Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Exploring The Links Among Brain Iron Accumulation, Cognitive Performance, And Dietary Intake In Older Adults: A Longitudinal Mri Study, Valentinos Zachariou, Colleen A. Pappas, Christopher E. Bauer, Elayna R. Seago, Brian T. Gold

Neurology Faculty Publications

This study evaluated longitudinal brain iron accumulation in older adults, its association with cognition, and the role of specific nutrients in mitigating iron accumulation. MRI-based, quantitative susceptibility mapping estimates of brain iron concentration were acquired from seventy-two healthy older adults (47 women, ages 60–86) at a baseline timepoint (TP1) and a follow-up timepoint (TP2) 2.5–3.0 years later. Dietary intake was evaluated at baseline using a validated questionnaire. Cognitive performance was assessed at TP2 using the uniform data set (Version 3) neuropsychological tests of episodic memory (MEM) and executive function (EF). Voxel-wise, linear mixed-effects models, adjusted for longitudinal gray matter volume …

A 40-Week Phase 2b Randomized, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Evaluating The Safety And Efficacy Of Memantine In Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Salman Bhai, Todd Levine, Dan Moore, Robert Bowser, Andrew J. Heim, Maureen Walsh, Aziz Shibani, Zachary Simmons, James Grogan, Namita A. Goyal, Raghav Govindarajan, Yessar Hussain, Tania Papsdorf, Tiffany Schwasinger-Schmidt, Nick Olney, Kim Goslin, Michael Pulley, Edward J. Kasarskis, Michael Weiss, Susan W. Katz, Suzan Moser, Duaa Jabari, Omar Jawdat, Jeffrey Statland, Mazen M. Dimachkie, Richard Barohn, Neuromuscular Study Group And Western Als Consortium Memantine Als Study Group

Neurology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease with no known cure, limited treatment options with minimal benefits, and significant unmet need for disease modifying therapies.

Aims: This study investigated memantine's impact on ALS progression, with an additional focus on the effects of memantine on cognitive and behavioral changes associated with the disease.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted from December 2018 to September 2020. ALS patients were enrolled in-person and remotely across 13 sites in the United States. Participants were randomized to memantine (20 mg twice daily) or placebo in a 2:1 ratio …

Blood Biomarkers In Down Syndrome: Facilitating Alzheimer’S Disease Detection And Monitoring, Melissa E. Petersen, Lisi Flores-Aguilar, Elizabeth Head, Laia Montoliu-Gaya, Andre Strydom, Sarah E. Pape, Juan Fortea, Nicholas J. Ashton, Chinedu Udeh-Momoh, Sid E. O’Bryant, Dwight German, Florin Despa, Mark Mapstone, Henrik Zetterberg

Neurology Faculty Publications

Blood-based biomarkers continue to be explored for disease detection, monitoring of progression, and therapeutic outcomes as the diagnostic determination of Alzheimer’s Disease in Down Syndrome (DS-AD) remains challenging in clinical settings. This perspective highlights the current status of this effort. Overall, amyloid (A), tau (T), and neurodegeneration (AT[N]) blood-based biomarkers have been shown to increase with disease pathology for individuals with DS. Phosphorylated tau biomarkers (p-tau217, p-tau181) have been consistently shown to track disease progression for DS-AD and are likely good candidates for use in clinical settings. Biomarkers of inflammation (glial fibrillary acidic protein) also show promise; however, additional work …

Neurobiological Variables Mediating The Relationship Between Breast Cancer And Sleep Disruption, Brittany Domenique Elliott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Neurobiological Variables Mediating the Relationship between

Breast Cancer and Sleep Disruption

Brittany D. Elliott, MS

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in women, with more than two million new cases diagnosed world-wide each year. Improvements in screening technology and diagnostics have increased survival rates, but cancer-associated sleep disruptions persist for the majority of breast cancer survivors well beyond the treatment period. In addition to reducing quality of life, reduced sleep quality is associated with greater incidences of affective dysfunction, reduced treatment efficiency, aggressive cancer progression, increased symptom severity, and increased mortality by all causes. Thus, identifying the variables …

A Decision-Space Model Explains Context-Specific Decision Making, Dirk W. Beck, Cory N. Heaton, Luis D. Davila, Lara I. Rakocevic, Sabrina M. Drammis, Danil Tyulmankov, Atanu Giri, Shreeya Umashankar Beck, Qingyang Zhang, Michael Pokojovy, Kenichiro Negishi, Alexis A. Salcido, Neftali F. Reyes, Andrea Y. Macias, Serina A. Batson, Paulina Vara, Raquel J. Ibáñez Alcalá, Safa B. Hossain, Graham L. Waller, Laura E. O'Dell, Travis M. Moschak, Ki A. Goosens, Alexander Friedman

