Medical Biotechnology Commons^™

Deep Brain Stimulation In Early-Stage Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review Of Neuropsychological Outcomes, Nora Huey

Doctoral Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline, memory impairment, and disruption of neural networks involved in cognitive functioning. Although existing treatments may provide symptomatic benefit, there remains a need for interventions capable of slowing or stabilizing disease progression. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has emerged as a potential neuromodulatory intervention for early-stage AD through stimulation of memory- and cognition-related neural circuitry. This dissertation employed a systematic review research methodology to examine teh neuropsychological and neurobiological outcomes associated with DBS targeting the fornix (DBS-f) and nucleus basalis of Meynert (DBS-NBM) in individuals with early-stage AD over 12–24 …

Corticobasal Syndrome With Mixed Pathology In The Absence Of Grn Mutation: A Clinico-Pathological Case Of Ftld-Tdp With Coexisting Alzheimer’S And Lewy Body Pathology, Hugo Zamarron, David Irwin, Jeffery Phillips, Edward Lee, Matthew Tisdall, Corey Mcmillan

Research Colloquium

Background: Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by often asymmetric fronto-pariteal and extra-pyramidal features that is traditionally associated with tauopathy, but pathological findings are heterogenous, including other forms of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and mixed pathologies of aging. We present clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic features of asymmetry in a unique patient with CBS and underlying FTLD with TDP-43 pathology (FTLD-TDP), co-occurring with other age-related pathologies.

Case Presentation: A 76-year-old man presented with progressive cognitive and motor dysfunction including asymmetric parkinsonism, left-sided dystonia and rigidity, apraxia, visuospatial impairment, and a subtle social disorder including apathy and social withdrawal. The …

Neuromodulation Techniques For Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: Effects On Seizures And Quality Of Life, Kevin Garcia Valdez, Anesu Karen Murambadoro, Megan W. Szobody, Blake C. Martin, Kory D. Punch, Tori Sayers, Tirath Patel, Nina Mourao, Sriya Gullapalli, Nikhilesh Anand, Bharathi S. Gadad

Research Symposium

Introduction: Although there are over twenty antiseizure drugs currently available, around one third of patients with epilepsy do not benefit from these medications. Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) experience higher rates of hospitalization, notable decline in cognitive and physical abilities, diminished quality of life, and sudden unexpected death. Neuromodulation techniques such as Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS), and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) are quickly emerging as alternative and adjunct therapies for epilepsy, offering patients and physicians a new avenue of treatment. Despite their promise, a notable gap exists in comprehensive, comparative data assessing the efficacy and suitability of …

Etherealbreathing: A Holographic Biofeedback Game To Support Relaxation In Autistic Children, Arturo Morales Téllez, Isabel López Hurtado, Franceli L. Cibrian, Monica Tentori

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Biofeedback training for box breathing is becoming increasingly accessible due to advancements in consumer-grade breathing sensors. However, there is limited research on their design and applications for specialized populations. This study evaluates a novel biofeedback holographic game, EtherealBreathing, designed to support autistic children. In EtherealBreathing, children practice box breathing to collect virtual elements to maintain the Earth's balance, using a wearable sensor to measure chest expansion for breath detection. A deployment study with 20 autistic children revealed that EtherealBreathing effectively promotes box breathing, leading to better health-related outcomes, such as lowering participants’ heart and respiratory rates than traditional practices. Biofeedback …

Use Of Electrical Bone Growth Stimulators In High-Risk Patients Following Spinal Fusion, Soumya Malhotra, Khavir Sharieff

HCA-NSU MD Research Day

Title: Use of Electrical Bone Growth Stimulators in High-Risk Patients Following Spinal Fusion Authors: Soumya Malhotra, BA., MS1 & Khavir Sharieff, DO, MBA2 1Class of 2027, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Lauderdale, FL 2Assistant Professor of Surgery, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Tampa Bay, FLNova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the advantages of EBGSs following high-risk spinal fusions. Background: Pseudarthrosis is a condition where bones fail to fuse after an injury or surgery. It causes significant …

Ethical, Legal, And Policy Challenges In Field-Based Neuroimaging Research Using Emerging Portable Mri Technologies: Guidance For Investigators And For Oversight, Francis X. Shen, Susan M. Wolf, Frances P. Lawrenz, Donnella S. Comeau, Kafui Dzirasa, Barbara J. Evans, Damien A. Fair, Martha J. Farah, Duke Han, Judy Illes, Jonathan D. Jackson, Eran Klein, Karen S. Rommelfanger, Matthew S. Rosen, Efraín Torres, Paul Tuite, J. Thomas Vaughan, Michael Garwood

