Cardiovascular System Commons^™

Effects Of A Basketball Match On Heart Rate Variability In Collegiate Intramural Players, Unobatsha Mbaiwa

Master's Theses

Heart rate variability (HRV) is a standard non-invasive physiological marker used to asses the autonomic nervous system (ANS) function and cardiovascular adaptability. HRV reflects the natural variations in time between successive heartbeats (R-R intervals), which come as a result of the interaction between sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS (Shaffer & Ginsberg, 2017). Higher HRV compared to an individual's baseline is normally considered an indicator of greater parasympathetic (rest/digest) influence and more effective physiological recovery, whereas lower HRV relative to baseline is associated with sympathetic (fight/flight) dominance, fatigue, and increased physiological strain. Since the standardized HRV measurement criteria were …

Occupational Stressors And Health Impacts Among First Responders, Mason N. Roach

Honors College Theses

The United States 911 emergency response system is an interconnected web of public services that seeks to provide its community with care, resources, and safety in times of need. However, the impact of this support on the employees providing the service often goes unnoticed. This review identifies and analyzes the unique strains on first responders' physical and mental health using the Job Demand-Control Model and the Allostatic Load Model. A review of available research literature supports the conclusion that occupational-related stress, including trauma exposure, shift work, poor leadership, and inadequate communication, can have long-lasting negative impacts on provider health.

Distribution And Morphology Of Catecholaminergic Axons And Terminals In Flat-Mounts Of The Whole Left Ventricles Of Rats: Tracing, Digitization And 3d Scaffold, Emily Liu

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Cardiac sympathetic innervation plays a vital role in regulating various heart functions, and its remodeling has been linked to a range of cardiovascular diseases. To understand cardiac sympathetic innervation and remodeling, it is important to elucidate the topographical distribution and morphology of sympathetic axons in the whole left ventricle. However, immunohistochemistry (IHC) on whole heart tissues presents challenges due to their thickness, as conventional methods label only small sections. This disrupts tissue integrity and neural connections. To overcome this, we developed a whole flat-mount technique to process the rat heart (ventricle thickness: 3 mm). We performed cardiac sympathetic nerve imaging …

Comparative Analysis Of Left Ventricular Sympathetic Axons In Shr And Wky Rats, Parker R. Tyson

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and is strongly associated with dysregulation of the sympathetic nervous system, which plays a central role in controlling heart rate, vascular tone, and blood pressure. Although increased sympathetic activity has been widely documented in hypertensive disease, the precise structural organization of sympathetic innervation within the hypertensive heart remains incompletely characterized. This study investigates whether chronic hypertension is associated with structural remodeling of sympathetic axons in the left ventricle by comparing autonomic innervation patterns between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Hearts were collected following transcardial perfusion …

The Science Of Sound: Studying The Cognitive, Emotional, And Physiological Effects Of Frequency, Genre, And Music, Jett Yarborough

Senior Honors Theses

Music influences emotion, physiology, and cognition, yet little is known about how the frequency it is tuned to affects these influences. Prior research has shown that music tuned to 432 Hz can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep. My colleagues and I conducted two studies to investigate this. Our research found that music tuned to 432 Hz promotes a significant increase in memory retention and induces a state of focus and relaxation. These results suggest that shifting from the standard tuning frequency of 440 Hz to 432 Hz could have a profoundly positive impact on our daily lives. …

Case Report: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension With Venous Sinus Stenosis In A Young Female, Zain Raza

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

We report a case of a 19-year-old female who presented with transient, painless left eye vision loss and left-sided headache for 2 weeks. The patient, a known carrier of TTN mutation, which is a gene code for titin (mutations are inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern). The patient was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension secondary to bilateral transverse sigmoid venous sinus stenosis. The differential diagnosis included ocular migraine, transient ischemic attack) and optic neuritis, but subsequent imaging and lumbar puncture revealed elevated intracranial pressure and significant venous stenosis. This case highlights the importance of an early identification and intervention to …

Psychophysiological Tools & Techniques To Predict Perceptual Motor Task Outcomes, Bobby Gerald Rawls Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The process of perceiving environmental information, analyzing it, formulating a plan of action, and carrying out said plan is vital to our day to day lives. This loop occurs for every motor task we perform, from actions as simple as elbow flexion to as complex as performing surgery. As such, it is imperative to understand what physiological, psychological, and neurocognitive factors most dictate success or failure in the motor performance loop.

