Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Commons^™

Improving Dopamine Monitoring With Ncam And The Effects Of Intranasal Oxytocin On Dopamine Signaling In The Rat Brain, Darren Earl Ginder

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

Dopamine (DA) is a neurohormone highly involved in learning and memory. Oxytocin (OXT), another neurohormone, has also been implicated in learning and memory. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) is a method used for the real-time examination of DA neurotransmission in the brain. Implanting FSCV electrodes is an invasive technique that likely results in an inflammatory response (i.e. gliosis) that can restrict FSCV recording of DA signals. Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) may reduce gliosis and potentially improve the ability of FSCV electrodes to monitor DA signaling. Chapter 1 Methods: FSCV electrodes were coated with NCAM and implanted in the rat brain. …