Medical Sciences Commons^™

Molecular Mechanisms Of Opioid Use Disorder In Human Brain Models, Emily Mendez

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a national and global public health crisis with no end in sight. While studies from animal models hint at widespread epigenetic and transcriptomic alterations of opioid drugs, the molecular consequences of long-term exposure to opioid drugs in human brain is still unclear, and human-centered translational models are necessary to discern the human cell type-specific effects of OUD.

Using postmortem brain Brodmann area 9 (BA9) from the UTHealth Brain Collection for Research on Psychiatric Disorders, I identified angiogenic gene networks perturbed in the RNA and protein of OUD subjects, as well as downregulation of many neuron-correlated …

Quality Of Life Associated With Health In Spinal Tuberculosis, Juan S. Moreno, Aleixo N. Pedro, Armando A. Aguirre, Tania A. Baspineiro, Julio B. Flores, Andrei Andrei, Eduardo L. Plasier, Edson L. Oroz, Carlos L. Lucero, Jose L. Segales, Thiago M. De Souza, Juan M. García, Molina Pizarro, Filadelfo Normabuena, María N. Castillo, Erika R. Quezada, Wilson Q. Alanoca, Paulo S. Da Silva, Byron S. Maldonado, Jorge S. Flores, Josselin S. Mamani, Felipe S. Chaves, Reddy S. Nunes, Manuel S. García, Perla D. Oros, José R. Rangel, Luis D. Rodríguez, José S. Sánchez

LATIN Neurosurgery Journal

Introduction: Spinal tuberculosis, al though rare, is a variant of miliary TB, which when it occurs can lead to catastrophic in juries, since it is usually painful and disfig uring, and can lead to irreversible neurologi cal injuries. Which directly or indirectly has an impact on the quality of life of the patient. For this reason, our objective is to review the updated literature on the impact of spinal TB onthequality of life of patients and to identify variables that are directly or indirectly associ ated with better or worse results.
Methodology: Following the Prisma criteria for the development of …

Surgical Indicatios For Spinal Tuberculosis Systematic Review, Byron S. Maldonado, Jorge S. Flores, Aleixo N. Pedro, Armando A. Aguirre, Tania A. Baspineiro, Julio B. Flores, Andrei Andrei, Eduardo L. Plasier, Edson L. Oroz, Carlos L. Lucero, Jose L. Segales, Thiago M. De Souza, Juan M. García, Molina Pizarro, Filadelfo Normabuena, María N. Castillo, Erika R. Quezada, Wilson Q. Alanoca, Paulo S. Da Silva, Juan S. Moreno, Josselin S. Mamani, Felipe S. Chaves, Reddy S. Nunes, Manuel S. García, Perla D. Oros, José R. Rangel, Luis D. Rodríguez, Jose S. Soriano

LATIN Neurosurgery Journal

Introduction: The objective of this systematic review is to establish the main indi cations for the treatment of spinal tuberculo sis. Although there are many factors to con sider this modality of treatment, with differ ent techniques and surgical approaches, we summarize the main indications for easy to re member reference check list.
Methodology: On this systematic review we analyze the quality of evidence generated on the subject “Indications for Surgical treat ment in spinal tuberculosis” from 2017-01-01 to 2022-01-08 to stablish an update and issue recommendtions on this regard.
Results: 20 articles met the criteria and were included in …

Interferon-Gamma Release Assays In The Diagnosis Of Spinal Tuberculosis: A Systemic Review, Eduardo Laos-Plasier, Pedro Aleixo-Nogueira, Armando Alpizar-Aguirre, Tania Arancibia-Baspineiro, Julio C. Burgos-Flores, Andrei Andrei, Edson Lizarazu-Oroz, Carlos A. Llanos-Lucero, José L. López-Segales, Thiago Magalhães-De Souza, Juan F. Mier-García, Molina Pizarro, Filadelfo Normabuena, María E. Nuñez-Castillo, Erika Reyes-Quezada, Wilson Quispe-Alanoca, Paulo G. Sacramento-Da Silva, Byron Salazar-Maldonado, Jorge Salazar-Flores, Juan C. Salcedo-Moreno, Josselin M. Sánchez-Mamani, Felipe A. Santos-De Queiroz-Chaves, Reddy A. Simón-Nunes, Manuel E. Soto-García, Perla M. Del Valle-Oros, José A. Israel-Romero-Rangel, Luis M. Duchén-Rodríguez, José A. Soriano-Sánchez