Prior research has shown that measures from each of these facets have strong relationships with motor performance outcomes, though these findings tended to rely on artificially produced stress in …

Cardiac Timing Effects On Response Speed Are Modulated By Blood Pressure But Not Heart Rate Variability In Healthy Young Adults, Xiao Yang, Catalina Roldan, Michael Gazzanigo, Yasmine Nabulsi, Fang Fang

Research and Infrastructure Service Enterprise (RISE) Faculty Publications

Cardiac timing effects reflect the dynamic interplay between interoceptive and exteroceptive processes. Human information processing tends to be facilitated during cardiac diastole and inhibited during systole, reflecting autonomic regulation and the neuromodulation by baroreceptor afferents. Thus, blood pressure (BP) and vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) are potential modulators of those effects. Additionally, cognitive control appears to play a critical role in the processes. However, whether cardiac timing effects are influenced by those factors remains unclear. The present study aimed to clarify these relationships. Fifty-one healthy young adults completed three experimental sessions to assess BP, short-term HRV, and cardiac timing effects. …

Investigating The Link Between Preeclampsia/Eclampsia In Mothers And Cardiovascular Risk Among Their Neurodivergent Children, Jasmine Emanuel, Andrea Iannuzzelli, Venkateswar Venkataraman

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Preeclampsia/Eclampsia are common gestational conditions among pregnant women. These individuals have hypertension after 20 weeks of gestation, proteinuria/end-stage organ disease, and may have seizures. These conditions can put the mother and fetus at risk.^1,2 A review of literature investigates whether an association exists between congenital heart defects (CHD), and maternal preeclampsia/eclampsia in the neurotypical and neurodivergent population. The Rowan-Virtua Regional Integrated Special Needs (RISN) Center patient population was used to investigate whether maternal preeclampsia/eclampsia is indicative of higher congenital heart disease (CHD) in their neurodivergent children to achieve better quality of care. As a first step towards exploring the …

From Cells To Clinics- The Role Of College Biology Education In Shaping Future Physician Assistants, Monica Manley

Honors Theses

This thesis provides a personal reflection on translating concepts and techniques learned in multiple biology courses (i.e. microbiology, neuroscience, comparative physiology, and genetics) in to clinical practice as an intern in the emergency room of a hospital. Each selected concept contains a description followed by an example of how this knowledge relates to a specified duty of a physician assistant with in an emergency medical setting.

Optimization Of Vagus Nerve Stimulation (Vns) And The Use Of Cervical Vns As A Treatment For Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction, Misty Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a promising neuromodulatory therapy under investigation for a range of disorders, including heart failure, gastric dysmotility, and migraine. Two primary forms of VNS are currently investigated: cervical VNS (cVNS), involving surgically implantation to activate vagal afferents in the cervical branch in the neck and transcutaneous auricular VNS (taVNS) which subcutaneously stimulates the auricular branch in the outer ear. The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) serves as a relay-station receiving 90% of vagal afferents, enabling connections with higher-order brain regions and other brainstem nuclei like the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Sp5) and locus coeruleus (LC), facilitating …

Central Activation Of Orl-1 Receptors In Heart Failure Models, Jeffrey Angell

Theses & Dissertations

Heart failure is a prevalent and debilitating disease associated with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide and is the leading cause of death in the United States. While various therapeutic strategies have been developed and approved to manage heart failure, exploration of novel targets and mechanisms are essential for improving patient outcomes. This thesis investigates the therapeutic potential of the central activation of opioid receptor-like 1 (ORL-1) by nociceptin in a rodent heart failure model.

