Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Patterns Of Prospective Memory Errors Differ In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis., Caitlyn A Nguyen, Sarah A Raskin, Aaron P Turner, Zaenab Dhari, Lindsay O Neto, Elizabeth S Gromisch

Faculty Scholarship

INTRODUCTION: Prospective memory (PM) deficits have been documented in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed to explore the specific types of errors made by persons with MS (PwMS), including differences between PwMS and healthy controls (HC) and PwMS who do and do not have impairments in processing speed and/or verbal learning and memory.

METHOD: PwMS (

RESULTS: Nearly 93% of PwMS made at least one PM error, compared to 76% of HC (

CONCLUSIONS: PM errors are common in PwMS, particularly when there are longer delays and time-based cues. Not only do PwMS make more errors than demographically similar HC, …

Measurement Of Prospective Memory In Spanish Speakers, Laura Cadavid, Alicia Camuy, Valerie Velez, Sarah Raskin

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction: This study aimed to provide preliminary evidence on the psychometric properties of a measure of prospective memory in Spanish speakers, the Memory for Intentions Test (MIST) Spanish translation.

Methods: In addition, this study investigated whether acculturation influenced performance on the MIST. Finally, we measured other cognitive factors that might be impacting the relationship between culture and prospective memory performance. These factors were working memory, autobiographical memory, and episodic future thought.

Results: Overall, the psychometric properties of the Spanish MIST appear to be similar to the English language MIST, but our sample size was too small to allow for the …

Traumatic Brain Injury Screening And Neuropsychological Functioning In Women Who Experience Intimate Partner Violence, Sarah Raskin, Olivia Dejoie, Carolyn Edwards, Chloe Ouchida, Jocelyn Moran, Olivia White, Michelle Mordasiewicz, Dorothy Anika, Blessing Njoku

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: The potential for traumatic brain injury (TBI) to occur as the result of intimate partner violence (IPV) has received increased interest in recent years. This study sought to investigate the possible occurrence of TBI in a group of women who survived IPV and to measure the specific profile of cognitive deficits using standardized neuropsychological measures. Method: A comprehensive questionnaire about abuse history; neuropsychological measures of attention, memory and executive functioning; and measures of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder were given to women who were IPV survivors, women who were sexual assault (SA) survivors, and a comparison group of …

Probability Distribution Of Sars-Cov-2 (Covid) Infectivity Following Onset Of Symptoms: Analysis From First Principles, Mark P. Silverman

Faculty Scholarship

The phasing out of protective measures by governments and public health agencies, despite continued seriousness of the coronavirus pandemic, leaves individuals who are concerned for their health with two basic options over which they have control: 1) minimize risk of infection by being vaccinated and by wearing a face mask when appropriate, and 2) minimize risk of transmission upon infection by self-isolating. For the latter to be effective, it is essential to have an accurate sense of the probability of infectivity as a function of time following the onset of symptoms. Epidemiological considerations suggest that the period of infectivity follows …

Differential Ketogenic Diet-Induced Shift In Csf Lipid/Carbohydrate Metabolome Of Pediatric Epilepsy Patients With Optimal Vs. No Anticonvulsant Response: A Pilot Study, Susan A. Masino, David N. Ruskin, Natalie R. Freedgood, Marie Lindefeldt, Maria Dahlin

Faculty Scholarship

Background: The low carbohydrate, high fat ketogenic diet can be an effective anticonvulsant treatment in some pediatric patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Its mechanism(s) of action, however, remain uncertain. Direct sampling of cerebrospinal fluid before and during metabolic therapy may reveal key changes associated with differential clinical outcomes. We characterized the relationship between seizure responsiveness and changes in lipid and carbohydrate metabolites. Methods: We performed metabolomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid samples taken before and during ketogenic diet treatment in patients with optimal response (100% seizure remission) and patients with no response (no seizure improvement) to search for differential diet effects in …

Ketogenic Diet Effects On Inflammatory Allodynia And Ongoing Pain In Rodents, David N. Ruskin, Isabella C. Sturdevant, Livia S. Wyss, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