LATIN Neurosurgery Journal

Introduction: Interferon-gamma release assays are indirect immunological tests used mainly for the diagnosis of latent tubercu losis, their use in active tuberculosis being controversial. This study aims to analyze the usefulness of gamma interferon release assays in the diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis and to obtain a consensus for their use.
Methods: A systematized search was carried out in PubMed and Scielo for ar ticles in English, Spanish, or Portuguese from 10/01/2012 to 10/01/2022, eligibility criteria were applied, the papers included were analyzed according to the GRADE methodology and then established the SORT type recommendation.
Results: We obtained 27 articles, of …

Imaging Signs Indicating Post Tubercular Kyphosis Progression In Children: Systematic Review, Juan F. Mier-García, Carlos A. Llanos-Lucero, Pedro Aleixo-Nogueira, Armando Alpizar-Aguirre, Tania Arancibia-Baspineiro, Julio C. Burgos-Flores, Andrei Andrei, Eduardo Laos-Plasier, Byron Salazar-Maldonado, Jorge Salazar-Flores, Edson Lizarazu-Oroz, José L. López-Segales, Thiago Magalhães-De Souza, Molina Pizarro, Filadelfo Normabuena, María E. Nuñez-Castillo, Erika Reyes-Quezada, Wilson Quispe-Alanoca, Paulo G. Sacramento-Da Silva, Juan C. Salcedo-Moreno, Josselin M. Sánchez-Mamani, Felipe A. Santos-De Queiroz-Chaves, Reddy A. Simón-Nunes, Manuel E. Soto-García, Perla M. Del Valle-Oros, José A. Israel-Romero-Rangel, Luis M. Duchén-Rodríguez, Jose A. Soriano-Sánchez

LATIN Neurosurgery Journal

Introduction: One of the main complications of spine tuberculosis is the instability produced by the injury of the articular structures between the vertebrae as well as the adjacent tissues, which, depending on the degree of involvement, can lead to angular kyphosis with the consequent risk of neurological impairment that can end with paraplegia. While the criteria for vertebral instability secondary to tuberculosis were identified and the pathophysiological processes that determine the progression of kyphosis following tuberculosis were deter mined, there is no new criteria, following Rajasekaran’s 2001 work, which demon strated which imaging signs could predict a kyphosis progression in …

Genexpert Mtb/Rif As A Diagnostic Test For Spinal Tuberculosis: Systematic Review, Erika Reyes-Quezada, María E. Nuñez-Castillo, Pedro Aleixo-Nogueira, Armando Alpizar-Aguirre, Tania Arancibia-Baspineiro, Julio C. Burgos-Flores, Andrei Andrei, Eduardo Laos-Plasier, Byron Salazar-Maldonado, Jorge Salazar-Flores, Edson Lizarazu-Oroz, Carlos A. Llanos-Lucero, José L. López-Segales, Thiago Magalhães-De Souza, Juan F. Mier-García, Molina Pizarro, Filadelfo Normabuena, Wilson Quispe-Alanoca, Paulo G. Sacramento-Da Silva, Juan C. Salcedo-Moreno, Josselin M. Sánchez-Mamani, Felipe A. Santos-De Queiroz-Chaves, Reddy A. Simón-Nunes, Manuel E. Soto-García, Perla M. Del Valle-Oros, José A. Israel-Romero-Rangel, Luis M. Duchén-Rodríguez, José A. Soriano-Sánchez

LATIN Neurosurgery Journal

Introduction: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that ranks as the thirteenth cause of death worldwide. As is known, tuberculo sis is not only limited to the lungs, but there is a wide range of extrapulmonary pathologies. Current diagnostic methods for spinal tuberculosis are limited by the time factor in order to provide results early and reliably. GeneX pert MTB/RIF is currently available as an al ternative, fast and reliable test for pathogen identification.
Methodology: This systematic review adheres to the PRISMA [1] criteria. The objective of the systematic review was to analyze the quality of the evidence gener ated on …

