Nervous System Diseases Commons^™

Plethora Of Cranial Nerve Palsies: A Problematic Presentation Of Myasthenia Gravis, Nichole Birdsong, Sean Gibbs, Jerry Banks

South Atlantic Division GME Research Day 2022

No abstract provided.

Factors That Contribute To Life Satisfaction Of Parents Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In Trinidad & Tobago, Paul Gerard Richards

Dissertations

Problem

The goal of the study was to understand factors contributing to life satisfaction of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the perspective of positive psychology. The challenges of parenting a child with ASD have been documented extensively, with these parents experiencing higher levels of stress, depression, and lower overall mental health than parents of typically developing children. Stress and hardship can lead to mental health problems for such families. A lack of research was observed about positive outcomes for parents of children with ASD; in particular, no research was available for these parents in Trinidad and …

Progress In Protein Structure Prediction: An Xai Perspective, Yosef E. Granillo, Badri Adhikari

Undergraduate Research Symposium

The full extent of the impact of deep learning models on structural biology will depend on their ability to provide novel biological insights. The field of structure prediction, where deep learning has produced miraculously accurate results, is at a critical stage of benefiting from the methods in interpretable deep learning. The exact mechanisms by which advanced computational models learn to interpret protein shapes and functions during their training remain largely unclear. These questions underscore the need for further research, as understanding these mechanisms is crucial for researchers to trust the predictions of these models. However, interpretable machine learning is ripening …

Characterizing Cellular Stress, Hippocampal Function, And Behavior In A Novel Rat Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Anne A. Schulman

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects over 5 million individuals in the United States alone. While AD is primarily thought of as a disease that destroys neural networks required for memory recall and formation, AD also cause impairment in emotional regulation, cognitive flexibility, and executive function pathways. The cause of AD is unknown; however, the allele ApoE4 has been identified as a risk factor for the onset of AD. ApoE4 provides a valuable opportunity to study AD through animal models. This thesis utilized a human ApoE4 transgenic rat model (hApoE4) to investigate the biological and behavioral …

Mammalian Target Of Rapamycin Cell Signaling Pathway In Phosphatase And Tensin Homolog Induced Kinase 1 Knockout Rat Model Of Familial Parkinson's Disease, Martha Helena Mortell

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

More than 10 million people are living with Parkinson’s disease (PD), one million of which are people in the United States. PD is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder, after Alzheimer’s disease, and is characterized by the accumulation of a-synuclein aggregates and the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. The loss of endogenous dopamine in PD brain accounts for the motor decline presented clinically in PD patients. Etiological factors of PD include oxidative damage and inflammation, although the detailed mechanisms remain unknown. Risk factors for PD include gender, age, environmental factors, and gene mutations.

The current thesis research employed phosphatase and …

Apoe Genotype And Sex Modulate Ketogenic Diet Enhancements To Metabolism And Gut Microbiome In Young Mice, Andrew T. Yackzan

Theses and Dissertations--Medical Sciences

The apolipoprotein ε (APOE) allele in humans has been associated with risk for development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There are predominately three variations of the allele – ε2 (E2), ε3 (E3), and ε4 (E4) – with E4 contributing the greatest risk of AD development. Recent research has unveiled evidence of neurometabolic and neurovascular deficits in E4 carriers present decades before the onset of dementia; it is believed these chronic defects play a major role in the development of AD, thus making them a potential target for preventative intervention. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a …

Interleukin-1 Receptor 1 Signaling In Mild Tbi: Do Endothelial Cells Play A Major Role?, Colleen N. Bodnar

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Across the world, over 69 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) per year making TBI a major health concern worldwide. Of all the TBIs that occur each year, it is suggested that up to 90 percent are mild in nature. Even a mild TBI causes both physical damages to the cells of the brain and activation of a variety of biochemical cascades. Inflammation is an extremely common pathology seen in the brains of TBI survivors of all severities. Chronic inflammation can cause detrimental effects within the brain including neurodegeneration. A major pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1 (IL-1), is upregulated within …

Studies Toward The Development Of An Improved Countermeasure For Synthetic Opioid Overdose, Sidnee L. Hedrick

