Neurosciences Commons^™

Estrogen's Effects On Oxidative Stress Levels In Glial Cells, Jacob J. Dirkman

Theses and Dissertations

A decrease in astrocyte function and viability has been linked to many neurodegenerative diseases, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Previous research indicates that some estrogens may have a positive effect on neuron and astrocyte viability. Estrogens’ effects on the brain are of interest as estrogens are commonly prescribed as hormone replacement therapy to reduce the symptoms of menopause in women. Unfortunately, these effects on are not completely understood. The goal of the project was to discover if estrogen has any protective effect on astrocytes exposed to oxidative stress. We measured the oxidative stress …

The Effects Of Hypohydration On Neurocognitive, Balance, Vestibular Ocular Motor Functions And Mood State, Satoshi Iida

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inconsistent findings have been observed on the impact of hydration state on cognitive functions. The isolated effect of hypohydration on neurocognitive performance, balance, vestibular ocular motor function and mood outcomes in widely used concussion assessment tools has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate how hypohydration affected the results in concussion testing batteries. A single-blind randomized crossover design was used. Thirteen healthy males (22 ± 4y, 180.9 ± 5.7cm) without history of concussion within the past six months or any condition or disease that could influence outcome measurements participated in this study. Each subject completed concussion …

Assessing Clinical Significance Of The Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment And Cognitive Testing Battery When Comparing Adjusted And Unadjusted Rci Methods For Different Ranges Of Baseline Scores, Ashley N. Figaro

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The growing concern revolving around the dangers of sports-related concussions have led to the most recent implementation of neurocognitive (NC) test batteries as a means to objectively determine the presence of a cognitive defect. Whereas any other sports-related injury can be diagnosed with tools such as an x-ray or MRI, a concussion represents a metabolic disturbance that cannot be identified by these diagnostic tools. Many neurocognitive test batteries employ statistical techniques to derive cut off scores in order to represent significant or insignificant changes as compared to individual baseline scores, or pre-established normative values. If an individuals’ post-injury score exceeds …

Gene Expression Profiling In An Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model, Matthew R. Dalton

Senior Honors Theses

Explaining precisely how Alzheimer’s disease (AD)—the world’s most common form of dementia—materializes in the human brain has proven to be one of the most elusive ends in modern medicine. Progressive memory loss, neurodegeneration, and the presence of abnormal protein aggregates of amyloid-beta (Aβ) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) characterize this disease. Genome sequencing provides researchers with the ability to better identify disease-related changes in gene expression, some of which may play a role in the initiation and progression toward the AD-like state. Intimate interactions between tissues have been observed in many diseases, particularly between the brain and blood. This analysis seeks …

Cell Permeability Studies Of Aapeptides And Novel Molecular Probes For Ad, Ge Bai

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's diseases(AD) has been discovered and under research for more than 70 years, However there is no cure for these progressive and devastating diseases. Based on the following hypothsis: Aß metabolite problem/over production result in the accumulation, and lead to aggregation is the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. AApeptide and Melatonin derivatives can bind to Aß and block the aggregation of β amyloid monomers, decrease the toxicity of Aß to neurons and slow the progressive of Alzheimer’s diseases. In addition, AApeptide which mimic transmembrane peptide Tat will have similar transmembrane function. We have set up our goals as follows: 1) Using …

Modulation Of Whole Cell Currents In Human Neuroblastoma Cells Via The Hormone Aldosterone: An In Vitro Study, Harish Kumar Chittam

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ion channels play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis by moving various ions in and out of cells. The Na⁺-K⁺-2Cl^- or NKCC1 ion channel is involved in the regulation of Na⁺, K⁺, and Cl^- across cell membranes, and plays a key role in many forms of cellular physiology. In the cochlea, NKCC1 is involved in endolymph production and maintenance of the endocochlear potential. Our hypothesis is that blocking NKCC1 channels should directly impact auditory sensitivity causing hearing loss. Our lab has also shown that the hormone aldosterone (ALD) can upregulate …

Molecular Analyses Of Circadian Gene Variants Reveal Sex-Dependent Links Between Depression And Clocks, S-Q Shi, M. J. White, H. M. Borsetti, Julie S. Pendergast, A. Hida, C. M. Ciarleglio, P. A. De Verteuil, A. G. Cadar, C. Cala, D. G. Mcmahon, R. C. Shelton, S. M. Williams, C. H. Johnson

