Nervous System Diseases Commons^™

Neuroinflammation In Alzheimer's Disease And Vascular Cognitive Impairment, Erica M. Weekman

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

It was once believed that the brain was immunologically privileged with no resident or infiltrating immune cells; however, now it is understood that the cells of the brain are capable of a wide range of inflammatory processes and phenotypes. Inflammation in the brain has been implicated in several disease processes such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID); however, the role of inflammation in these two dementias is poorly understood.

When we stimulated a pro-inflammatory phenotype with an adeno-associated viral vector in a transgenic mouse model of AD that develops Aβ plaques, we saw a pro-inflammatory …

The Role Of Glutaminase And Extracellular Vesicles In Macrophages And Microglia, Beiqing Wu

Theses & Dissertations

Glutamate serves as a crucial excitatory neurotransmitter that is essential for the proper functioning of the brain. However, excess levels of glutamate are neurotoxic and contribute to the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases, inducing HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Glutaminase 1 (GLS1) is an important mitochondrial enzyme responsible for producing glutamate from glutamine. GLS1 is upregulated during HAND and released from mitochondria to cytosol and extracellular space. However, why and how GLS1 is released remains unknown. In chapter II, we demonstrated that extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry GLS1 as cargos from cytosol to extracellular space during HIV infection and innate immune …

Reverse Engineering A Kinetic Model Of A Dopaminergic Neuron To Apoptosis, Johnathan Morris

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Looking To The Future Of Stroke Treatment: Combining Recanalization And Neuroprotection In Acute Ischemic Stroke, Michael E. Maniskas

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Stroke is the 5^th leading cause of death in the U.S. with 130,000 deaths and around 800,000 affected annually. Currently, there is a significant disconnect between basic stroke research and clinical stroke therapeutic needs. Few animal models of stroke target the large vessels that produce cortical deficits seen in the clinical setting. Also, current routes of drug administration, intraperitoneal and intravenous, do not mimic the clinical route of intra-arterial drug administration. To bridge this divide, we have retro-engineered a mouse model of stroke from the current standard of care for emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) stroke, endovascular thrombectomy, to …

The Physiology And Psychology Of Exercise And Parkinson's Disease, Jess Gibson

Senior Honors Theses

Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common degenerative neurological disorders and is currently lacking a cure. While physicians have long debated over the best treatment for Parkinson’s symptoms, treatments such as oral medication and deep brain stimulation have not yet shown to be a permanent solution to the disease. Recently, exercise has emerged as a contender in the fight against Parkinson’s and physicians and physiotherapists have been investigating the benefits of prescribing exercise programs to patients in an effort to slow progression of Parkinson’s symptoms. The following presents an analysis of the effects of exercise on Parkinson’s symptoms and …

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, The Primary Motor Neuron Disease, Jacob P. Naumann

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a degenerative neurological disease that damages nerve cells in the brain, in particular the neurons that are involved in voluntary muscle movements. Internationally the disorder is also known as Charcot’s disease and motor neuron disease. In the United States, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, motor neuron disease, and more colloquially ALS. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is the most prominent of the five motor neuron diseases, distinguishing itself from the others through degeneration of both upper motor neurons (UMN) and lower motor neurons (LMN) respectively. The “Father of neurology” Jean-Marie Charcot founded …

Novel Advances In Alzheimer's Disease, Jacob P. Naumann

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia in adults, is a progressive degenerative neurological disease that affects memory, cognition, and behavior. Dr. Alois Alzheimer discovered and diagnosed the irreversible disease in 1906 after documenting the famous case of Auguste Deter.¹ Since the discovery of the disease, numerous advances have made it possible to not only better understand the causal factors, but also to improve the medical diagnosis and preventative measures that healthcare providers can implement. For the first time since 1984, the National Institute on Aging (NIAA) and the Alzheimer’s Association (AA) proposed and published new diagnostic guideline …

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 …

Brain Blast 2015 Speakers Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Poster from UNE's Brain Blast 2015 listing the expected presenters at this event.*

Brain Blast 2014 Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Announcement poster for UNE's Brain Blast 2014, a pechakucha-style brain health and safety awareness and learning event.

Brain Blast 2014 Speakers Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

Poster from UNE's Brain Blast 2014 listing the presenters at this event.

Dopamine And Glutamate Dysfunction In A Rodent Model Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Implications For Future Neuropharmacology, Erin M. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders of childhood. It is theorized to be caused by catecholamine dysfunction in the striatum (Str) and frontal cortex (FC). The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) has been used as a model for ADHD because of its attention deficits, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. Prior studies of dopamine (DA) in the Str and FC have revealed conflicting results in the SHR compared to control, indicative of a need for a better understanding of DA dynamics in this model. In addition to the DA hypothesis, studies have begun implicating glutamate in the etiology of ADHD. …

Attenuating Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain By Repurposing Pioglitazone And D-Cycloserine In The Novel Trigeminal Inflammatory Compression Mouse Model, Danielle N. Lyons

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Approximately 22% of the United States population suffers from a chronic orofacial pain condition. One such condition is known as trigeminal neuropathic pain frequently reported as continuous aching and burning pain, often accompanied by intermittent electrical shock-like sensations. Dental procedures or trauma are known causes of peripheral trigeminal nerve injury and inflammation. Patients who have this type of facial pain also suffer from emotional distress. For these reasons, trigeminal neuropathic pain needs to be studied in more detail to improve the understanding of the etiology and maintenance of this condition, as well as to develop effective treatment strategies. The first …

A Descriptive Study To Find Possible Correlation Between Mri Findings Of Pituitary Gland And Serum Prolactin Level, Muhammad Azeemuddin, Rohana Naqi, Mohammad Wasay

Department of Medicine

Objective: To explore equation, if any, between findings of magnetic resonance imaging of pituitary gland and serum prolactin level.

Methods: The retrospective, descriptive study was conducted at the Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and related to patients\' records from April 19, 2006 to April 23, 2009. Seventy patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging of brain for pituitary gland. Inclusion criteria were all patients referred with relevant clinical symptoms or deranged serum prolactin level. Patients who were claustrophobic or had a pacemaker, aneurysm clip, metallic foreign body in the orbit or with no laboratory investigation were excluded from the …

Blast-Induced Brain Injury: Influence Of Shockwave Components, Dexter V. Reneer

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has been described as the defining injury of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Previously, most blast injury research has focused on the effects of blast on internal, gas filled organs due to their increased susceptibility. However, due to a change in enemy tactics combined with better armor and front-line medical care, bTBI has become one of the most common injuries due to blast. Though there has been a significant amount of research characterizing the brain injury produced by blast, a sound understanding of the contribution of each component of the shockwave to the …