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

One of the most prominent opioid analgesics in the United States is the high potency agonist fentanyl. It is used in the treatment of acute and chronic pain and as an anesthetic adjuvant. When used inappropriately, however, ingestion of just a few milligrams of fentanyl or other synthetic opioid can cause opioid-induced respiratory depression (OIRD), often leading to death. Currently, the treatment of choice for OIRD is the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone. Recent reports, however, suggest that higher doses or repeated dosing of naloxone (due to recurrence of respiratory depression) may be required to fully reverse fentanyl-induced respiratory depression, rendering …

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Not A Catch-All, Amanda Shulski

Capstone Showcase

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is prolonged and disproportionate neuropathic pain and inflammation which presents after surgery, fracture, or trauma to a limb. This phenomenon has been recognized in the literature since the civil war but the pathophysiology has only become clear over the last 20 years. There are no diagnostic tests for CRPS and it is a relatively rare condition with only about 20 cases in 100,000 people per year. CRPS is then under-recognized by some providers but over-diagnosed by others. Occasionally, providers use CRPS as a catch-all for unexplained pain rather than a recognized condition with specific diagnostic …

An Investigation Of Hhv6'S Impact On The Cognitive Progression And Microglial Changes In An Alzheimer's Disease Cohort, Charles E. Seaks

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

The role of herpesviruses and, more specifically, HHV6 in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and associated cognitive decline is still being investigated. High ubiquity and prevalence in the population have led to a high degree of skepticism about HHV6 as a potential contributor to cognitive decline and dementias. However, recent evidence related to another herpesvirus, herpes simplex virus 1, suggests that reactivation, not carriage, of the virus may be the key factor to explain the dissonance between the virus’ ubiquity and contributions to dementias. With that in mind, we set out to assess cases from the Sanders-Brown Center on …

Effects Of Mindfulness And Stress Management On Neurocardiovascular And Psychological Outcomes, Aditi P. Vyas

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

There has been a higher prevalence of developing anxiety due to frequent episodes of stress among adults in recent years. Chronic anxiety can contribute to the prevalence of elevated blood pressure and hypertension. High anxiety and stress also contribute to overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system which can be quantified by increased muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA). Sympathetic overactivation can lead to vasoconstriction and loss of arterial elasticity. Anxiety, MSNA, blood pressure, and arterial stiffness are all interconnected, thus studying these relationships is crucial to understand the underlying mechanisms for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Non-pharmacological and mind-body …

The Benefit Of Bdnf Modification In The Treatment Of Post-Stroke Depression, Christine Gordynskiy-Ageyev

Capstone Showcase

Neuroplasticity has been a rapidly expanding area of research, and its findings have elucidated the potential of taking advantage of some of its components for the treatment of various neural pathologies. Stroke is the most common cause of long-term disability, and it is a disease process that affects many people. There are many rehabilitation programs that seek to restore a patient’s motor and cognitive functions after stroke; if not fully, then at least partially. Unfortunately, mental health changes contribute in large part to the overall disability of a patient, but these changes are not always targeted in these programs. In …

Putative Mechanisms Underlying The Antidepressant Actions Of Ketamine: A Review And Study Proposal, Tristan Reece

CMC Senior Theses

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a highly debilitating and common psychiatric disorder that affects over 250 million people globally; it is among the most financially and emotionally burdensome illnesses in the world. Currently approved antidepressants are suboptimal in their efficacy and latency of therapeutic action. In contrast, single administrations of sub-anesthetic ketamine have been shown to rapidly alleviate depressive symptoms within hours, even in treatment-resistant patients. Ketamine is believed to exert these effects by increasing glutamatemediated neurotransmission and promoting rapid neurotrophic factor release, restoring the integrity of neural circuits that are compromised in depression. However, uncertainty surrounding its specific antidepressant …

The Role Of Actin Associated Sptbn1 Host Factor In Hiv-1 Infection In Microglial Cells, Hannah Matheney

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a chronic illness affecting more than 32.7 million individuals worldwide. The virus infects immune cells, weakening the immune system overtime eventually leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated. Infection starts with a fusion step, followed by uncoating of the HIV capsid once in the cytoplasm of the cell. HIV uses host cell proteins to complete the infection process, like the actin associated factor, SPTBN1. The Hulme lab has previously shown that SPTBN1 knockdown by siRNA in microglial cells decreased HIV infection and delayed uncoating of HIV. Because fusion is prior to uncoating, it …

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease After Receiving The Second Dose Of Pfizer-Biontech Covid-19 Vaccine, Andrea J. Folds, Melanie-Belle Ullrich, Sann Htoo, Anjeza Chukus

Internal Medicine

No abstract provided.