Furthermore, this study aims to elucidate the central mechanisms underlying nociceptin induced cardiovascular and renal effects in heart failure. This involves investigating neuronal pathways and …

Comparison Of Clinical And Radiographic Efficacy Of Particles Versus Nbca/Onyx In Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization For Chronic Subdural Hematoma, Jane Khalife, Mohamed Salem, Victoria Wong Murray, Allen Karimov, Brian Jankowitz, Jan Karl Burkhardt, Hamza Shaikh, Daniel Tonetti, Pratit Patel, Tudor Jovin, Ajith Thomas

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Different embolic materials are utilized in MMA embolization of chronic subdural hematoma per operators’ discretion. We aim to compare the clinical and radiographic efficacy of different embolic materials in a pooled retrospective cohort of two US centers.

Effective Therapies And Nursing Approaches: Improving Cognition In Older Adult Stroke Patients, Selyna Baltazar

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background

Ischemic stroke occurs in thousands of older adults throughout the year. Due to the lack of oxygen entering the brain, many patients experience a decline in cognitive function due to ischemic stroke. Cognition is the ability to understand, learn, and remember information which is needed for completing daily tasks. Modern technology has allowed for patients to survive ischemic strokes but has yet to provide proper screening tools and methods for stroke-related cognitive impairment.

Objective

To investigate the best practices for identifying, treating, and caring for patients with a cognitive injury related to a stroke. A review of the research …

Neuroanatomical Distribution Of Neurons Within The Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus That Project To The Brainstem Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla, Nicolas Fuller

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The sympathetic nervous system is important in maintaining cardiovascular homeostasis. Elevated cardiovascular-related sympathetic activity can lead to neurogenic hypertension and a host of other serious cardiac-related abnormalities. The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus plays an important role in sympathetic cardiovascular regulation. Neurons from the PVN project to the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), which is the main brain stem sympathetic cardiovascular control center. While RVLM-projecting PVN neurons have been well characterized, the topographical organization within the PVN subnuclei is still not fully known. This neuroanatomical study aimed to map the topographical distribution of RVLM-projecting PVN neurons. Four different carboxylate FluoSphereTM …

Eagle Syndrome: Efficacies Of Medical And Surgical Treatments, Kirklin Mitchell

Capstone Showcase

Eagle Syndrome is a rare syndrome caused by elongation of the styloid process of the temporal bone or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament occurring in a very small percentage of the population that can cause a wide range of common symptoms, leading to it being often misdiagnosed. While there are no set standards for treating Eagle Syndrome, both pharmaceutical and surgical options exist. Pharmaceutical options are often ineffective in long term treatment so surgery is usually required for full symptom resolution. Transoral and Transcervical surgeries have similar efficacies but each come with important drawbacks when considering which type of surgery …

Stimulating The Facial Nerve To Treat Ischemic Stroke: A Systematic Review, Turner S. Baker, Justin Robeny, Danna Cruz, Alexis Bruhat, Alfred-Marc Iloreta, Anthony Costa, Thomas James Oxley

Publications and Research

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a common devastating disease that has increased yearly in absolute number of cases since 1990. While mechanical thrombectomy and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) have proven to be effective treatments, their window-of-efficacy time is very short, leaving many patients with no viable treatment option. Over recent years there has been a growing interest in stimulating the facial nerves or ganglions to treat AIS. Pre-clinical studies have consistently demonstrated an increase in collateral blood flow (CBF) following ganglion stimulation, with positive indications in infarct size and neurological scores. Extensive human trials have focused on trans-oral electrical stimulation …

Case Report: Repeated Use Of Tetrahydrocannabinol Associated With Severe Cerebral Vasoconstriction, Pooja Patel, Ryna Then, Dena Little

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome (RCVS) is a rare neurological syndrome. The classic presentation consists of recurrent, severe, ”thunderclap” headaches with neuroimaging findings consistent with segmental vasoconstriction of cerebral arteries. Sympathomimetics including cannabinoids have been found to be triggers in many cases of RCVS. Complications include subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, cerebral edema and ischemic infarction.