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Optimal decision-making requires consideration of internal and external contexts. Biased decision-making is a transdiagnostic symptom of neuropsychiatric disorders. We created a computational model demonstrating how the striosome compartment of the striatum constructs a context-dependent mathematical space for decision-making computations, and how the matrix compartment uses this space to define action value. The model explains multiple experimental results and unifies other theories like reward prediction error, roles of the direct versus indirect pathways, and roles of the striosome versus matrix, under one framework. We also found, through new analyses, that striosome and matrix neurons increase their synchrony during difficult tasks, caused …

From Biophysics To Cellular Function: Neural Telcs-Membrane-Anions Capacitor Transmembrane Potential, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Based on the transmembrane-electrostatically localized protons/cations charges (TELCs) theory, neural transmembrane potential including both resting and action potential is now well elucidated as the voltage contributed by the TELCs-membrane-anions capacitor biophysics in a neuron. Accordingly, neural transmembrane potential has an inverse relationship with TELCs surface density, which may represent a substantial progress in bettering the fundamental understanding of neuroscience. In this article, I will present a review on the latest development of the TELCs neural transmembrane potential theory and address Silverstein’s interesting arguments regarding the TELCs model that may constitute a complementary development to both the Hodgkin-Huxley classic cable theory …

Protonic Capacitor Cell Energetics: Transmembrane-Electrostatically Localized Protons/Cations, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The transmembrane-electrostatically localized protons/cations charges (TELPs/TELCs) theory can serve as a theoretical framework to better explain cell electrophysiology and elucidate bioenergetic systems including both delocalized and localized protonic coupling. According to the TELCs model, the excess positive charges of TELCs at one side of the membrane are balanced by the excess negative charges of transmembrane-electrostatically localized hydroxides anions (TELAs) at the other side of the membrane. Through the TELCs-membrane-TELAs capacitor model, the energetics of oxidative phosphorylation have recently been better elucidated in mitochondria and alkalophilic bacteria, leading to the identification of a novel Type-B energetic process. Both the TELCs model …

Morphology And Synaptic Connections Of A T7 Bipolar Cell In Mouse Retina, Lauren Groen

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project will aim to identify ribbon outputs and post-synaptic partners of type 7 bipolar cells in a mouse retina. Using the software WebKnossos, a three-dimensional skeleton of three to four type 7 bipolar cells will be traced. Ribbon synapses will then be located along the cells' axon terminals, and the types of cells that are receiving the synaptic output will be identified. The goal of this project is to provide a better understanding of how type 7 bipolar cells interact with other neurons in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) of the retina.

Nanotube Spectral Fingerprinting And Machine Learning For Optimized Bioimaging/Sensing And Disease Detection Applications In Als, Rodrigo Monroy Lopez

Open Access Master's Theses

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) possess unique physicochemical and optical properties that make them ideal candidates for biomedical imaging, biosensing, and disease diagnostics. This thesis explores the potential of SWCNT-based spectral fingerprinting combined with ML (Machine Learning) algorithms to optimize bioimaging, disease detection and prediction, with a specific focus on differentiating between healthy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) lymphoblastic patient samples. By functionalizing SWCNTs with single-stranded DNA, we enhance their stability and target specificity, enabling their application in serum patient samples.

A comprehensive spectral analysis of DNA-SWCNTs was conducted using near-infrared fluorescence spectroscopy and other characterization techniques, including UV-Vis-absorption spectroscopy. The …

The P3 Event-Related Potential (Erp) In Visual And Auditory Tasks: Implications For Executive Functioning In Adhd Preadolescent Children, Alex Visal Seng

Open Access Master's Theses

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a widespread psychological disorder in children, poorly impacting executive functioning domains of inhibitory control and working memory. Event-related potentials (ERPs) provide neuroelectric insight into these cognitive processes. However, most ERP research focuses on one task type, limiting direct comparisons of cognitive demands across different task paradigms. This study examined P3 amplitude and latency in ADHD children using a visual NoGo task (response inhibition) and an auditory oddball task (working memory), and associations between the P3 ERP and behavioral measures of executive functions.

Cross-sectional data of symptomatic ADHD children (N=13; F=5; aged 9.15 ± 1.86 years) were …

Alterations Of Serotonin Receptor 7 Expression In The Spinal Cord In A Model Of Cerebral Palsy, Tracy Santos

Open Access Master's Theses

Cerebral palsy often results from perinatal hypoxia-ischemia and is characterized by motor and sensory dysfunction associated with altered serotonergic signaling in the spinal cord. The 5-HT₇ receptor, a G-protein-coupled receptor implicated in both motor control and nociceptive modulation, may thus play a critical role in these post-injury changes. However, the regional and developmental patterns of expression of 5-HT₇ following HI injury are not well understood.