© 2021, The Author(s). Ketogenic diets are very low carbohydrate, high fat, moderate protein diets used to treat medication-resistant epilepsy. Growing evidence suggests that one of the ketogenic diet’s main mechanisms of action is reducing inflammation. Here, we examined the diet’s effects on experimental inflammatory pain in rodent models. Young adult rats and mice were placed on the ketogenic diet or maintained on control diet. After 3–4 weeks on their respective diets, complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) was injected in one hindpaw to induce inflammation; the contralateral paw was used as the control. Tactile sensitivity (von Frey) and indicators of spontaneous …

Patterns Of Contagious Yawning And Itching Differ Amongst Adults With Autistic Traits Vs. Psychopathic Traits, Molly S. Helt, Taylor M. Sorensen, Rachel J. Scheub, Mira B. Nakhle, Anna C. Luddy

Faculty Scholarship

Both individuals with diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and individuals high in psychopathic traits show reduced susceptibility to contagious yawning; that is, yawning after seeing or hearing another person yawn. Yet it is unclear whether the same underlying processes (e.g., reduced eye gaze) are responsible for the relationship between reduced contagion and these very different types of clinical traits. College Students (n = 97) watched videos of individuals yawning or scratching (a form of contagion not reliant on eye gaze for transmission) while their eye movements were tracked. They completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), …

Thirty-Fourth Annual Symposium Of Trinity College Undergraduate Research, Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut

Science Symposia Abstracts

2021 annual volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College.

Thirty-Third Annual Symposium Of Trinity College Research, Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut

Science Symposia Abstracts

2020 annual volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College.

Adenosine A1 Receptor-Mediated Protection Of Mouse Hippocampal Synaptic Transmission Against Oxygen And/Or Glucose Deprivation: A Comparative Study, Masahito Kawamura, David N. Ruskin, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

© 2019 the American Physiological Society. Adenosine receptors are widely ex-pressed in the brain, and adenosine is a key bioactive substance for neuroprotection. In this article, we clarify systematically the role of adenosine A1 receptors during a range of timescales and conditions when a significant amount of adenosine is released. Using acute hippocampal slices obtained from mice that were wild type or null mutant for the adenosine A1 receptor, we quantified and characterized the impact of varying durations of experimental ischemia, hypoxia, and hypoglycemia on synaptic transmission in the CA1 subregion. In normal tissue, these three stressors rapidly and markedly …

Fifteenth Annual Summer Research Symposium Abstract Book, Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut

Science Symposia Abstracts

2019 summer volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College.

Writing Assignments In Epidemiology Courses: How Many And How Good?, Ella August, Karen Burke, Cathy Fleischer, James A. Trostle

Faculty Scholarship

© 2019, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. Objectives: Schools and programs of public health are concerned about poor student writing. We determined the proportion of epidemiology courses that required writing assignments and the presence of 6 characteristics of these assignments. Methods: We requested syllabi, writing assignments, and grading criteria from instructors of graduate and undergraduate epidemiology courses taught during 2016 or 2017. We assessed the extent to which these assignments incorporated 6 characteristics of effective writing assignments: (1) a description of the purpose of the writing or learning goals of the assignment, (2) a document type (eg, …

Dietary Intervention For Canine Epilepsy: Two Case Reports, Susan A. Masino, Natalie R. Freedgood, Hannah R. Reichert, Chris J. Director, Vicky H. Whittemore, Beth Zupec-Kania

Faculty Scholarship

© 2019 The Authors. Epilepsia Open published by Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy. Epilepsy is a common neurologic disorder in humans and domesticated canines. In both species the etiology is diverse and complex, and even with medication a significant portion of the population does not experience sufficient seizure control and/or has unacceptable side effects. Humans often try alternatives such as dietary therapy or brain surgery, but in dogs, brain surgery is rarely an option and, despite potential benefits, there are no standard recommendations for a dietary approach. Herein we describe 2 retrospective case studies detailing …

Thirty-Second Annual Symposium Of Trinity College Undergraduate Research, Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut

Science Symposia Abstracts

2019 annual volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College.

