Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Social Dominance Alters Stress-Induced Neural Activity And Generates Individual Differences In Stress Vulnerability, Jenna Lee Laymon

Masters Theses

Identifying the physiological and behavioral mechanisms that underlie stress vulnerability is a crucial step toward identifying novel targets for the prevention and treatment of stress-related disorders. Social status is a key environmental factor that contributes to individual variations in stress vulnerability. In particular, achieving a subordinate social status has been shown to produce susceptibility to anxiety-like and depressive-like behavior. In this project, our aim was to identify neural ensembles regulating how dominance status modulated stress-induced changes in avoidant behavior in male and female Syrian hamsters. Using a viral vector that codes for robust activity marker (RAM), we investigated whether stress-induced …

The Effects Of Executive Function Between Anxiety And Math Achievement In Adolescents, Mckenzie Hall

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Anxiety in Children can develop into pervasive disorders in adulthood if not treated. Research shows dysfunctional Executive Function (EF) and anxiety are both shown to have a negative impact on math achievement in children and adolescents (Trezise & Reeve, 2018; Kalaycioglu, 2015; Owens, Stevenson, Hadwin & Norgate, 2012). Chung, Weyandt, and Swentosky (2014) found biological and neuropsychological support for EF as a unitary and multifaceted processor for regulating our emotional states as well as our daily procedures. Anderson’s (2002) model of Executive Control System (ECS) allows the factors of EF to be examined using a developmental approach towards EF processes. …

Physiological Effects Of Activity-Based Anorexia In Female Rats And An Overview Of Eating Disorders, Madelyn Uyemura

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The aim of this thesis is to bring AN to the foreground of conversation both in a scientific and sociological framework. Nearly 40 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders, which is characterized by the feeling of a loss of control. In some cases, another disorder called anorexia nervosa (AN) can codevelop. AN is characterized by a refusal, and inability, to maintain a healthy body weight. Some suffering from anxiety may restrict caloric intake and increase exercise to cope with stress. This results in extreme caloric deprivation. AN can be modeled in rats using an activity-based anorexia (ABA) method. In …

Long-Term Impacts Of Acute Stressor Exposure On Locus Coeruleus Function And Anxiety-Like Behavior In Rats, Olga Borodovitsyna

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Stress is a physiological state characterized by behavioral arousal that occurs during exposure to harmful or threatening stimuli, and usually facilitates an adaptive behavioral response. The persistence of stress sometimes causes it to become maladaptive, potentially contributing to disease development, including physiological complications with altered neuroendocrine signaling and impaired function of organ systems, and psychological conditions including depression and anxiety. Anxiety disorders in particular are associated with a history of stress and are the most common class of mental disorders, with a lifetime prevalence of 33.7% in the general population. The locus coeruleus (LC) is a major node in the …

Oral Cbd Administration: Assessing Bioavailability And Behavioral Outcomes In A Rodent Model, Jordan Skully

Wayne State University Theses

There has been a recent surge in popularity for cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychotropic constituent of cannabis, due to numerous claims of potential therapeutic properties, which include, but are not limited to, anxiolytic, antinociceptive, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, as previous scientific literature on CBD's effectiveness in providing such therapeutic effects is limited, this project was aimed to evaluate the potential beneficial properties of a hemp derived 99% pure CBD compound provided from Ellipse Analytics (Denver, CO) in a rodent model. We analyzed the pharmacokinetics of this CBD product as well as the behavioral outcomes after acute and chronic administration. Pharmacokinetics …

Probiotic Administration As An Adjuvant Therapeutic Treatment For Anxiety, Depression, And Cognitive Impairment Among Hypothyroid Patients, Erin R. Gorman

Selected Honors Theses

Hypothyroidism is a form of thyroid dysfunction that occurs when the thyroid gland does not make and secrete enough thyroid hormones to regulate certain processes in the body. Because thyroid hormones take part in many bodily functions, hypothyroidism can cause a large range of symptoms. Current research indicates that some strains of probiotics have beneficial effects on certain neurological and inflammatory diseases, leading to the impression that they can be used therapeutically for effective treatment of different mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, and impaired memory. Because hypothyroidism often leads to such mental symptoms, it may be possible …

