Developmental Neuroscience Commons^™

Examining Delayed Onset Of Dementia In The Bilingual Geriatric Population, Erica Brown, Elizabeth Hartman

Grace Peterson Nursing Research Colloquium

Background: Dementia is the largest cause of dependency and disability in older adults, affecting nearly 50 million people worldwide with about 10 million new cases every year. Presently, there are no cures for dementia. Consequently, a growing body of evidence suggests that bilingualism may delay the onset of clinical dementia symptoms by several years.

Objectives: The purpose of this review is to summarize and analyze current evidence from studies that examined how bilingualism delays the onset of dementia. Evidence is reviewed suggesting that bilingualism may delay the dementia symptoms due to an increase in cognitive reserve, which refers to an …

Association Of The Haptoglobin Gene Polymorphism With Cognitive Function And Decline In Elderly African American Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Findings From The Action To Control Cardiovascular Risk In Diabetes–Memory In Diabetes (Accord-Mind) Study, Michael Beeri, Hung-Mo Lin, Mary Sano, Ramit Ravona-Springer, Xiaoyu Liu, Barbara B. Bendlin, Carey E. Gleason, Elizabeth Guerrero-Berroa, Laili Soleimani, Lenore J. Launer, Scott Ehrenberg, Orit Lache, Yaakov K. Seligman, Andrew P. Levy

Publications and Research

IMPORTANCE African American individuals have higher dementia risk than individuals of white race/ethnicity. They also have higher rates of type 2 diabetes, which may contribute to this elevated risk. This study examined the association of the following 2 classes of alleles at the haptoglobin (Hp) locus that are associated with poor cognition, cardiovascular disease, and mortality: Hp 1-1 (associated with poor cognition and cerebrovascular disease) and Hp 2-1 and Hp 2-2 (associated with greater risk ofmyocardial infarction and mortality). An additional polymorphism in the promoter region of the Hp 2 allele, restricted to individuals of African descent, yields a fourth …

Developmental Transitions In Amygdala Pkc Isoforms And Ampa Receptor Expression Associated With Threat Memory In Infant Rats, Maya Opendak, Roseanna M. Zanca, Eben Anane, Peter Serrano, Regina M. Sullivan

Publications and Research

Although infants learn and remember, they rapidly forget, a phenomenon known as infantile amnesia. While myriad mechanisms impact this rapid forgetting, the molecular events supporting memory maintenance have yet to be explored. To explore memory mechanisms across development, we used amygdala-dependent odor-shock conditioning and focused on mechanisms important in adult memory, the AMPA receptor subunits GluA1/2 and upstream protein kinases important for trafficking AMPAR, protein kinase M zeta (PKMζ) and iota/lambda (PKCι/λ). We use odor-shock conditioning in infant rats because it is late-developing (postnatal day, PN10) and can be modulated by corticosterone during a sensitive period in early life. Our …

Underlying Contribution Of Executive Functioning To Cognition And Academic Achievement In Individuals With Dystrophinopathy, Robert Fee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Dystrophinopathy is a genetic disorder that results in the lack of or abnormal expression of the protein dystrophin. It is a disorder that alters cell structure and function, impacts the developing brain and brain function, presents with multi-domain cognitive deficits, and influences both mood and behavior. Cognitive impairments appear to be more localized to specific areas of functioning rather than a global deficit; however, deficits have been identified across multiple cognitive domains including language and aspects of executive functioning. A careful examination of the cognitive phenotype and its association to mutations affecting CNS isoforms is necessary to clarify the neuropsychological …

Arid1b And Macf1 In Murine Brain Development And Behavior, Jeffrey Jay Moffat

Theses & Dissertations

Intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affect between one and three percent of the global population. These disorders represent a significant emotional and financial burden for affected individuals and their families. Treatment for these conditions remains limited because many of the key molecular factors and associated pathogenic mechanisms are still poorly understood.