Determinants Of Latrine Use Behavior: The Psychosocial Proxies Of Individual-Level Defecation Practices In Rural Coastal Ecuador, Velma K. Lopez, Veronica J. Berrocal, Betty Corozo Angulo, Pavani K. Ram, James Trostle, Joseph N.S. Eisenberg

Faculty Scholarship

Copyright © 2019 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. There is increasing appreciation that latrine access does not imply use—many individuals who own latrines do not consistently use them. Little is known, however, about the determinants of latrine use, particularly among those with variable defecation behaviors. Using the integrated behavior model of water, sanitation, and hygiene framework, we sought to characterize determinants of latrine use in rural Ecuador. We interviewed 197 adults living in three communities with a survey consisting of 70 psychosocial defecation-related questions. Questions were excluded from analysis if responses lacked variability or at least …

Adenosine Signaling Through A1 Receptors Inhibits Chemosensitive Neurons In The Retrotrapezoid Nucleus, S. D. James, V. E. Hawkins, B. Falquetto, D. N. Ruskin, S. A. Masino, T. S. Moreira, M. L. Olsen, D. K. Mulkey

Faculty Scholarship

© 2018 James et al. A subset of neurons in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) function as respiratory chemoreceptors by regulating depth and frequency of breathing in response to changes in tissue CO 2 /H + . The activity of chemosensitive RTN neurons is also subject to modulation by CO 2 /H + -dependent purinergic signaling. However, mechanisms contributing to purinergic regulation of RTN chemoreceptors are not entirely clear. Recent evidence suggests adenosine inhibits RTN chemoreception in vivo by activation of A1 receptors. The goal of this study was to characterize effects of adenosine on chemosensitive RTN neurons and identify intrinsic …

Ketogenic Diet Modulates Nad+-Dependent Enzymes And Reduces Dna Damage In Hippocampus, Marwa Elamin, David N. Ruskin, Susan A. Masino, Paola Sacchetti

Faculty Scholarship

© 2018 Elamin, Ruskin, Masino and Sacchetti. The ketogenic diet’s (KD) anti-seizure effects have long been documented. Recently, its therapeutic potential in multiple neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders has emerged. Yet experimental evidence for a fundamental mechanism underlying beneficial effects across numerous diseases remains lacking. We previously showed that feeding rats a KD produced an early (within 2 days) and persistent elevation of hippocampal nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide+ (NAD+), an essential metabolic coenzyme and signaling molecule. NAD+ is a marker of cellular health and a substrate for enzymes implicated in longevity and DNA damage repair such as sirtuins and poly-ADP ribose polymerase-1 …

2018 Summer Research Symposium Abstract Book, Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut

Science Symposia Abstracts

2018 Summer volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College.

Trends Of Child Undernutrition In Rural Ecuadorian Communities With Differential Access To Roads, 2004–2013, Velma K. Lopez, Carolyn Dombecki, James Trostle, Patricia Mogrovejo, Nancy Castro Morillo, William Cevallos, Jason Goldstick, Andrew D. Jones, Joseph N.S. Eisenberg

Faculty Scholarship

© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Road access can influence protective and risk factors associated with nutrition by affecting various social and biological processes. In northern coastal Ecuador, the construction of new roads created a remoteness gradient among villages, providing a unique opportunity to examine the impact of roads on child nutritional outcomes 10 years after the road was built. Anthropometric and haemoglobin measurements were collected from 2,350 children Esmeraldas, Ecuador, from 2004 to 2013 across 28 villages with differing road access. Logistic generalized estimating equation models assessed the longitudinal association between village remoteness and prevalence of stunting, wasting, …

Prospective Memory In Clinical Populations [Post-Print], Sarah Raskin

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Prospective memory (PM) has emerged as a form of episodic memory that is frequently impaired in a variety of clinical populations. Neuropsychologists who routinely evaluate these populations are often unaware of the possibility of PM deficits or the impact these deficits may have on everyday functioning. The objective of this special issue is to provide an overview of the nature of prospective deficits in a range of clinical populations, to discuss neuropsychological assessment techniques, and to critically evaluate management strategies. Method: We solicited papers from established researchers and issued a general call for papers for the special …

2018 Annual Research Symposium Abstract Book, Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut

Science Symposia Abstracts

2018 annual volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College.