Effectiveness Of Vertebral Biopsy In Spinal Tuberculosis. Systematic Review, Armando Alpizar-Aguirre, Pedro Aleixo-Nogueira, Tania Arancibia-Baspineiro, Julio C. Burgos-Flores, Andrei Andrei, Eduardo Laos-Plasier, Edson Lizarazu-Oroz, Carlos A. Llanos-Lucero, Jose L. López-Segales, Thiago Magalhães-De Souza, Juan F. Mier-Gracía, Molina Pizarro, Filadelfo Normabuena, María E. Nuñez-Castillo, Erika Reyes-Quezada, Wilson Quispe-Alanoca, Paulo G. Sacramento-Da Silva, Juan C. Salcedo-Moreno, Josselin M. Sánchez-Mamani, Felipe A. Santos-De Queiroz-Chaves, Byron Salazar-Maldonado, Jorge Salazar-Flores, Reddy A. Simón-Nunes, Manuel E. Soto-García, Perla M. Del Valle-Oros, José A. Israel-Romero-Rangel, Luis M. Duchén-Rodríguez, José A. Soriano-Sánchez

LATIN Neurosurgery Journal

Introduction: Vertebral biopsy, espe cially percutaneous biopsy for histopathologi cal study and culture, continues to be the Gold Standard in the Diagnosis of Spinal Tubercu losis since the last century, however, there are no recent systematic reviews of the literature on its effectiveness in this pathology.
Method: A systematic review was car ried out on the PubMed platform, with the keywords ”Spinal tuberculosis” and ”Biopsy” in the title and abstract with a time limitation from January 1, 2017 to October 26, 2022. A summary of 11 selected articles was prepared, a list of the variables used in each article was …

Editorial Message: Vertebral Destruction Syndrome And Spinal Tuberculosis, Armando A. Aguirre

LATIN Neurosurgery Journal

No abstract provided.

Editorial Message: Top Class Neurosurgery Research Available From Latin America For The Benefit Of The World, Jose S. Soriano

LATIN Neurosurgery Journal

No abstract provided.

Editorial Message, Luis Alencar Biurrum Borba

LATIN Neurosurgery Journal

No abstract provided.

Content Table

LATIN Neurosurgery Journal

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Postural Position, Eeg Asymmetry, And Temperamental Style On Cognitive Task Performance, Taylor Cops, Christy D. Wolfe

Undergraduate Theses

The literature shows hemispheric asymmetry in individuals corresponding with temperamental style. Those with greater right-frontal activation tend towards withdrawal/inhibition and those with greater left-frontal activation tend towards approach/activation (e.g., Davidson, 1992). Other literature suggests that greater right-parietotemporal activation is associated with increased arousal (Heller, 1993; Wolfe & Bell, 2014). Temperamental style has been linked with cognitive performance with approach-oriented temperaments being associated with both higher and lower performance depending on the task requirements (Khan et al., 2024; Wolfe & Bell, 2007). Literature further suggests that postural position (e.g., sitting, standing, lying down) may influence feelings of approach/withdrawal and cognitive processing. …

Mapping The Maze Of Time: Unraveling Chronological Age-Induced Structural Transformations In The C57bl6 Mouse Brain, Angelica Arshoun, Adam Jasper, Ella D'Amico, Frank Yeh, Kirk Erickson, Amrita Sahu, Fabrisia Ambrosio

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Safety And Efficacy Of L5-S1 Inclusion In Multi-Level Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusions, Danyal Quraishi, Shahed Elhamdani, Chen Xu, Alexander Yu

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

Apigenin Alleviates Autistic-Like Stereotyped Repetitive Behaviors And Mitigates Brain Oxidative Stress In Mice, Petrilla Jayaprakash, Dmytro Isaev, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Rami Beiram, Murat Oz, Bassem Sadek