This case highlights the potential devastating and irreversible effects of RCVS precipitated by exposure to a sympathomimetic agent. The case emphasizes the importance of patient counseling regarding abstinence from agents that may provoke RCVS.

C25: The “Spot Sign”: A Predictor Of Hematoma Expansion, Mckenzie Merritt

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Cardiac Arrest And Global Ischemia Reperfusion Injury: Role Of Mitochondria And Cannabinoid Receptor 2 Signaling., Jennifer L. Bradley

Theses and Dissertations

We explored the effects of cardiac arrest on mitochondria populations and heart whole tissue lysate proteomics utilizing the Weil Institute’s in vivo rat model of cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We have discovered that brain mitochondria are more sensitive to global ischemia compared to heart mitochondria. Additionally, complex I is the most sensitive electron transport chain complex to ischemic injury and is a major control point of the rate of oxidative phosphorylation following cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Preservation of brain mitochondrial activity and function during cardiac arrest may enhance outcomes and recovery.

A recent article focusing on acute myocardial …

Short-Term Fasting And Autonomic Control, Joshua Gonzalez

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Obesity is a chronic metabolic disorder associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Evidence suggests that chronic intermittent fasting improves cardiometabolic health and reduces arterial blood pressure. However, the mechanisms underlying the reductions in blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health observed from chronic fasting studies remain unclear. The autonomic nervous system has a central role in the regulation of blood pressure and is essential for cardiovascular homeostasis. We conducted a study to investigate how acute fasting influences autonomic control of blood pressure at rest and during stress. Twenty-five young, healthy, normal weight, normotensive participants were tested twice, once in the …

Role Of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase On Cardiovascular Functions In Physiological And Pathophysiological States, Ahmmed Ally, Isabella Powell, Minora M. Ally, Kevin Chaitoff, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

This review describes and summarizes the role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) on the central nervous system, particularly on brain regions such as the ventrolateral medulla (VLM) and the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG), and on blood vessels and the heart that are involved in the regulation and control of the cardiovascular system (CVS). Furthermore, we shall also review the functional aspects of nNOS during several physiological, pathophysiological, and clinical conditions such as exercise, pain, cerebral vascular accidents or stroke and hypertension. For example, during stroke, a cascade of molecular, neurochemical, and cellular changes occur that affect the nervous system …

Simultaneous Uplc–Ms/Ms Analysis Of Two Stable Isotope Labeled Versions Of Sucrose In Mouse Plasma And Brain Samples As Markers Of Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability And Brain Vascular Space, Ekram Ahmed Chowdhury, Saad Alqahtani, Raktima Bhattacharya, Reza Mehvar, Ulrich Bickel

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) permeability is frequently compromised in the course of diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS). Sucrose is a low molecular weight, hydrophilic marker with low permeability at the naive BBB and therefore one of the widely used indicators of barrier integrity. Our laboratory recently developed a highly sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method for stable isotope labelled [13C12]sucrose in biological matrices. Correction of total brain concentration for contribution of intravascular space is required in such experiments in order to accurately measure BBB permeability, and it is often accomplished by vascular perfusion with buffer solutions prior to brain sampling. The …

Local Anesthesia Toxicity, Nicole Mccleery

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Local anesthesia (LA) provides a way to relieve temporary pain in a small part of the body and has been used for over 100 years (Fencl, 2015). LA also prevents the passage of surgical stimuli into the central nervous system (CNS) making a surgical procedure less painful for the patient (Noble, 2015). According to Noble, “altering the passage of stimuli from smaller diameter neurons in a confined area with lower drug dosages is called LA, such as the injection of LA around a surgical incision” (Noble, 2015, p.325). LA can be used in a variety of settings, such as in …

