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Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience

Kcnq2 Localization In The Brainstem, Christina Valera May 2020

Kcnq2 Localization In The Brainstem, Christina Valera

Honors Scholar Theses

KCNQ2 channels are potassium channels that serve to control neuronal excitability. Loss of function mutations in these channels are known to cause various forms of epilepsy. Recently, KCNQ2 R201C and R201H gain of function mutations have been shown to exhibit an exaggerated startle response and other unique phenotypes uncharacteristic of epilepsy. These phenotypes resemble hyperekplexia, a condition in which glycine neurotransmission in the spinal cord and brainstem is affected. While KCNQ2 has widespread localization throughout the brain, its presence in the brainstem remains unknown. We used immunostaining to determine the localization of KCNQ2 in the vagus nerve and hypoglossal nerve …


Pathological Effects Of Repeated Concussive Tbi In Mouse Models: Periventricular Damage And Ventriculomegaly, Richard H. Wolferz Jr. May 2015

Pathological Effects Of Repeated Concussive Tbi In Mouse Models: Periventricular Damage And Ventriculomegaly, Richard H. Wolferz Jr.

Honors Scholar Theses

Repeated concussive traumatic brain injury (rcTBI) is the most prominent form of head injury affecting the brain, with an estimated 1.7 million Americans affected each year (Kuhn 2012). Neurologists have been concerned about the danger of repeated head impacts since the 1920’s, but researchers have only begun to understand the long-term effects of rcTBI (McKee 2009). Although symptoms can be as mild as dizziness, current research suggests that multiple concussions can lead to a progressive degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) (Luo 2008, McKee 2009, Kane 2013). Research on the brain is just beginning to scratch the …


The Effect Of Repeated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury On Ventricular Volume And Microglial Activation, Lillian Rose Talbot May 2014

The Effect Of Repeated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury On Ventricular Volume And Microglial Activation, Lillian Rose Talbot

Honors Scholar Theses

As the leading cause of death and disability in individuals under the age of 45-years-old, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a public health crisis that demands the attention of the scientific and medical community [28]. The majority of all TBIs that occur in the United States each year are a non-deadly yet detrimental form of closed brain injury known as mild TBI (mTBI) or concussion [6]. Athletes, young people and military personnel all face a high risk of acquiring mTBI as a result of their environments. In our study we have chosen to model repeated mTBI (rmTBI) in the mouse …