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Full-Text Articles in Biological Psychology
Identifying Neuron Clusters Controlling Movement Vigor, Jay A. Strabinick
Identifying Neuron Clusters Controlling Movement Vigor, Jay A. Strabinick
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease that progressively decreases dopaminergic function. Lower amounts of dopamine may cause an innate motivational shift that decreases movement vigor when performing difficult tasks. In PD patients, bradykinesia, the slowing of movement, is characteristic of this decrease in vigor. The movement vigor hypothesis proposes that dopamine neurons modulate performance aspects of movement, like speed and persistence. This paper proposes a series experiments utilizing neuron recording techniques in zebrafish that would test the movement vigor hypothesis by determining whether in fact there is a distinct group of dopamine neurons that modulate movement vigor. Core elements …
Cannabis Use Frequency And Mood On Creativity, Caitlin Clark
Cannabis Use Frequency And Mood On Creativity, Caitlin Clark
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
This study examines the relationship between cannabis use (infrequent, moderate, and heavy use) and one’s mood (neutral, positive, and negative) on creativity. Folk ideas of creativity and the relationships between cannabis use and mood may not reflect the real relationship between these factors (e.g. regarding cannabis use, it is perceived to be linked with higher rates of creativity; regarding mood, negative states [i.e. tortured artist] are thought to fuel creativity). Although both cannabis use and mood have been found to influence creativity independently, the current study is unique in its aims to identify whether cannabis use and mood interact to …
Are Caffeine’S Effects On Neuronal Calcium Levels Due To The Caffeine Metabolite, Paraxanthine?, Kendra Jean Hartsuyker
Are Caffeine’S Effects On Neuronal Calcium Levels Due To The Caffeine Metabolite, Paraxanthine?, Kendra Jean Hartsuyker
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Caffeine has diverse effects on neurons including, potentially, protection against Parkinson’s-related neurodegeneration. Caffeine may protect neurons from damage by limiting mitochondrial membrane permeability through a calcium-dependent mechanism. This study was a first step investigating calcium’s role in caffeine neuroprotection in vivo using zebrafish larvae. Elavl3:GCaMP6s zebrafish, which express a genetically encoded fluorescent calcium indicator protein in most CNS neurons, received caffeine (0, 50, 125, 250 µM, bath applied) in an ascending dose series during fluorescence calcium imaging of a central catecholaminergic nucleus (a proposed zebrafish homolog of the locus coeruleus, a structure affected in Parkinson’s disease). Parallel experiments tested effects …