Biology Faculty Publications

An extensive literature links circadian irregularities and/or sleep abnormalities to mood disorders. Despite the strong genetic component underlying many mood disorders, however, previous genetic associations between circadian clock gene variants and major depressive disorder (MDD) have been weak. We applied a combined molecular/functional and genetic association approach to circadian gene polymorphisms in sex-stratified populations of control subjects and case subjects suffering from MDD. This approach identified significant sex-dependent associations of common variants of the circadian clock genes hClock, hPer3 and hNpas2 with major depression and demonstrated functional effects of these polymorphisms on the expression or activity of the hCLOCK …

Mw151 Inhibited Il-1Β Levels After Traumatic Brain Injury With No Effect On Microglia Physiological Responses, Adam D. Bachstetter, Zhengqiu Zhou, Rachel K. Rowe, Bin Xing, Danielle S. Goulding, Alyssa N. Conley, Pradoldej Sompol, Shelby Meier, Jose F. Abisambra, Jonathan Lifshitz, D. Martin Watterson, Linda J. Van Eldik

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

A prevailing neuroinflammation hypothesis is that increased production of proinflammatory cytokines contributes to progressive neuropathology, secondary to the primary damage caused by a traumatic brain injury (TBI). In support of the hypothesis, post-injury interventions that inhibit the proinflammatory cytokine surge can attenuate the progressive pathology. However, other post-injury neuroinflammatory responses are key to endogenous recovery responses. Therefore, it is critical that pharmacological attenuation of detrimental or dysregulated neuroinflammatory processes avoid pan-suppression of inflammation. MW151 is a CNS-penetrant, small molecule experimental therapeutic that restores injury- or disease-induced overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines towards homeostasis without immunosuppression. Post-injury administration of MW151 in a …

Cannabinoid Receptor Interacting Protein Suppresses Agonist-Driven Cb1 Receptor Internalization And Regulates Receptor Replenishment In An Agonist-Biased Manner, Lawrence C. Blumes, Sandra Leone-Kabler, Deborah J. Luessen, Glenn S. Marrs, Erica Lyons, Caroline E. Bass, Rong Chen, Dana E. Selley, Allyn C. Howlett

Neurology Publications

Cannabinoid receptor interacting protein 1a (CRIP1a) is a CB1 receptor (CB1R) distal C-terminus-associated protein that modulates CB1R signaling via G proteins, and CB1R down-regulation but not desensitization (Blume et al. [2015] Cell Signal., 27, 716-726; Smith et al. [2015] Mol. Pharmacol., 87, 747-765). In this study, we determined the involvement of CRIP1a in CB1R plasma membrane trafficking. To follow the effects of agonists and antagonists on cell surface CB(1)Rs, we utilized the genetically homogeneous cloned neuronal cell line N18TG2, which endogenously expresses both CB1R and CRIP1a, and exhibits a well-characterized endocannabinoid signaling system. We developed stable CRIP1a-over-expressing and CRIP1a-siRNA-silenced knockdown …

Pharmacological Blockade Of The Calcium Plateau Provides Neuroprotection Following Organophosphate Paraoxon Induced Status Epilepticus In Rats, Laxmikant S. Deshpande, Robert E. Blair, Beverly A. Huang, Kristin F. Phillips, Robert J. Delorenzo

Neurology Publications

Organophosphate (OP) compounds which include nerve agents and pesticides are considered chemical threat agents. Currently approved antidotes are crucial in limiting OP mediated acute mortality. However, survivors of lethal OP exposure exhibit delayed neuronal injury and chronic behavioral morbidities. In this study, we investigated neuroprotective capabilities of dantrolene and carisbamate in a rat survival model of paraoxon (POX) induced status epilepticus (SE). Significant elevations in hippocampal calcium levels were observed 48-h post POX SE survival, and treatment with dantrolene (10 mg/kg, i.m.) and carisbamate (90 mg/kg, i.m.) lowered these protracted calcium elevations. POX SE induced delayed neuronal injury …

An Analysis Of Virtual Place Learning/Navigation In Children And Young Adults Prenatally Exposed To Alcohol, Neil Christopher Dodge