Evaluation Of [14c] And [13c]Sucrose As Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability Markers, Mohammad K. Miah, Ekram A. Chowdhury, Ulrich Bickel, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Non-specific quantitation of [¹⁴C]sucrose in blood and brain has been routinely used as a quantitative measure of the in vivo blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity. However, the reported apparent brain uptake clearance (K_in) of the marker varies widely (∼100 fold). We investigated the accuracy of the use of the marker in comparison with a stable isotope of sucrose ([¹³C]sucrose) measured by a specific LC-MS/MS method. Rats received single doses of each marker, and the K_in values were determined. Surprisingly, the K_in value of [¹³C]sucrose was 6-7 fold lower than that …

Antenatal Glucocorticoid Treatment Is Associated With Diurnal Cortisol Regulation In Term-Born Children, M. N. Edelmann, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn, D. A. Wing, Elyssia Poggi Davis

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Due to the rapid developmental changes that occur during the fetal period, prenatal influences can affect the developing central nervous system with lifelong consequences for physical and mental health. Glucocorticoids are one of the proposed mechanisms by which fetal programing occurs. Glucocorticoids pass through the blood-brain barrier and target receptors throughout the central nervous system. Unlike endogenous glucocorticoids, synthetic glucocorticoids readily pass through the placental barrier to reach the developing fetus. The synthetic glucocorticoid, betamethasone, is routinely given prenatally to mothers at risk for preterm delivery. Over 25% of the fetuses exposed to betamethasone will be born at term. Few …

Development And Validation Of A Sensitive Uplc-Ms/Ms Method For The Quantitation Of [13c]Sucrose In Rat Plasma, Blood, And Brain: Its Application To The Measurement Of Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability, Mohammad K. Miah, Ulrich Bickel, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Accurate and reproducible measurement of blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity is critical in the assessment of the pathophysiology of the central nervous system disorders and in monitoring therapeutic effects. The widely-used low molecular weight marker [14C]sucrose is non-specific in the absence of chromatographic separation. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a sensitive and reproducible LC-MS/MS method for the analysis of stable isotopemodified [13C12]sucrose in brain, plasma, and blood to determine BBB permeability to sucrose. After addition of internal standard (IS, [13C6]sucrose), the marker and IS were recovered from diluted rat blood, plasma, and brain homogenate by protein …

Targeting The Small- And Intermediate Conductance Ca2+- Activated Potassium Channels: The Drug Binding Pocket At The Channel/Calmodulin Interface, Meng Cui, Guangrong Qin, Kunqian Yu, M. Scott Bowers, Miao Zhang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

The small- and intermediate-conductance Ca 2+ -activated potassium (SK/IK) channels play important roles in the regulation of excitable cells in both the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. Evidence from animal models has implicated SK/IK channels in neurological conditions such as ataxia and alcohol use disorders. Further, genome-wide association studies have suggested that cardiovascular abnormalities such as arrhythmias and hypertension are associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms that occur within the genes encoding the SK/IK channels. The Ca 2+ sensitivity of the SK/IK channels stems from a constitutively bound Ca 2+ -binding protein: calmodulin. Small-molecule positive modulators of SK/IK channels have been …

Severe Lamotrigine Neurotoxicity Treated With Intralipid Emulsion Therapy, Philip W. Moore Do, Megan C. Urquhart Do, Dale L. Mcmillion Do, Keith K. Burkhart Md, Louis R. Cantilena Jr, Md, J Ward Donovan Md

Department of Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Murine Cardiac Cholinergic Innervation And Its Remodeling In Type 1 Diabetes., Abigail Marie Mabe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Murine models have become increasingly popular to study various aspects of cardiovascular diseases due to their ease of genetic manipulation. Unfortunately, there has been little effort put into describing the distribution of autonomic nerves in the mouse heart, making it difficult to compare current findings from clinical and experimental models related to cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, determination of the requirements for the development of this system and its maintenance in adult mice remains largely unexplored. This study represents the first detailed mapping of cholinergic neuroanatomy of the mouse heart based on immunohistochemical staining using true cholinergic markers. We found cholinergic innervation …