Behavioral Neurobiology Commons^™

Oral Contraceptives And Affective Disorders: Neurobiology And Informed Choice, Sophia Mae Drezner

Scripps Senior Theses

Pregnancy prevention and female reproductive freedom have been some of the most contested political issues for decades. Abortion, a fundamental part of women’s healthcare, divides liberals and conservatives on an international scale. The consequences of unintended pregnancy without safe and reliable contraception are widespread, disproportionately impacting women of color, trans and non-binary folks, and poorer communities. The birth control pill is the most common form of oral contraception (OC) globally. Many people with ovaries begin the pill or other hormonal contraceptive (HC) methods as young as 11 years old. Exogenous progesterone and estrogen are known to impact mood, affect, physiology, …

Neural Systems Underlying Rdoc Social Constructs: An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis, Rosario Pintos Lobo, Katherine L. Bottenhorn, Michael C. Riedel, Afra I. Toma, Megan M. Hare, Donisha D. Smith, Alexandra C. Moor, Isis K. Cowan, Javier A. Valdes, Jessica E. Bartley, Taylor Salo, Emily R. Boeving, Brianna Pankey, Matthew T. Sutherland, Erica D. Musser, Angela R. Laird

Psychology Faculty Publications

Neuroscientists have sought to identify the underlying neural systems supporting social processing that allow interaction and communication, forming social relationships, and navigating the social world. Through the use of NIMH’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, we evaluated consensus among studies that examined brain activity during social tasks to elucidate regions comprising the “social brain”. We examined convergence across tasks corresponding to the four RDoC social constructs, including Affiliation and Attachment, Social Communication, Perception and Understanding of Self, and Perception and Understanding of Others. We performed a series of coordinate-based meta-analyses using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) method. Meta-analysis was performed …

Meta-Analytic Connectivity Modelling Of Healthy Swallowing, Chris R. Tilton

Honors Theses and Capstones

A quantitative, voxel-wise meta-analysis was performed to investigate the brain regions involved in healthy human swallowing. Studies included in the meta-analysis (1) examined water swallowing, saliva swallowing, or both, (2) included healthy, normal subjects, and (3) reported stereotaxic brain activation coordinates in standard space. Following these criteria, a systematic literature review identified 8 studies that met the criteria. An activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis and meta-analytic connectivity modelling (MACM) analysis were performed with BrainMap software. Ten clusters with high activation likelihood were found in the bilateral precentral gyri, right insula, left declive, right medial frontal gyrus, right dorsal nucleus of …

Individual Behavioral And Neurobiological Markers Associated With A Vulnerable To Ethanol Use Phenotype, Kelsey M. Alimandi

Honors Theses and Capstones

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing brain condition that is characterized by excessive alcohol consumption, continued use when faced with negative consequences, and a negative emotional state associated with withdrawals (anxiety, irritability, depression). The main challenge to treating AUD is preventing relapse. The purpose of this study was to use a prolonged-exposure model to allow rats to self-administer ethanol to determine the brain regions active during relapse events. The rats performed multiple behavioral tests such as economic demand, negative consequences, and an elevated plus maze. These tests determined how hard rats were willing to work for an ethanol …

The Influence Of Aging And Cognitive Load On Neural Oscillations: An Analysis Of Resting-State And Task-Related Alpha Waves, Heather Shipley

CMC Senior Theses

Neurodegenerative disease associated with aging can have devastating effects on cognitive function, but of interest is how healthy aging affects cognitive and neural function. One measure of neural function associated with aging and cognitive decline is alpha-band oscillations (8-13 Hz) in electroencephalography data (EEG). Alpha-band oscillations are thought to play a role in complex cognitive function and network coordination through inhibitory processes indexed via alpha suppression. We examined whether the aperiodic component of neural activity, a marker of neural noise, influences findings of age-related differences in alpha-band oscillatory activity. In this study, we examined how aging and increased cognitive load …

Mediators Between Job Stress And Health Quality Of Life Among Adults With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Aida M. Benitez-Rexach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal affliction that affects millions around the globe, impacting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The biopsychosocial model, Folkman and Lazarus’ transactional model of stress, Leventhal’s common sense model of self-regulation health and illness, and Bronfenbrenner’s human ecology theory are relevant to conceptualize interactions among environmental factors, biopsychosocial responses, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This quantitative, cross-sectional, complex correlational study sought to provide more understanding of how and whether IBS symptoms of pain, cognitive functioning, and interpersonal functioning serve as mediators between work stress and HRQoL. A total of 133 English-speaking volunteers from …

Tdcs Effects On Synaptic Plasticity And Motor Skill Learning, Forouzan Vasheghani Farahani

Dissertations and Theses

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that involves the application of low-intensity constant current to the brain through electrodes placed on the scalp. Its potential to enhance brain function and treat brain-related disorders has led to its increasing popularity due to its safety, simplicity, and affordability. However, its effectiveness remains a topic of debate.

The Effect Of Pubertal Stress On Prefrontal Cortex Related Behavior In Adult And Adolescent Mice, Bryan Rodriguez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is an area of associated with cognitive flexibility, decision making, and value processing. The most common neuropsychiatric disorders globally, including generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and substance abuse disorders, have been associated with dysfunction in the PFC. One of the environmental factors that may lead to increased risk for developing these disorders is exposure to stressful or traumatic situations during key developmental periods, such as adolescence. Human studies found that individuals who were faced with early adverse events but had some form of social interaction or support during that time, had a lower risk …

Vapourized Cannabis Extract Administration Impairs Memory And Alters Neural Activity In Laboratory Rats, Megan Chladny

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Although people have smoked cannabis for millennia, administration of cannabis by heating the dried plant material or distilled extracts to a temperature just below the combustion point (i.e., vapourization or "vaping") has rapidly increased over the past few years (Javadi-Payder, Cole, and Taffe, 2018; Manwell, Charchoglyan, Brewer, Matthews, Heipel, and Mallet, 2014). Conversely, most of the cannabinoid research using rodent models has used parenteral routes of administration to examine the effects of purified cannabis extracts such as ∆⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), making it difficult to directly compare laboratory research to human drug use. Building on previous studies showing that THC …

Treatment Of Anxiety By Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A Retrospective Chart Review, Rhea Gandhi

CMC Senior Theses

Surgical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) was FDA cleared for depression (2005) and epilepsy. (1997). In the surgical procedure, a pacemaker is implanted below the collarbone (clavicle) and connected to the vagus nerve in the neck. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a non-surgical alternative to VNS and there is evidence supporting its effectiveness for several conditions. Advantages include lower cost and fewer adverse side effects.

Anxiety is tied to excess or unopposed sympathetic nervous system activity, while the parasympathetic nervous system, especially the vagus nerve, is relatively underactive. This study aimed to investigate a potential impact of regular tVNS stimulation …

Role Strain And The Mental Health Of College-Educated African American Women, Andrea Alston-Brundage

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractWomen occupy many roles today, including wife, partner, parent, student, employee, and caregiver. This study addressed the effects of multiple roles on degreed African American women. The specific purpose was to assess the relationships between the marital and parental roles and employment status of college-educated African American women and assess mental health impacts as a result of role strain. The theoretical foundation for the study was Goode's role strain theory. The Working Women’s Role Strain Inventory, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and General Anxiety Disorder-7 were administered to 82 women participants between the ages of 22 and 61 who were involved in …

Investigation Of Regulator Of G Protein Signaling-12 (Rgs12) As A Modulator Of Monoamine Transporters And Behavioral Responses To Cocaine, Allison Noel White

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Stimulant use disorder is a psychiatric illness that is characterized by repeated use of stimulant drugs despite harm to the user. There are currently no Federal Drug Administration (FDA)- approved medications for stimulant use disorder, and the number of stimulant use-associated deaths have increased over the past decade. Given the prevalence of and lack of treatments for stimulant use disorder, there is an urgent need to identify new drug targets and treatments for this illness. Our group is investigating Regulator of G protein Signaling-12 (RGS12) as one such potential drug target for stimulant use disorder. Mice lacking RGS12 are insensitive …

Polyrhythmic Pathways: Using Bimanual Coordination Research To Develop A New Framework For Practice, Performance, And Pedagogy, Christian Swafford

Theses and Dissertations--Music

This study reviews and compares percussion literature pertaining to polyrhythms and scientific literature pertaining to bimanual coordination. There exists a gap in the pedagogical approach to polyrhythms, and there is much disagreement between common instructional methods, especially when considered against the findings of several bimanual coordination studies. The purpose of this study is to reveal insight to the percussion community that the learning of polyrhythms is facilitated by the brain in novel ways, and the uniqueness of this learning process requires a rethinking of the current pedagogical approach. Percussion articles, method books, popular literature, and music scores are surveyed alongside …

Psychological Manipulation And Cluster-B Personality Traits Of Cult Leaders, Jennifer Henderson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Cults, thousands of which exist in the United States, present a societal problem due to their ability to rob followers of free will, sever familial ties, and even incite violence, such as the case of the Manson Family. Their leaders' manipulation of followers can be dangerous, resulting in emotional and physical abuse. There is a lack of meaningful literature on how personality traits may affect cult leaders’ abilities to recruit and maintain members. The purpose of this study was to examine how Cluster-B personality traits (narcissism, borderline, antisocial, and histrionic) relate to cult leaders’ abilities to manipulate. The qualitative case …

Perceived Factors Of Intimate Partner Violence On Women Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Angela M. Halcovich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent diagnosis, and many human and social services professionals strive to understand its components, to ensure that they serve the population properly. However, little is known about how PTSD may influence women’s vulnerabilities to and future experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). Emphasizing relationship coaching, which provides tools to foster healthy relationships, within the therapeutic curricula on rehabilitation for women with PTSD may result in reduced chances to experience IPV as women integrate back into their everyday life after being diagnosed and treated for PTSD. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to …

Mediators Between Job Stress And Health Quality Of Life Among Adults With Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Aida M. Benitez-Rexach

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal affliction that affects millions around the globe, impacting health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The biopsychosocial model, Folkman and Lazarus’ transactional model of stress, Leventhal’s common sense model of self-regulation health and illness, and Bronfenbrenner’s human ecology theory are relevant to conceptualize interactions among environmental factors, biopsychosocial responses, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This quantitative, cross-sectional, complex correlational study sought to provide more understanding of how and whether IBS symptoms of pain, cognitive functioning, and interpersonal functioning serve as mediators between work stress and HRQoL. A total of 133 English-speaking volunteers from …

Perceived Factors Of Intimate Partner Violence On Women Diagnosed With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Angela M. Halcovich

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent diagnosis, and many human and social services professionals strive to understand its components, to ensure that they serve the population properly. However, little is known about how PTSD may influence women’s vulnerabilities to and future experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). Emphasizing relationship coaching, which provides tools to foster healthy relationships, within the therapeutic curricula on rehabilitation for women with PTSD may result in reduced chances to experience IPV as women integrate back into their everyday life after being diagnosed and treated for PTSD. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to …

Selective Gsk3b Overexpression In Medial Prefrontal Cortex Camkiia Cells Produces Sex-Specific Changes In Ethanol Self-Administration, Anxiety-Like Behavior, And Working Memory, Sam Gottlieb, Zachary Tatom, Michael F. Miles

Graduate Research Posters

Background: Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (Gsk3b) is central in a gene network regulated by ethanol in mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). GSK3B abundance/activity modulations regulate ethanol consumption, suggesting GSK3B could be a target in treating alcohol use disorder. However, the critical cell type in this ethanol response is not yet known, nor have sex differences in GSK3B modulations been fully investigated. Here we report results of GSK3B overexpression selectively in CamKIIa⁺ mPFC cells on multiple behaviors.

Methods: Mice underwent stereotaxic injections to overexpress GSK3B in mPFC CamKIIa⁺ cells or control virus (n=4-6/sex/virus). We assayed working …

Artificial Light At Night Disrupts Pain Behavior And Cerebrovascular Structure In Mice, Jacob Raymond Bumgarner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Artificial Light at Night Disrupts Pain Behavior and Cerebrovascular Structure in Mice

Jacob R. Bumgarner

Circadian rhythms are intrinsic biological processes that fluctuate in function with a period of approximately 24 hours. These rhythms are precisely synchronized to the 24- hour day of the Earth by external rhythmic signaling cues. Solar light-dark cycles are the most potent environmental signaling cue for terrestrial organisms to align internal rhythms with the external day. Proper alignment and synchrony of internal circadian rhythms with external environmental rhythms are essential for health and optimal biological function.

The modern human environment on Earth is no longer …

Sense And Sensitivity: Spatial Structure Of Conspecific Signals During Social Interaction, Keshav Ramachandra

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Organisms rely on sensory systems to gather information about their environment. Localizing the source of a signal is key in guiding the behavior of the animal successfully. Localization mechanisms must cope with the challenges of representing the spatial information of weak, noisy signals. In this dissertation, I investigate the spatial dynamics of natural stimuli and explore how the electrosensory system of weakly electric fish encodes these realistic spatial signals. To do so In Chapter 2, I develop a model that examines the strength of the signal as it reaches the sensory array and simulates the responses of the receptors. The …