Wayne State University Dissertations

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder refers to the spectrum of disorders resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure and is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation. Rodent studies have found that prenatal alcohol exposure impairs performance on the Morris water maze. This task requires the rodent to use distal room cues to locate a hidden platform in a pool of opaque water. Successful performance on this task is dependent upon hippocampal function. Rodents prenatally exposed to alcohol are impaired on the Morris water maze and show damage to hippocampal neurons. A human analogue of the Morris water maze, the virtual water maze …

Vitamin D Clinical Relevance In The Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury Among The Military Population, Yuisa M. Colón

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) still remains a difficult disorder to treat. TBI has been associated to chronic neuroinflammation and a high risk for neurodegenerative disorders. Since 2001 between ten to twenty percent of all deployed military members have suffered a combat-related TBI. Nearly twenty to thirty percent of those will experience chronic cognitive, behavioral and somatic symptoms after suffering a TBI.
Methods: The objective of this review is to evaluate current literature examining vitamin D as a neurosteroid with protective properties and its clinical relevance after traumatic brain injury. Vitamin D is known to participate in neurobiological …

The Effect Of Caffeine On Migraine Headaches, Deborah Shimshoni

Honors Undergraduate Theses

As the most widely consumed drug around the globe, there is a vast array of contradicting research available on caffeine. One of the most debated and researched topics on caffeine is its effect on the brain. Meanwhile, the data on the neurological condition of migraine has information scattered throughout countless research articles and experiments.

Although neither migraine or caffeine are completely understood by the medical world, this analysis attempts to give a more coherent understanding of the relationship between the two. This is done by first understanding the known and theorized mechanisms of caffeine as well as the pathologies of …

Role Of Secretory Granule Heterogeneity In Calcium-Triggered Exocytosis, Tejeshwar Rao

Wayne State University Dissertations

The sympathetic nervous system is activated by a variety of threats to organismal homeostasis. The adrenomedullary chromaffin cell is the core effector of sympathetic activity in the peripheral nervous system. By design, the chromaffin cell secretory response is mutable so that release can be rapidly tuned to drive context-dependent changes in physiological function. However, the mechanisms by which this tuning is achieved with such high temporal fidelity and context specificity remain unclear. This represents a major gap in our understanding of the sympatho-adrenal system since it is known to modify the function of nearly every organ system in the body. …

An Analysis Of Plasticity In The Rat Respiratory System Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury And The Application Of Nanotechnology To Induce Or Enhance Recovery Of Diaphragm Function, Janelle Lorien Walker

Wayne State University Dissertations

Second cervical segment spinal cord hemisection (C2Hx) results in ipsilateral hemidiaphragm paralysis. However, the intact latent crossed phrenic pathway can restore function spontaneously over time or immediately following drug administration.

WGA bound fluorochromes were administered to identify nuclei associated with diaphragm function in both the acute and chronic C2Hx models. WGA is unique in that it undergoes receptor mediated endocytosis and is transsynaptically transported across select physiologically active synapses. Comparison of labeling in the acutely injured to the chronically injured rat provided an anatomical map of spinal and supraspinal injury induced synaptic plasticity. The plasticity occurs over time in the …

The Effects Of External Focus Of Attention Exercise Rehabilitation On Dual Task Walking In Parkinson's Disease, Eric N. Beck

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Parkinson’s disease impairs control of well-learned movements, and therefore, individuals with Parkinson’s disease are forced to walk with greater conscious control. This causes difficulties while walking and completing a secondary task simultaneously (dual tasking), in that distractions from conscious control of walking increase the risk of falls and injury. Although, attention-based exercise may be a potential avenue to decrease the demands associated with walking in Parkinson’s disease. For example, an external focus of attention (on manipulated objects) has been found to recruit the networks that are important for walking with little conscious control (automatic control networks). In contrast, an internal …

The Feedforward And Feedback Controls On Gait In Adults With Diabetes, Chun-Kai Huang

Theses & Dissertations

There are nearly 26 million people with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the US, and half of chronic DMs develop somatosensory deficits due to diabetic polyneuropathy or diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). The absence or impaired somatosensory feedback (e.g. touch sensation or joint proprioception) resulted from the damage of large nerve fiber, and motor deficits such as attenuated muscle strength and abnormal plantar pressure of lower extremity have been identified in DPN, and these sensorimotor impairments lead to an increased number of falls. To reduce the risk of falling, a well-coordinated and adapted limb movement driven by the feedforward (anticipatory) and feedback …