The Role Of Mobile Genetic Elements In The Spread Of Antimicrobial-Resistant Escherichia Coli From Chickens To Humans In Small-Scale Production Poultry Operations In Rural Ecuador, Kara A. Moser, Lixin Zhang, Ian Spicknall, Nikolay P. Braykov, Karen Levy, Carl F. Marrs, Betsy Foxman, Gabriel Trueba, William Cevallos, Jason Goldstick, James Trostle, Joseph N.S. Eisenberg

Faculty Scholarship

© The Author(s) 2018. Small-scale production poultry operations are increasingly common worldwide. To investigate how these operations influence antimicrobial resistance and mobile genetic elements (MGEs), Escherichia coli isolates were sampled from small-scale production birds (raised in confined spaces with antibiotics in feed), household birds (no movement constraints; fed on scraps), and humans associated with these birds in rural Ecuador (2010-2012). Isolates were screened for genes associated with MGEs as well as phenotypic resistance to 12 antibiotics. Isolates from small-scale production birds had significantly elevated odds of resistance to 7 antibiotics and presence of MGE genes compared with household birds (adjusted …

Caffeine Consumption Disrupts Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation In Freely Behaving Rats., J Harry Blaise, Jee Eun Park, Nicholas J Bellas, Thomas M Gitchell, Vy Phan

Faculty Scholarship

Caffeine, one of the most commonly consumed psychoactive substances in the world, has long been known to alter neurological functions, such as alertness, attention, and memory. Despite caffeine's popularity, systematic investigations of its effects on synaptic plasticity in the brain are still lacking. Here we used a freely behaving rodent model of long-term potentiation (LTP), a frequently studied form of synaptic plasticity, to assess the effects of caffeine consumption on hippocampal plasticity. LTP, which is a persistent increase in the strength of synaptic connections between neurons, is a cellular mechanism widely considered to underlie the processes of learning and memory. …

2017 Summer Research Symposium Abstract Book, Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut

Science Symposia Abstracts

2017 Summer volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College.

Editorial: Metabolic Control Of Brain Homeostasis, Detlev Boison, Jochen C. Meier, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

2017 Annual Research Symposium Abstract Book, Trinity College, Hartford Connecticut

Science Symposia Abstracts

2017 annual volume of abstracts for science research projects conducted by students at Trinity College.

Heavy Drinking In College Students Is Associated With Accelerated Gray Matter Volumetric Decline Over A 2 Year Period, Shashwath A. Meda, Alecia D. Dager, Keith A. Hawkins, Howard Tennen, Sarah Raskin, Rebecca Wood, Carol S. Austad, Carolyn Fallahi, Godfrey D. Pearlson

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Heavy and/or harmful alcohol use while in college is a perennial and significant public health issue. Despite the plethora of cross-sectional research suggesting deleterious effects of alcohol on the brain, there is a lack of literature investigating the longitudinal effects of alcohol consumption on the adolescent brain. We aim to probe the longitudinal effects of college drinking on gray matter change in students during this crucial neurodevelopmental period.

Methods: Data were derived from the longitudinal Brain and Alcohol Research in College Students (BARCS) study of whom a subset underwent brain MRI scans at two time points 24 months apart. …

Undocumented: The Health Effects Of Latino Youth In The United States, Elizabeth Patino

The Trinity Papers (2011 - present)

No abstract provided.

Metabolic Dysfunction Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorder And Potential Treatment Approaches, Ning Cheng, Jong M. Rho, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in sociability and communication, and increased repetitive and/or restrictive behaviors. While the etio-pathogenesis of ASD is unknown, clinical manifestations are diverse and many possible genetic and environmental factors have been implicated. As such, it has been a great challenge to identify key neurobiological mechanisms and to develop effective treatments. Current therapies focus on co-morbid conditions (such as epileptic seizures and sleep disturbances) and there is no cure for the core symptoms. Recent studies have increasingly implicated mitochondrial dysfunction in ASD. The fact that mitochondria are an integral part of diverse cellular functions …

Ketogenic Diet Improves Behaviors In A Maternal Immune Activation Model Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, David N. Ruskin, Michelle I. Murphy, Sierra L. Slade, Susan A. Masino

Faculty Scholarship

Prenatal factors influence autism spectrum disorder (ASD) incidence in children and can increase ASD symptoms in offspring of animal models. These may include maternal immune activation (MIA) due to viral or bacterial infection during the first trimesters. Unfortunately, regardless of ASD etiology, existing drugs are poorly effective against core symptoms. For nearly a century a ketogenic diet (KD) has been used to treat seizures, and recent insights into mechanisms of ASD and a growing recognition that immune/inflammatory conditions exacerbate ASD risk has increased interest in KD as a treatment for ASD. Here we studied the effects of KD on core …