In this study, we investigated the expression of spinal 5-HTR₇ in a neonatal rabbit model of HI injury at P1, P5, and P8 using Western blot analyses normalized to total protein. Tissue was …

Disposal Of Nanoplastics By The Brain: Plastic Persistence And Upregulation Of A Putative Plastic-Degrading Enzyme After Exposure To Polystyrene-Infused Food, Callie C. Mauersberg

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Plastic is a ubiquitous material used in many domestic and commercial applications. Widespread use of plastic has led to environmental accumulation of plastic waste, and microplastics have inundated human food and water sources. Once consumed, it is well established that microplastics translocate from the gut to other tissues, including the brain, via the circulatory system. However, it is unknown if nanoplastics persist permanently in the brain. Additionally, it is not known if microplastics can be enzymatically degraded by phagocytic cells in the CNS, such as microglia and astrocytes. Alkane monooxygenase-homolog 7 (Alkbh7) is a mitochondrial enzyme that may …

Leveraging Epigenomics And Transcriptomics To Develop High-Dimensional Biomarkers Of Neuroinflammation, Steven C. Pike

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Neuroinflammation is a critical physiological phenomenon implicated in most neurological disorders, either as a cause or a consequence of pathology. Our understanding of neuroinflammation is limited by the inability to directly profile the cells of interest. Thus, developing biomarkers of neuroinflammation is clinically urgent as we know neuroinflammation correlates with patient outcomes and treatment success. The recent advances in “omics” technologies, particularly epigenomics and transcriptomics, provides the opportunity for high-dimensional profiling of biospecimens for potential biomarkers. Within this dissertation, I demonstrate that biomarkers obtained from “omics” platforms can detect neuroimmunological phenomena in clinical and preclinical settings. In chapter one, DNA …

Distinct Forms Of Myotonia In Pharmacologic And Genetic Mouse Models At Room And Body Temperature, Rola Benammar

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Myotonia congenita (MC) is a genetic disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the ClC-1 chloride channel, leading to muscle hyperexcitability and symptoms of transient stiffness and weakness. Work in hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HKPP), a disorder with overlapping clinical features, has shown that myotonia can arise from two distinct mechanisms: a sustained form and a transient post-stimulus form, which have opposite temperature dependence. In HKPP, sustained myotonia worsens at elevated temperatures, whereas transient myotonia is exacerbated by cooling. This study tested whether these two mechanisms also contribute to myotonia in MC. Ex vivo force recordings were performed in extensor digitorum longus …

Associations Between Brain White Matter Hyperintensities And Diet Quality In Cognitive Aging: A Cross-Sectional Assessment, Carla V. Urdaneta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Leukoaraiosis, or White Matter Lesions (WMLs)/White Matter Hyperintensities (WMHs), are often considered markers of aging and neurodegeneration. White matter hyperintensities appear as lighter, hyperintense regions on T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and are physiologically characterized as demyelination and axonal loss reflected as microvascular lesions in cerebral white matter (Marseglia et. al., 2019). These anatomical landmarks are most seen in MRIs of elderly individuals. They can be associated with aging and cognitive decline, including affected frontal lobe function and episodic memory in the form of delayed recall performance and are linked to several cardiovascular risk factors, …

Theoretical Analysis Of Cnns For Automatic Seizure Detection In Eeg Signals, Jackson T. Small

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Epilepsy is a common brain disorder where neurons in the brain rapidly fire, causing recurring seizures. The brain activity during a seizure can be detected by electroencephalogram (EEG) signals; however, this process is not only labor-intensive and time-consuming but is also subject to inter-rater variability, with a study showing only moderate agreement when diagnosing patients, even among experts. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) are often proposed to detect seizures automatically, achieving high performance. The focus on performance comes at a cost of losing interpretability, leaving the model as effective but seen as a ’black box’. This thesis confronts the interpretability knowledge …

Little Lives, Big Challenges: The Nicu's Role In Infant Brain Development, Gerardo Martinez

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Sleep Is Paralyzing Me! Exploring The Brain During Sleep Paralysis, Anna Renteria

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Dopamine Hits To Data Bits: Harnessing Brain Chemistry To Drive The Next Generation Of Computing, Keller Bueneman

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Oops! My Brain Did It Again! How Music, Smell, And Sight Rekindle The Past, Lana Hunt

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

The Anatomy Of Art: Visual Art And The Brain, Shea Wilt

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Saying "Goodbye" To The Deficits Of Spinal Cord Injury: Exploring The Inflammatory Mechanisms Underlying Spinal Cord Injury And Related Mood Disorders, Elsie Groebner

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Does Time Actually Fly When You're Having Fun? A Review Of Time Perception In Differing Environments, Arthur Khayat

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Ai Think, Therefore, Ai Am?, Bineth Abeysekera

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Please, Put Away That Plastic! A Plea From Your Grandchildren, Finn Anders

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Unlocking Grit And Mindfulness: Biohacking The Anterior Mid-Cingulate Cortex For Success, Rowan Goldin

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Letters From The Professors

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Table Of Contents

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

#Obsessed Get Ready With Me: A Day In The Life With Ocd, Jordan Herrera

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Scientific Kenyon: Neuroscience Edition (Full Issue)

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.