Identification And Cloning Of Transcripts From Triterpenoid-Induced Neuronal Outgrowth In Neuro-2a Cells From Mus Musculus, Meshael Alrashidi

Masters Theses

Neurodegenerative diseases severely reduce quality of life and are often responsible for the death of those suffering from them. In addition to the societal toll these diseases inflict on populations, the health care costs are estimated to be hundreds of billions of dollars annually for the U.S. alone. Unfortunately, direct pharmacological treatment for some of the most common of these diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, remains elusive. Traditional medicine in China and India have recommended a variety of plants for preventing and treating these diseases. For example, Centella asiatica (L.) Urban, also knows as Gotu Kola, is believed to treat and …

Proceedings Of The 10th Annual Deep Brain Stimulation Think Tank: Advances In Cutting Edge Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Neuromodulation, Neuroethics, Interventional Psychiatry, And Women In Neuromodulation, Joshua K Wong, Helen S Mayberg, Doris D Wang, R Mark Richardson, Casey H Halpern, Lothar Krinke, Mattia Arlotti, Lorenzo Rossi, Alberto Priori, Sara Marceglia, Ro'ee Gilron, James F Cavanagh, Jack W Judy, Svjetlana Miocinovic, Annaelle D Devergnas, Roy V Sillitoe, Stephanie Cernera, Carina R Oehrn, Aysegul Gunduz, Wayne K Goodman, Erika A Petersen, Helen Bronte-Stewart, Robert S Raike, Mahsa Malekmohammadi, David Greene, Petra Heiden, Huiling Tan, Jens Volkmann, Valerie Voon, Luming Li, Pankaj Sah, Terry Coyne, Peter A Silburn, Cynthia S Kubu, Anna Wexler, Jennifer Chandler, Nicole R Provenza, Sarah R Heilbronner, Marta San Luciano, Christopher J Rozell, Michael D Fox, Coralie De Hemptinne, Jaimie M Henderson, Sameer A Sheth, Michael S Okun

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The deep brain stimulation (DBS) Think Tank X was held on August 17–19, 2022 in Orlando FL. The session organizers and moderators were all women with the theme women in neuromodulation. Dr. Helen Mayberg from Mt. Sinai, NY was the keynote speaker. She discussed milestones and her experiences in developing depression DBS. The DBS Think Tank was founded in 2012 and provides an open platform where clinicians, engineers and researchers (from industry and academia) can freely discuss current and emerging DBS technologies as well as the logistical and ethical issues facing the field. The consensus among the DBS Think …

Biologic Tnf-Α Inhibitors Reduce Microgliosis, Neuronal Loss, And Tau Phosphorylation In A Transgenic Mouse Model Of Tauopathy, Weijun Ou, Joshua Yang, Juste Simanauskaite, Matthew Choi, Demi M. Castellanos, Rudy Chang, Jiahong Sun, Nataraj Jagadeesan, Karen D. Parfitt, David H. Cribbs, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays a central role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, making biologic TNF-α inhibitors (TNFIs), including etanercept, viable therapeutics for AD. The protective effects of biologic TNFIs on AD hallmark pathology (Aβ deposition and tau pathology) have been demonstrated. However, the effects of biologic TNFIs on Aβ-independent tau pathology have not been reported. Existing biologic TNFIs do not cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), therefore we engineered a BBB-penetrating biologic TNFI by fusing the extracellular domain of the type-II human TNF-α receptor (TNFR) to a transferrin receptor antibody (TfRMAb) that ferries the TNFR into the brain via …