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Studying the involvement of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), specifically α7-nAChRs, in neuropsychiatric brain disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has gained a growing interest. The flavonoid apigenin (APG) has been confirmed in its pharmacological action as a positive allosteric modulator of α7-nAChRs. However, there is no research describing the pharmacological potential of APG in ASD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the subchronic systemic treatment of APG (10–30 mg/kg) on ASD-like repetitive and compulsive-like behaviors and oxidative stress status in the hippocampus and cerebellum in BTBR mice, utilizing the reference drug aripiprazole (ARP, 1 …

Ongoing Study Of The Association Of Apoe Gene Polymorphisms With Cognitive Impairment In The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Population, Jaime Miguel L. Saveron, Daniela Gamez, Chun Xu

Research Symposium

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD), a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, exhibits a significant genetic component. In addition, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a key risk factor for AD. While certain demographic factors and genetic variants associated with AD and cognitive impairment have been identified in non-Hispanic populations, limited research exists on this subject within the Hispanic population, particularly in the Rio Grande Valley. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the APOE gene, specifically its ε4 allele, and cognitive impairment in the Hispanic population of the Rio Grande Valley.

Methods: A total of 269 Hispanic subjects, aged 60 and above, with …

Exploring Neuroplasticity Changes In Neurotoxin-Induced Parkinson’S Disease: A Preliminary Analysis Using Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Tomas Gomez Jr., Daniel Salinas, Kelsey Potter-Baker, Nawaz Hack, Ramu Vadukapuram

Research Symposium

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition that affects movement, cognition, gait, and significantly impacts one's quality of life. Studies have suggested that neurotoxin pre-exposure is related to PD pathology and progressive motor/non-motor deficits, though it remains unclear how neurotoxin exposure affects neuroplasticity. The present study aimed to examine neurotoxin–induced PD-associated neuroplasticity changes in relationship to mental acuity and PD motor functionalities.

Methods: 7 voluntary participants experiencing early-stage PD symptoms with self-reported neurotoxin pre-exposure were enrolled in the longitudinal, repeated-measures clinical study; 2 sex-matched, age-matched, and occupation-matched healthy subjects were recruited for controlled comparative analysis (n=9). UTRGV’s Institute …

Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (Gaba) Neurons And Perineuronal Nets (Pnn) In The Monodelphis Domestica And Relevance To Psychiatric Disorders, Jatziry Z. Luna Escobedo, Mariela Garcia, John L. Vandeberg, Mario Gil

Research Symposium

Background/ Purpose: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an amino acid that serves as the central nervous system’s (CNS) main inhibitory neurotransmitter. By inhibiting nerve transmission, it works to lower neuronal excitability. Altered GABA levels have been associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders, for example Epilepsies, Parkinson’s Disease, and Schizophrenia. Perineuronal nets (PNN) are extracellular molecules that are released by neurons and glial cells that modulate many neuronal and glial functions by encapsulating the inhibitory cells and neurites. Altered PNN levels serve as a potential trigger to synaptic imbalance. The purpose of this study is to quantify and analyze the presence, …

Contribution Of 24-H Blood Pressure Variability To Dementia-Related Disorders In Hispanics, Nura Salhadar, Kristina Vatcheva, Silvia Mejia-Arango, Luis J. Mena, Ney Alliey-Rodriguez, Carlos A. Chavez, Ciro A. Goana, Egle Silva, Gustavo Calmon, Rosa P. Mavarez, Joseph H. Lee, Joseph D. Terwilliger, Jesus D. Melgarejo, Gladys E. Maestre

Research Symposium

Introduction: As the number of people living with dementia is increasing at alarming rates worldwide, there is an urgent need to understand the physiopathology of dementia syndromes. Among the most important preventable risk factors, treatment of vascular risk factors such as high blood pressure (BP) decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Recent evidence suggests that examining BP variability provides additional physiopathological and predictive information above the mean BP level. However, studies examining the relationship between 24-h BP variability and ADRD are limited, and evidence of the association with dementia has not been documented yet. Therefore, we …

Automated Seizure Detection Based On State-Space Model Identification, Zhuo Wang, Michael Sperling, Dale Wyeth, Allon Guez

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

In this study, we developed a machine learning model for automated seizure detection using system identification techniques on EEG recordings. System identification builds mathematical models from a time series signal and uses a small number of parameters to represent the entirety of time domain signal epochs. Such parameters were used as features for the classifiers in our study. We analyzed 69 seizure and 55 non-seizure recordings and an additional 10 continuous recordings from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, alongside a larger dataset from the CHB-MIT database. By dividing EEGs into epochs (1 s, 2 s, 5 s, and 10 s) and …

Promoting Diverse Perspectives: Addressing Health Disparities Related To Alzheimer's And All Dementias, Gladys Maestre, Carl Hill, Percy Griffin, Stephen Hall, William Hu, Jason Flatt, Ganesh Babulal

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Dementia research lacks appropriate representation of diverse groups who often face substantial adversity and greater risk of dementia. Current research participants are primarily well-resourced, non-Hispanic White, cisgender adults who live close to academic medical centers where much of the research is based. Consequently, the field faces a knowledge gap about Alzheimer's-related risk factors in those other groups. The Alzheimer's Association hosted a virtual conference on June 14–16, 2021, supported in part by the National Institute on Aging (R13 AG072859-01), focused on health disparities. The conference was held entirely online and consisted of 2 days of core programming and a day …

Characterization Of Anti-Cancer Properties Of Fungal Metabolite Ophiobolin A, Asma Syed, Rozena Shirvani, Maximiliano Arath Morales, Shizue Mito, Alexander Kornienko, Xiaoqian Fang

Research Symposium

Background: Ophiobolin A (Oph A) is a secondary metabolite and a phytotoxin produced by the pathogenic fungi Cochliobolus heterostrophus that causes “southern corn leaf blight” disease in maize via modulation of the calcium binding protein calmodulin. Numerous studies have found antiproliferative effects of Ophiobolin A against a variety of cells including bacteria and various cancers including melanoma, glioma and leukemia. Recent studies have shown that OphA induces paraptosis-like cell death in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells via vacuolization of the cytoplasm and enlargement of the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Notably, unlike apoptosis, paraptosis cell death lacks DNA fragmentation and activation …

Selective Targeting Of Microglia By Quantum Dots And Green Synthesis Of Metal Organic Biohybrids; Applications In Dynamic Cell And Assay Systems, Navya Uppu

Doctoral Dissertations

Neurological disorders are the leading cause of physical and cognitive disability across the globe, currently affecting approximately 15% of the worldwide population. Part of the glioma microenvironment are microglia, resident immune cells of the CNS that were thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of diverse neurodegenerative diseases. Though it remains uncertain what triggers microglial activation in these disorders, targeting and tracking microglial functions using nanotools like Quantum Dots (QDs) could help us elucidate them in such neurological diseases. This research focuses on the comparative study of different QDs formulations and their selective uptake by brain microglia in primary cultures …

Neural Correlates Of Fear Extinction: Investing The Impact Of Puberty And Sex In Children And Adolescents Through Neuroimaging, Sneha Bhargava, Clara Zundel, Samantha Ely, Carmen Carpenter, Reem Tamimi, Leah Gowatch, Mackenna Shampine, Emilie-Clare O'Mara, Jovan Jande, Shravya Chanamolu, Ahmad Almaat, Hilary Marusak

Medical Student Research Symposium

Fear-based disorders, including anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder, are more prevalent in females than males. Steroid hormones (e.g., estradiol) are involved in fear extinction learning and later recall—a process implicated in the pathophysiology of fear-based disorders. Fear-based disorders commonly emerge during the transition from childhood to adolescence, a period marked by the onset of puberty and a natural increase of steroid hormones. Here, we examined the effects of puberty, sex, and their interaction on extinction recall and underlying neural circuitry in youth. Eighty-five youth (6-17 years, 46% female) completed a two-day Pavlovian fear extinction paradigm while undergoing functional magnetic resonance …

Epithelial And Mesenchymal Olfactory Stem Cells Gathered With Minimally-Invasive Micro-Brush, Tyler Petersen