Examining The Roles Of Gabaa Receptor Subtypes In Anxiety And Anxiolysis: Focusing On The Basolateral Amygdala, Yudong Gao

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The investigation of the differential roles GABA_A receptor (GABA_AR) subtypes play in mediating various behaviors such as fear and anxiety was an intriguing research topic over the past decade. At present, most evidence suggests that benzodiazepine (BZ)-induced anxiolysis is primarily mediated by GABA_ARs containing the α2-subunit (α2-subtype). However, there is conflicting evidence as to whether α1- and α3-subtypes might also be involved in BZ-induced anxiolysis. In an attempt to further discern the role played by different α-subtype GABA_ARs in BZ-induced anxiolysis both systemically and within the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain region crucial …

Analgesia Followed By Long-Term Hyperalgesia Generated By Disinhibition Of The Basolateral Amygdala, Derek Atchley

Wayne State University Theses

Stress produces bimodal effects on pain peception. During exposure to a stressor pain responses are inibited (i.e. stress-induced analgesia). However, following long-term exposure to a stressor increases in responsiveness to painful stimuli may develop (i.e. stress-induced hyperalgesia). Here I evaluated how a key component of the subcortical defense circuit and target of stress hormones contributes to the development of both stress-induced analgesia and hyperalgesia. Bicuculline methiodide, a GABAA antagonist, injected into the basolateral amygdala was used to mimic the neural effects of a stressor or threat exposure. Immediately following injection pain responsiveness was decreased as measured by vocalizations after discharge …

Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3Β: An Investigation Of The Novel Serine 389 Phosphorylation Site, Brendan Deegan Hare

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Stress associated psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder affect a large proportion of the population. Reductions in the complexity of neuronal morphology and reduced neurogenesis are commonly observed outcomes following stress exposure in rodent models and may represent a mechanism for the reduced brain volume in stress sensitive regions such as the hippocampus observed in individuals diagnosed with stress associated disorders. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-B may play a role in the neurodegenerative phenotype observed following stress exposure. GSK3B is atypical in that it is inhibited by phosphorylation. This inhibitory phosphorylation …

The Effects Of Pre- And Postnatal Administration Of Propionic Acid And Lipopolysaccharide On The Behaviour Of Adolescent Male And Female Rats, Kelly A. Foley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The gut microbiome plays an important role in immune functioning and neurodevelopment. Altered microbiome composition, leading to short chain fatty acid, and/or immune system dysfunction has been observed in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This thesis describes the developmental influence of prenatal exposure to propionic acid (PPA), a metabolic fermentation product of enteric bacteria, or prenatal exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial mimetic and product of enteric bacteria, on a range of behaviours in male and female neonatal, adolescent and adult rats. Study one evaluated the effects of prenatal PPA and LPS, and postnatal PPA, on developmental milestones in …

Forebrain Noradrenergic Alterations And Anxiety After Myocardial Infarction, Jaimee Glasgow

Dissertations

Thirty to 45% of patients who suffer a myocardial infarction (MI) develop anxiety disorders and/or depression, and the development of mood and anxiety disorders following MI is a major risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Depressed post-MI patients have an increased risk of fatal arrhythmias, which are often precipitated by emotional stressors. However, the central nervous system mechanisms that contribute to post-MI anxiety and arrhythmia susceptibility are unknown. Therefore, the studies reported in this dissertation were designed to test the hypothesis that alterations in noradrenergic transmission in the forebrain contribute to the development of anxiety disorders and arrhythmia susceptibility …

Multiscale Genomic Analysis Of The Corticolimbic System: Uncovering The Molecular And Anatomic Substrates Of Anxiety-Related Behavior, Khyobeni Mozhui

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Genetic diversity generates variation at multiple phenotypic levels, ranging from the most basic molecular to higher-order cognitive and behavioral traits. The far-reaching impact that genes have on higher traits is apparent in several neuropsychiatric conditions such as stress and anxiety disorders. Like most, if not all, neural phenotypes, stress, anxiety, and other emotion-related traits are extremely complex and are defined by the interplay of multiple genetic, environmental, experiential, and epigenetic factors.

The work presented in this dissertation is a multi-scalar, integrative analysis of the molecular and neuroanatomic substrates that underlie emotion-related behavior. The amygdala is a principle component of the …