Cardiovascular Regulation And Effects Of Respiratory Motor Training In Patients With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury., Bonnie Legg Ditterline

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation attempts to discover the mechanisms between cardiovascular and respiratory motor control post spinal cord injury (SCI): in normal, non-injured (NI) persons, cardiovascular regulation is dependent upon respiration, but there is nothing that suggests the mechanism for this relationship post-SCI. Thus we hoped to evaluate various aspects of cardiovascular regulation to further illustrate how this relationship is changed or unchanged by SCI. Chapter I describes the anatomy and physiology of the spine, respiratory system, and cardiovascular system in a NI person, and then describes how the function of these systems is changed by SCI. In addition, we describe therapies …

Steroid Receptor Isoform Expression In Drosophila Nociceptor Neurons Is Required For Normal Dendritic Arbor And Sensitivity, Aidan L. Mcparland, Taylor L. Follansbee, Gwendolyn D. Vesenka, Alexandra E. Panaitiu, Geoffrey K. Ganter

Biology Student Publications

Steroid hormones organize many aspects of development, including that of the nervous system. Steroids also play neuromodulatory and other activational roles, including regulation of sensitivity to painful stimuli in mammals. In Drosophila, ecdysteroids are the only steroid hormones, and therefore the fly represents a simplified model system in which to explore mechanisms of steroid neuromodulation of nociception. In this report, we present evidence that ecdysteroids, acting through two isoforms of their nuclear ecdysone receptor (EcR), modulate sensitivity to noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli in the fly larva. We show that EcRA and EcRB1 are expressed by third instar larvae in …

Behavioral Outputs Of Fragile-X Autistic Mice Exposed To Open-Field, Randomized, Short-Term Visual Stimuli, Nicholas M. Dicola, Alexander A. Chubykin

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Animal models of different neurological disorders are required for studying the pathophysiology of these diseases, and for potential development of pharmacological and behavioral treatments. The scientific community often uses mouse models for behavior studies due to their powerful genetic tools and low cost. However, subjective measurement techniques are often used when analyzing mice for behavioral traits which often results in discrepancies in results. An automated tracking software would aim to eliminate these discrepancies and subjective analysis. This lab has developed a software program which offered an ability to automatically collect open-field behavioral data with simultaneous on-line analysis. Python, an open …

The Effect Of Sleep On Perceptual Learning And Memory Consolidation, Vanessa Claire Irsik

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An ability to segregate speech accurately is essential given that most auditory environments contain other overlapping conversations or environmental noise. While perceiving speech among background noise can be difficult in and of itself, those with hearing impairments can experience considerable difficulty. While training has been shown to benefit perceptual segregation of trained sounds, it is unclear how such training transfers to sounds not included in a training regimen. The current study aimed to address this question by training listeners on a portion of sounds during a vowel segregation task, and subsequently testing on both the trained sounds and untrained sounds. …

Embracing Multiple Definitions Of Learning, Andrew B. Barron, Eileen A. Hebets, Thomas A. Cleland, Courtney L. Fitzpatrick, Mark E. Hauber, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Eileen Hebets Publications

Definitions of learning vary widely across disciplines, driven largely by different approaches used to assess its occurrence. These definitions can be better reconciled with each other if each is recognized as coherent with a common conceptualization of learning, while appreciating the practical utility of different learning definitions in different contexts.

Learning is a major focus of research in psychology, neuro- science, behavioral ecology, evolutionary theory, and computer science, as well as in many other disciplines. Despite its conceptual prevalence, definitions of learning differ enormously both within and between these disciplines, and new definitions continue to be proposed [1]. Ongoing disputes …

Estrodial Effects On Age-Related Shifts In Learning And Memory: A Multiple Memory Systems Approach, Luis Castelan

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Many findings from our lab and others suggest that circulating estrogens as well as estrogen replacement after ovariectomy influence cognitive performance. Young female rats trained during proestrus, when estrogens are high, or with acute estradiol (E2) administration after ovariectomy perform better on the hippocampus-sensitive place task but worse on the striatum-sensitive response task (Korol et al., 2004; Korol and Kolo, 2002). Behavioral neuroscience studies tend to use male rodent models to avoid the complexities of the female reproductive cycle, producing a gap in our knowledge about neural mechanisms of learning and memory in females. As a consequence, age-related effects of …