UF Law Faculty Publications

Researchers are rapidly developing and deploying highly portable MRI technology to conduct field-based research. The new technology will widen access to include new investigators in remote and unconventional settings and will facilitate greater inclusion of rural, economically disadvantaged, and historically underrepresented populations. To address the ethical, legal, and societal issues raised by highly accessible and portable MRI, an interdisciplinary Working Group (WG) engaged in a multi-year structured process of analysis and consensus building, informed by empirical research on the perspectives of experts and the general public. This article presents the WG’s consensus recommendations. These recommendations address technology quality control, design …

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 …

The Nurosleeve, A User-Centered 3d Printed Hybrid Orthosis For Individuals With Upper Extremity Impairment, Mehdi Khantan, Mikael Avery, Phyo Thuta Aung, Rachel M. Zarin, Emma Hammelef, Nabila Shawki, Mijail Demian Serruya, Alessandro Naopli

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Active upper extremity (UE) assistive devices have the potential to restore independent functional movement in individuals with UE impairment due to neuromuscular diseases or injury-induced chronic weakness. Academically fabricated UE assistive devices are not usually optimized for activities of daily living (ADLs), whereas commercially available alternatives tend to lack flexibility in control and activation methods. Both options are typically difficult to don and doff and may be uncomfortable for extensive daily use due to their lack of personalization. To overcome these limitations, we have designed, developed, and clinically evaluated the NuroSleeve, an innovative user-centered UE hybrid orthosis.

METHODS: This …

What Internal Variables Affect Sensorimotor Rhythm Brain-Computer Interface (Smr-Bci) Performance?, Alex J. Horowitz, Christoph Guger, Milena Korostenskaja

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

In this review article, we aimed to create a summary of the effects of internal variables on the performance of sensorimotor rhythm-based brain computer interfaces (SMR-BCIs). SMR-BCIs can be potentially used for interfacing between the brain and devices, bypassing usual central nervous system output, such as muscle activity. The careful consideration of internal factors, affecting SMR-BCI performance, can maximize BCI application in both healthy and disabled people. Internal variables may be generalized as descriptors of the processes mainly dependent on the BCI user and/or originating within the user. The current review aimed to critically evaluate and summarize the currently accumulated …

What External Variables Affect Sensorimotor Rhythm Brain-Computer Interface (Smr-Bci) Performance?, Alex J. Horowitz, Christoph Guger, Milena Korostenskaja

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Sensorimotor rhythm-based brain-computer interfaces (SMR-BCIs) are used for the acquisition and translation of motor imagery-related brain signals into machine control commands, bypassing the usual central nervous system output. The selection of optimal external variable configuration can maximize SMR-BCI performance in both healthy and disabled people. This performance is especially important now when the BCI is targeted for everyday use in the environment beyond strictly regulated laboratory settings. In this review article, we summarize and critically evaluate the current body of knowledge pertaining to the effect of the external variables on SMR-BCI performance. When assessing the relationship between SMR-BCI performance and …

Combination Of Investigational Cell-Based Therapy And Deep Brain Stimulation To Alter The Progression Of Parkinson’S Disease, Nader El Seblani

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and the motor symptoms are caused by progressive loss of midbrain dopamine neurons. There is no current treatment that can slow or reverse PD. Our current “DBS-Plus” clinical trial (NCT02369003) features the implantation in vivo of autologous Schwann cells (SCs) derived from a patient’s sural nerve into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in combination with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy for treating patients with advanced PD.

The central hypothesis of our research is that transdifferentiated SCs within conditioned nerve tissue will deliver pro-regenerative factors to enhance the survival of …

Adenoviral Mediated Gene Transfer Into The Dog Brain In Vivo, Marianela Candolfi, Kurt Kroeger, Elizabeth Pluhar, Chunyan Liu, Carlos Barcia, Josee Bergeron, Mariana Puntel, James Curtin, Elizabeth Mcniel, Andrew Freese, John Ohlfest, Peter Moore, William Kuoy, Pedro Lowenstein, Maria Castro

Articles

OBJECTIVE: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a devastating brain tumor for which there is no cure. Adenoviral-mediated transfer of conditional cytotoxic (herpes simplex virus [HSV] 1-derived thymidine kinase [TK]) and immunostimulatory (Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand [Flt3L]) transgenes elicited immune-mediated long-term survival in a syngeneic intracranial GBM model in rodents. However, the lack of a large GBM animal model makes it difficult to predict the outcome of therapies in humans. Dogs develop spontaneous GBM that closely resemble the human disease; therefore, they constitute an excellent large animal model. We assayed the transduction efficiency of adenoviral vectors (Ads) encoding beta-galactosidase (betaGal), TK, …