate this tightly regulated process. We exploit the con served process of vertebrate embryonic development in the zebrafish model system to elucidate the identity of cells at the midline that may facilitate postoptic (POC) and anterior commissure (AC) development. We have discovered that three differentgfap+ astroglial cell morphologies persist in contact with pathfinding axons throughout commissure formation. Similarly, olig2+ progenitor cells occupy delineated …

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.

Tfap2e/Ap-2e Is A Transcriptional Regulator Controlling Neuronal Identity And Circuitry Formation In The Mouse Accessory Olfactory System, Jennifer M. Lin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Developmental progression is driven by specific spatiotemporal gene expression, which give rise to consistently patterned organisms despite environmental and genetic variation. The specific activation of robust gene regulatory networks that define tissue structure and individual cellular identity are necessary for tissue and cell specific programs to be activated. Cellular specification is guided by the interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic signals at specific developmental timepoints. The molecular mechanisms underlying the acquisition and maintenance of individual cellular identity remains a fundamental question across biological systems. Understanding the regulatory networks controlling the acquisition of neuronal identity, diversity, and connectivity in the formation of …

The Role Of Progesterone Receptor In The Postnatal Development Of The Dentate Gyrus And Episodic-Like Memory, Andrew James Newell

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The hippocampus is a critical structure for the encoding and retrieval of declarative memories in humans, including episodic-memories. In rodents the steroid hormone receptor progesterone receptor (PR) is expressed in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus during the postnatal period, a key stage in development of DG cytoarchitecture and connectivity. During the first postnatal week, the main cortical input to the hippocampal circuit, the perforant path, innervates the molecular layer (MOL) of the DG and forms temporary initial synaptic connections with pioneer neurons. By the third postnatal week, long-term synapses have been established with granule cells, the principle neurons …

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 …

The Brain's Large-Scale Electrophysiological Signals : Fundamental Attributes And Neurosurgical Applications, Mohammad Amin N/A Nourmohammadi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Brain’s electrophysiological signals are most certainly the ultimate source for studying the sophisticated neural network inside our cranium. The unparalleled complexity of these biosignalsis the quintessential manifestation of their underlying complicated neurophysiological processes. Studying brain signals on the cellular level provides valuable information regarding the brain’s electrophysiology on the small-scale. However, it is the remarkable network in the large-scale that gives rise to the brain’s extraordinary attributes and exceptional capabilities—perception, cognition, computation, and consciousness are all the emergent byproducts of the dynamic neuronal interactions on the network level. In this sense, the large-scale electrophysiological signals, recorded from the surface of …

The Dysregulation Of Circadian Rhythms And Its Relation To Hippocampal Neurodegenerative Disease, John Patrick Mccauley

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Circadian rhythms modulate body temperature, sleep-wake cycles and cognitive functions like learning and memory. Interestingly, patients suffering from neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s disease and brain insults like traumatic brain injury experience dysregulated circadian rhythms and learning and memory deficiencies as a symptom. The core molecular machinery that establishes these rhythms relies on the activation of positive and negative transcriptional-translational feedback loops within the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Subordinate circadian oscillators distributed throughout the peripheral and central nervous system follow the rhythmic activity of the SCN. One of these, the hippocampus, is mostly involved in regulating memory formation and recall. Experimental …

Statistical Methods To Unravel Cortical Mechanism Of Perception And Response To Auditory Stimuli, Ladan Moheimanian

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Behavioral responses to auditory stimuli have a critical role in our daily activities. The perception of these stimuli and the generation of appropriate behavioral responses requires the interaction of thousands of neurons in the auditory-motor pathways in the brain. Despite their importance, still many neuroscientific questions about these interactions are remained to be answered. This may result from the limitations of brain recordings as well as statistical methods to analyze brain recordings. In this dissertation, I investigated underlying mechanisms that govern these neural interactions in the auditory-motor pathways using novel statistical techniques applied to the brain recordings from the surface …

Role Of Smad4 Dependent Signaling In Controlling The Functioning And Connectivity Of Basal Vomeronasal Sensory Neurons, Ankana S. Naik

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT