Biological Psychology Commons^™

Oxytocin Does Not Mediate Lithium Chloride (Licl)-Induced Non-Social Environmentally Conditioned Disgust Behaviour (Anticipatory Nausea) In Male Rats, Vangel Matic

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Introduction. Anticipatory Nausea (AN) is a form of classical conditioning in which the effects of a nausea-inducing substance, such as lithium chloride (LiCl), become associated with a social or environmental context. In rats, AN can be measured by the frequency of conditioned gaping behaviour, displayed when rats are re-exposed to a context previously associated with LiCl. Oxytocin (OT) may be involved in the mediation of socially conditioned disgust, though its role in mediating non-social environmentally conditioned disgust is unclear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of OT in mediating environmentally conditioned disgust. It was hypothesized …

249— The Role Of The Indirect Basal Ganglia Pathway In A Mouse Model Of Repetitive Circling Behavior, Gavin Vaughan, Allison R. Bechard

GREAT Day Posters

Repetitive behaviors are associated with a variety of disorders in humans and are diagnostic for autism spectrum disorders. Repetitive behaviors can be modeled in rodents. In our previous experiments, we have been able to reduce repetitive circling behaviors in mice using a ketogenic diet. The mechanisms behind the ketogenic diet are still under investigation. Previous investigations have indicated that the ketogenic diet plays a role in neurotransmitter functioning. This study sought to investigate the potential role of neurotransmitters in repetitive behaviors by investigating how three drugs (L-741,626, a dopamine receptor antagonist; CGS21680, an adenosine agonist; & CDPPB, a glutamate positive …

258— Differential Response To Cocaine In Mice Exposed To Stress, Gavin Vaughan, Melissa Herman, Isabel Ross, Katie Bugbee, April Rowell, Jennifer Bodzon, Allison R. Bechard Ph.D.

GREAT Day Posters

Exposure to trauma is a risk factor for substance use disorders. Using a mouse model of PTSD, we tested the effects of exposure to a stressor (synthetic fox pheromone: TMT) on response to cocaine. Cocaine induced locomotion and cocaine seeking behavior in a conditioned place preference (CPP) were assessed. TMT was an effective stressor, indicated by freezing behavior, which is a known fear response in mice. In both males and females, TMT-exposed mice showed a greater locomotor response to cocaine compared to control mice, resulting in the interaction between time and TMT treatment. TMT-exposed males, but not females, were overall …

The Relationship Among Social Support, Stress, And Inflammatory Markers Among College Students: A Correlational Study, Bailey Bryant

Campus Research Day

The relationship between psychological factors and the immune system is a relatively new area of study. Nevertheless, it has been found that significant relationships do exist among these variables; prolonged exposure to maladaptive forms of these variables may lead to the development or expression of inflammation. There is, however, a lack of studies that look at more than one variable in relationship to inflammation at a time. Thus, this study analyzes the correlation among social support, stress, and inflammatory markers among college students.

Keywords: mood, stress, inflammation, inflammatory markers, IL-6, social support, susceptibility

The Relationship Among Social Support, Stress, And Inflammatory Markers Among College Students: A Correlational Study, Bailey Bryant

Campus Research Day

The relationship between psychological factors and the immune system is a relatively new area of study. Nevertheless, it has been found that significant relationships do exist among these variables; prolonged exposure to maladaptive forms of these variables may lead to the development or expression of inflammation. There is, however, a lack of studies that look at more than one variable in relationship to inflammation at a time. Thus, this study analyzes the correlation among social support, stress, and inflammatory markers among college students.