Novel Biomarkers Of Ciliary Extracellular Vesicles Interact With Ciliopathy And Alzheimer’S Associated Proteins, Ashraf M. Mohieldin, Amal Alachkar, John R. Yates Iii, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Ciliary extracellular vesicles (ciEVs), released from primary cilia, contain functional proteins that play an important role in cilia structure and functions. We have recently shown that ciEVs and cytosolic extracellular vesicles (cyEVs) have unique and distinct biomarkers. While ciEV biomarkers have shown some interactions with known ciliary proteins, little is known about the interaction of ciEV proteins with proteins involved in ciliopathy and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we reveal for the first time the protein-protein interaction (PPI) between the top five ciEVs biomarkers with ciliopathy and Alzheimer disease (AD) proteins. These results support the growing evidence of the critical physiological roles …

Intensive Care Bundle With Blood Pressure Reduction In Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage Trial (Interact3): Study Protocol For A Pragmatic Stepped-Wedge Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial, Lili Song, Xin Hu, Lu Ma, Xiaoying Chen, Menglu Ouyang, Laurent Billot, Qiang Li, Paula Muñoz-Venturelli, Carlos Abanto, Mohammad Wasay

Section of Neurology

Background: Early intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering remains the most promising treatment for acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), despite discordant results between clinical trials and potential variation in the treatment effects by approach to control BP. As the third in a series of clinical trials on this topic, the INTEnsive care bundle with blood pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral hemorrhage Trial (INTERACT3) aims to determine the effectiveness of a goal-directed care bundle protocol of early physiological control (intensive BP lowering, glycemic control, and pyrexia treatment) and reversal of anticoagulation, in acute ICH.
Methods: INTERACT3 is a pragmatic, international, multicenter, stepped-wedge (4 …

The Role Of Micrornas In The Pathophysiology Of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury, Eric S. Peeples

Theses & Dissertations

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) is a devastating injury resulting from impaired blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain at or around the time of birth. The subsequent metabolic failure and cellular injury in the brain can be partially attenuated by rapid initiation of therapeutic hypothermia, but even with prompt induction of hypothermia, more than one in four survivors suffer from major developmental disabilities – an indication of the critical need for more effective therapies. MicroRNAs (miRNA) may be able to act as therapeutic targets in neonatal HIBI; however, very little is known about the endogenous expression of miRNAs …

Developing Deep-Learning Methods For Diagnosis And Prognosis Of Pediatric Progressive Diseases Using Modern Imaging Techniques, Mahdieh Shabanian

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Purpose and Rationale. Central nervous system manifestations form a significant burden of disease in young children. There have been efforts to correlate the neurological disease state in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) neurological disease state with imaging findings is a standard part of patient care. However, such analysis of neuroimaging is time- and labor-intensive. Automated approaches to these tasks are needed to improve speed, accuracy, and availability. Automated medical image analysis tools based on 3D/2D deep learning algorithms can help improve the quality and consistency of image diagnosis and interpretation for cognitive disorders in infants. We propose to automate neuroimaging analysis …

Deciphering The Role Of Hsp110 Chaperones In Diseases Of Protein Misfolding, Unekwu M. Yakubu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Molecular chaperones maintain protein homeostasis (proteostasis) by ensuring the proper folding of polypeptides. Loss of proteostasis has been linked to the onset of numerous neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. Hsp110 is a member of the Hsp70 class of molecular chaperones and acts as a nucleotide exchange factor (NEF) for Hsp70, the preeminent Hsp70-family protein folding chaperone. Hsp110 promotes rapid cycling of ADP for ATP, allowing Hsp70 to properly fold nascent or unfolded polypeptides in iterative cycles. In addition to its NEF activity, Hsp110 possesses an Hsp70-like substrate binding domain (SBD) whose biological roles are undefined. Previous work …