Medical Student Research Symposium

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes devastating lifestyle and financial consequences for the patient. Treatment strategies emphasize neuroprotection, but not regeneration. In this regard, stem cells are an innovative field of study that has the potential to regenerate neural tissue, thereby increasing a person’s ability to regain function. The purpose of this project is two-fold: to attain olfactory stem cells located in the nasal canal in a minimally-invasive way and to gather neural cells from the epithelium and mesenchymal cells in the lamina propria. Cells were gathered with sterile nasal micro-brushes, stored, and grown in flasks. After cells reached confluency, they …

Abdominal Wall Endometriosis In Cesarean Scar: A Case Report, Willbroad Kyejo, Brenda Moshi, Euphraim Massanga, Gregory Ntiyakunze, Miriam Mgonja, Munawar Kaguta, Ernest Mdachi

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Abdominal wall endometriosis refers to the presence of endometrial tissue within surgical scars, most commonly occurring following gynecological procedures such as cesarean sections. This case report presents a rare case of abdominal wall endometriosis in a cesarean scar. The patient, a 32-year-old woman with a history of two previous cesarean sections, presented with cyclic pain and swelling in the lower abdominal region. Physical examination revealed a tender, well-defined mass within the cesarean scar. Surgical excision of the mass was performed, and histopathological examination confirmed the presence of endometrial tissue. This case highlights the importance of considering abdominal wall endometriosis in …

The Role Of Diet And Gut Microbiota In Alzheimer’S Disease, D. M.Sithara Dissanayaka, Vijay Jayasena, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Ralph N. Martins, W. M.A.D.Binosha Fernando

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most prevalent form of dementia, is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta (A ) plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau tangles. Currently, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) impacts 50 million individuals, with projections anticipating an increase to 152 million by the year 2050. Despite the increasing global prevalence of AD, its underlying pathology remains poorly understood, posing challenges for early diagnosis and treatment. Recent research suggests a link between gut dysbiosis and the aggregation of A , the development of tau proteins, and the occurrence of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress are associated with AD. However, investigations into the gut–brain axis …

High-Grade Avm. Educational Vignette And Clinical Cases, Marcos Devanir Silva Da Costa, Marcelo Augusto Acosta Goiri, Daniela Coelho, Juan Alberto Paz Archila, Talita Helena Martins Sarti, Feres Chaddad-Neto

Archives of Neurosurgery

The arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a vascular malformation characterized by fistulas between arteries and veins forming a nidus, without interposition of capillary vessels and of which early draining vein is identified at the digital angiography. Potential reports of its existence date from the second century AD. Spetzler and Martin (S-M) proposed a classification considering three features and Lawton then added new predictors. A maximum of 10 score can be achieved by applying the modified S-M grade system. This classification guides decision-making and the possible choice of the multimodal treatment (surgery, radiosurgery and embolization). We discuss historical, pathological, clinical and therapeutic …

Validation Of A Virtual Auditory Space, And Its Use To Investigate How Pitch And Spatial Cues Contribute To Perceptual Segregation Of Auditory Streams, Nima Zargarnezhad

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The human auditory system can decompose complex sound mixtures into distinct perceptual auditory objects through a process (or processes) known as Auditory Scene Analysis. Pitch and spatial cues are among the sound attributes known to influence sequential streaming (Plack 2018). In this project, the fidelity of a virtual acoustic space (the Audio Dome) in reproducing precisely located sound sources with a 9^th-order ambisonics algorithm was validated. The estimated horizontal Minimum Audible Angles aligned with previously reported values (Mills 1958) homogeneously across the space, and a robust low-frequency presentation was identified. Then, the Audio Dome was utilized to test …

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Bdnf) Signaling Mechanisms That Regulate Learning And Memory In Rats, Clementine Faye Harvey

Theses - ALL

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a widespread neurotrophin implicated in cellular processes underlying memory, socialization, and emotion; however, little is known about how genetic modification of BDNF interacts with BDNF modulators (e.g., hormones) to regulate BDNF-TrkB signaling. BDNF binds to the TrkB receptor and triggers signaling cascades underlying neuroplasticity, learning, and memory. Inhibitory phosphorylation of one downstream target of the BDNF cascade - GSK3β – is also linked to memory improvements. The Val66Met allele – a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the Bdnf gene - produces impairments in regulated BDNF release from the cell, as well as deficits in spatial …