Claiming More To Cope: Does Ostracism Increase Overclaiming?, Katy Q. Chen

Honors Theses

In a pre-registered online study, we investigated the relationship between ostracism and overclaiming. Ostracism is the act of deliberately or unintentionally excluding and ignoring others. Overclaiming refers to the behavior of exaggerating one’s knowledge or familiarity with specific topics, often as a way of attempting to present oneself as more knowledgeable or competent than one actually is. Drawing from the temporal need-threat model, we hypothesized that ostracized individuals, as a compensatory response, would likely overclaim more compared to included individuals. This online study simulated a work experience where participants were asked to answer questions about their work-related experiences and opinions. …

Early Developmental Exposure To Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Causes Latent Behavioral, Growth, And Bioenergetic Effects In Danio Rerio, Astra Hahm

Honors Theses

Early developmental exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol causes latent behavioral, growth, and bioenergetic effects in Danio rerio

(Under the direction of Dr. Kristine Willett)

Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is used during pregnancy to mitigate symptoms such as nausea, pain, and insomnia. It is established that Δ9-THC exposure early in life causes adverse effects in children’s development including behavioral disorders. Our goal was to determine the latent and generational impacts on growth, behavior, and mitochondrial bioenergetics following exposure to Δ9-THC. Wildtype (5D) zebrafish were exposed to 0 (0.05% DMSO), 0.08, 0.4, or 1 µM Δ9-THC from 6-96 hours post-fertilization (hpf), then subsequently raised in clean …

Sleep Duration Is Associated With Caudate Volume And Executive Function, Nicole Jones

Honors Theses

The ineligible role of the caudate nucleus in sleep has been implicated throughout multiple scientific studies. Previous literature has shown that greater caudate volume is associated with longer habitual sleep duration in older adults- ranging from 55 years of age and up. However, the association between sleep duration and caudate volume remains unknown in the younger population. In this study, we examined the caudate volume in youth to older adults (10 to 85 years old) with a greater sample size (N=464) to increase statistical power. The volumetric size of the caudate nucleus showed significantly positive association with habitual sleep duration, …

All The Rage: Assessing The Age/Rage Signaling Pathway’S Effects On Healthspan And The Physiological Processes Of Aging, Brandon Ashmore

Honors Theses

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are protein, lipid, or nucleotide molecules that have been combined with sugars through nonenzymatic, irreversible glycation and oxidation reactions. Their accumulation in the body has been associated with the natural aging process and a wide range of pathologies, including chronic inflammation, sustained oxidative stress, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Their interaction with the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has been linked to several proinflammatory signaling pathways associated with neurotoxicity and vascular lesions. While some research has been done on the possible health benefits of RAGE inhibition to extend lifespan, our study hopes …

Neuronal Effects Of Cocaine In An Animal Model Of Social Stress: Analysis Of Neuronal Recordings, Eboni Eddins

Honors Theses

Studies that use Intermittent (episodic) Social Defeat (ISD) in rats demonstrate that ISD increases cocaine-self administration several weeks after the end of the adverse experience and suggest that a history of social stress makes individuals more vulnerable to substance abuse in the long term. The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a key role in regulating drug-seeking behavior. The present study investigates whether ISD enhances the response of mPFC neurons to cocaine. Male Long Evans rats (3-4 months) were implanted with electrode arrays in the mPFC (prelimbic area) and divided into two groups (Control, n= 4; Stress, n= 4). They were …

The Effects Of Astrocytic Derived Insulin-Like Growth Factor (Igf-1) On Cognition And Astrocytes, Destiny Wilson

Honors Theses

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a neuroendocrine signaling hormone that plays a vital role in growth and development, as well as learning and memory. Inhibition of this hormone results in cognitive impairments like those seen with age-related decline. While a majority of research has focused on the role of IGF-1 on neurons, the role of astrocytes still needs to be explored. Our research investigates how astrocytes and cognition are affected as a result of direct regulation of localized IGF-1 production in early development and after puberty. Preliminary studies in our laboratory established a connection between IGF-1 and glial fibrillary …

Hiv-1 Tat Interactions With Opioids Are Modulated By Progesterone And Estradiol, Dejun Jackson

Honors Theses

HIV infection and combined substance abuse are comorbid epidemics. Previous studies show that concurrent opioid drug use may potentiate HIV-1-mediated neurotoxicity partly via interactions with opioids. Preclinical studies suggest that the HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription (Tat), an HIV regulatory protein, can synergize with opioids to exacerbate its already neurotoxic effects. However, its interactions with clinical opioids, such as oxycodone, have yet to be elucidated. Additionally, Tat disrupts a number of systems including the dopaminergic system, which contribute to its capacity to potentiate the rewarding effects of abused drugs. Although the neurotoxic effects of Tat may be inhibited by gonadal steroids …

Effects Of Repeated Intermittent Episodes Of Social Stress On The Acquisition And Extinction Of A Reward-Seeking Task, Nikki Sullivan

Honors Theses

Repeated exposure to stress is known to have a myriad of effects on the brain, contributing to the development of psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and drug addiction. For example, rats undergoing repeated social stress develop increased cocaine self-administration. These effects of stress are not well-understood and are related to changes in the brain reward system. This study investigated the effects of repeated social stress on reward-seeking behavior via the acquisition and extinction of a discriminative stimulus (DS) task and on anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze (EPM). Male rats underwent intermittent social defeat (4 sessions in 10 …

Expression Of Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha In A Chick Model Of Stress Vulnerable, Treatment – Resistant Depression, Mary Katherine Jourdan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An increasing body of literature suggests a Major Depressive Disorder subpopulation, Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD), is associated with an increased immune response. More than a decade of research has identified and begun to validate a novel animal model of TRD. This study sought to determine whether TNF-α levels would be altered due to isolation stress and differentiated between stress-vulnerable and -resilient strains. Black Australorp and Production Red chicks were placed into isolation for varying times during which Distress Vocalization (dVoc) rates were calculated and transformed into entry into behavioral despair percent thresholds. Blood levels of TNF- α were quantified via …