Functional Seizures: The Patient’S Perspective Of A Diagnostic And Treatment Odyssey, Heather J. Andrini, Sydni L. Au Hoy, Ashley M. Okhovat, Juliana Lockman, Gregory R. Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Functional seizures can be challenging to properly diagnose, often leading to delays in treatment. The etiology of functional seizures is multifactorial, with psychological factors identified in many, but not all cases. Misdiagnosis may occur due to clinical features mimicking other medical conditions. Once a correct diagnosis is reached, delivery of definitive, evidence-based treatment may be challenging due to limited availability of specialized resources. Research shows psychological education and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have the greatest efficacy. However, individual differences, including acceptance of the diagnosis, therapeutic alliance, duration of symptoms, comorbidities, and access to care may influence outcomes. There is a …

Median And Ulnar Nerve Injuries In Cyclists: A Narrative Review, Dinesh C. Sirisena, Shauna H-S Sim, Ivan Lim, Vaikunthan Rajaratnam

BioMedicine

Cycling is popular internationally as a mode of transport and sport. Cyclists often report sensory and motor changes in the hands during rides. In the past, assessment of these symptoms was based on clinical history, physical examination and neurophysiology. The aim of this narrative review was to evaluate existing publications and determine if there are areas for further improvement in the clinical setting. Methods: Searches were undertaken in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines using four online databases: PUBMED, OVID, CINAHL and WEB OF SCIENCE. Articles were evaluated using adapted versions of guidelines for case and cohort studies. Results: 2630 articles …

Intracranial Mesenchymal Tumors With Fet-Creb Fusion Are Composed Of At Least Two Epigenetic Subgroups Distinct From Meningioma And Extracranial Sarcomas, Emily A. Sloan, Rohit Gupta, Christian Koelsche, Jason Chiang, Javier E. Villanueva-Meyer, Sanda Alexandrescu, Jennifer E. Eschbacher, Wesley Wang, Manuela Mafra, Nasir Ud Din

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Intracranial mesenchymal tumor, FET-CREB fusion-positive' occurs primarily in children and young adults and has previously been termed intracranial angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) or intracranial myxoid mesenchymal tumor (IMMT). Here we performed genome-wide DNA methylation array profiling of 20 primary intracranial mesenchymal tumors with FET-CREB fusion to further study their ontology. These tumors resolved into two distinct epigenetic subgroups that were both divergent from all other analyzed intracranial neoplasms and soft tissue sarcomas, including meningioma, clear cell sarcoma of soft tissue (CCS), and AFH of extracranial soft tissue. The first subgroup (Group A, 16 tumors) clustered nearest to but independent of …

Daily Phonatory Activity Of Individuals With Parkinson’S Disease, Jeff Searl, Angela M. Dietsch

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study evaluated the amount of phonatory activity of Persons with Parkinson disease (PwPD) compared to adults without Parkinson’s disease measured over 3 days. The relationship between the amount of phonatory activity and Voice Handicap Index (VHI) total score was assessed as were differences in voicing activity across 3 days of data collection.

Methods

Fifteen PwPD receiving dopaminergic medication and fifteen age and sex matched adults without Parkinson’s disease completed the VHI and then wore a VocaLog vocal monitor (VM) for 3 consecutive days. From the VM data, the number of 1-second windows with dB sound pressure level > 0 …

The Concentration Of Brain Homogenates With The Amicon Ultra Centrifugal Filters, Joshua Yang, Rachita K. Sumbria

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Accurately measuring the brain concentration of a neurotherapeutic is critical in determining its pharmacokinetic profile in vivo. Biologics are potential therapeutics for neurologic diseases and biologics fused to an antibody targeting a transcytosis receptor at the Blood-Brain Barrier, designated as antibody-biologic fusion proteins, are Blood-Brain Barrier penetrating neurotherapeutics. The use of sandwich immunosorbent assays to measure concentrations of antibody-biologic fusion proteins in brain homogenates has become increasingly popular. The raw brain homogenate contains many proteins and other macromolecules that can cause a matrix effect, potentially interfering with the limit of detection of such assays and reduce the overall sample …

A Proud Huntington’S Disease Gene Carrier’S Message To His 'Miracle Baby' Daughter On Her Senior Year In College, Kenneth P. Serbin

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Endoxifen: A New Hope For Bipolar Disorder, Muneeba Amin, Alviya Shafique, Muhammad Yusuf Hafiz

Department of Psychiatry

No abstract provided.