Functional Capacity In Schizophrenia: Relationship Among Effort, Reinforcement Learning And Self-Beliefs, Sally J. Vogel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit a wide range of complex neurocognitive, psychiatric and behavioral impairments. Recent research suggests that this complex array of symptoms can be at least partially accounted for by dysfunction in more basic mechanisms, such as the ability to learn from positive and negative reinforcement, or the ability to exert adequate effort when completing simple tasks. Evidence also suggests that deficits in these basic mechanisms may contribute to more complex symptoms, such as functional impairment. Also, the relationship between neurocognitive deficits and functional impairment has been found to be mediated by defeatist performance beliefs. However, studies have not …

Manipulation Of The Microbiome And Its Impact On Functional Recovery Following Ischemic Stroke, Michal Jandzinski

Honors Scholar Theses

Each year, nearly 800,000 individuals residing in the United States will have a stroke. Of these, about 130,000 cases will prove fatal while many of the survivors will be forced to live with disability for the remainder of their lives. Out of all strokes over 87% are ischemic strokes. The widespread incidence of this debilitating condition costs the United States an estimated $36.5 billion dollars every single year. Despite this, clinicians are armed with very little to combat the disease. Recent research developments have brought about the rise in awareness about the importance of the microbiome, the various gut flora …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Different Doses Of Gabab Receptor Ligands On Spatial Learning And Memory And Memory Flexibility, Chelcie Heaney

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The principal inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, gamma amino-butyric acid (GABA), mediates several types of learning and memory. Of the two main receptor subtypes for GABA, the in vivo role of GABAB receptor in learning and memory is less well characterized and the current data often conflict. Based on the current literature, it is unclear, for instance, whether enhancing GABAergic activity via the GABAB receptor could be beneficial for or detrimental to learning and memory. Hippocampally-dependent learning and memory tasks are of particular interest due to their clinical relevance to patients with schizophrenia or Alzheimer’s disease, who exhibit impaired performance …

Live Imaging Of The Ependymal Cilia In The Lateral Ventricles Of The Mouse Brain, Alzahra J. Al Omran, Hannah C. Saternos, Tongyu Liu, Surya M. Nauli, Wissam A. Aboualaiwi

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Multiciliated ependymal cells line the ventricles in the adult brain. Abnormal function or structure of ependymal cilia is associated with various neurological deficits. The current ex vivo live imaging of motile ependymal cilia technique allows for a detailed study of ciliary dynamics following several steps. These steps include: mice euthanasia with carbon dioxide according to protocols of The University of Toledo’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC); craniectomy followed by brain removal and sagittal brain dissection with a vibratome or sharp blade to obtain very thin sections through the brain lateral ventricles, where the ependymal cilia can be visualized. …

Brain Blast 2015 Speakers Poster, Annie Leslie

Brain Blast

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

Genetic Modifiers Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy And Dilated Cardiomyopathy., Andrea Barp, Luca Bello, Luisa Politano, Paola Melacini, Chiara Calore, Eric P. Hoffman, +16 Additional Authors

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major complication and leading cause of death in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). DCM onset is variable, suggesting modifier effects of genetic or environmental factors. We aimed to determine if polymorphisms previously associated with age at loss of independent ambulation (LoA) in DMD (rs28357094 in the SPP1 promoter, rs10880 and the VTTT/IAAM haplotype in LTBP4) also modify DCM onset.

METHODS: A multicentric cohort of 178 DMD patients was genotyped by TaqMan assays. We performed a time-to-event analysis of DCM onset, with age as time variable, and finding of left ventricular ejection fraction < 50% and/or end diastolic volume > 70 mL/m2 as …

Using A Novel Optogenetic Approach To Directly Assess 5-Ht1a Somatodendritic Autoreceptor Function In Response To Chronic Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Treatment, Kelly Marie Mcgregor

Wayne State University Dissertations

Antidepressant drugs are widely used but their mechanism of action remains only partially understood. One leading hypothesis holds that a key effect of chronic treatment with a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) is loss of somatodendritic 5-HT1A receptor-mediated autoinhibition in serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). However, technical limitations have prevented direct testing of this hypothesis. In the current study we took advantage of optogenetic strategies to assess the effects of the classic SSRI fluoxetine on 5-HT1A receptor-mediated autoinhibition. We conducted these experiments in mice expressing the light-sensitive ion channel Channelrhodopsin (ChR) in 5-HT neurons to facilitate their …