In this report we examine two genes related to ASD and ID, AT-rich interactive domain-containing protein 1B (ARID1B) and Microtubule-actin crosslinking factor 1 (MACF1). ARID1B is a subunit of the mammalian BRG1/BRM associated factor (BAF) chromatin-remodeling complex, which broadly regulates gene expression. ARID1B also …

Organization And Development Of Cholinergic Input To The Mouse Visual Thalamus., Guela Sokhadze

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cholinergic signaling plays a vital role in modulating the flow of sensory information through thalamic circuits in a state-dependent manner. In the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), the thalamic visual relay, release of acetylcholine (ACh) contributes to enhanced thalamocortical transfer of retinal signal during behavioral states of arousal, wakefulness, and sleep/wake transitions. Moreover, ACh modulates activity of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN), a structure which provides inhibitory input to dLGN. While several cholinergic nuclei have been shown to innervate dLGN and TRN, it is unclear how projections from each area are organized. Furthermore, little is known of how or when …

Modeling And Mapping Addiction In The Zebrafish, Danio Rerio, Bradley Serpa

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Driven by the communication of dopamine, the vertebrate reward system has been evolutionarily conserved to maintain survival and optimize fitness. The neural circuits governing this system integrate sensory stimuli to produce appropriate, self-preserving responses that underlie experience-based learning. In the most primitive vertebrates, dopamine release in neuronal circuits drives homeostatic behaviors, such as seeking nutrients, finding a mate, or avoiding danger. From agnathans to mammals, dopaminergic synthesis and signaling genes and molecules, along with neuronal pathways and reward system-based behaviors, remain highly conserved. Dopamine signaling proteins include two classes of metabotropic G-Protein Receptor Coupled Dopamine Receptors, D1-like (DRD1) and D2-like …

Immature Auditory Evoked Potentials In Children With Moderate-Severe Developmental Language Disorder., Elaine Yuen Ling Kwok, Marc F Joanisse, Lisa Archibald, Janis Oram Cardy

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Publications

Purpose: Immature auditory processing has been proposed to underlie language impairments in children with developmental language disorder (DLD; also known as specific language impairment). Using newly available normative auditory evoked potential (AEP) waveforms, we estimated AEP maturity in individual children with DLD and explored whether this maturational index was related to their language abilities.

Method: AEPs were elicited by 225 trials of a 490-Hz pure tone. Using intraclass correlation and our previously established normative AEP waveforms of 7- to 10-year-old children with typical development, we estimated the age equivalent of the AEPs (AEP-age) from 21 children with DLD. The relation …

Wearable Assistive Technologies For Autism: Opportunities And Challenges, Emma Mansouri Benssassi, Juan-Carlos Gomez, Louanne E. Boyd, Gillian R. Hayes, Juan Ye

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others. Challenges with typical social engagement, common in the autism experience, can have a significant negative impact on the quality of life of individuals and families living with autism. Recent advances in sensing, intelligent, and interactive technologies can enable new forms of assistive and augmentative technologies to support social interactions. However, researchers have not yet demonstrated effectiveness of these technologies in long-term real-world use. This article presents an overview of the social and sensory challenges of autism, which offer great opportunities and challenges for …

Mapping Molecular Datasets Back To The Brain Regions They Are Extracted From: Remembering The Native Countries Of Hypothalamic Expatriates And Refugees, Arshad Khan, Alice Grant, Anais Martinez, Gully Burns, Brendan Thatcher, Vishwanath Anekonda, Benjamin Thompson, Zachary Roberts, Daniel Moralejo, James Blevins

Selected Works Temporary Series

This article, which includes novel unpublished data along with commentary and analysis,focuses on approaches to link transcriptomic, proteomic, and peptidomic datasets mined frombrain tissue to the original locations within the brain that they are derived from using digital atlasmapping techniques. We use, as an example, the transcriptomic, proteomic and peptidomicanalyses conducted in the mammalian hypothalamus. Following a brief historical overview, wehighlight studies that have mined biochemical and molecular information from the hypothalamusand then lay out a strategy for how these data can be linked spatially to the mapped locations in acanonical brain atlas where the data come from, thereby allowing …

Mapping Molecular Datasets Back To The Brain Regions They Are Extracted From: Remembering The Native Countries Of Hypothalamic Expatriates And Refugees, Khan, Alice Grant, Anais Martinez, Gully Burns, Brendan Thatcher, Vishwanath Anekonda, Benjamin Thompson, Zachary Roberts, Daniel Moralejo, James Blevins

Departmental Papers (Biology)

This article, which includes novel unpublished data along with commentary and analysis,focuses on approaches to link transcriptomic, proteomic, and peptidomic datasets mined frombrain tissue to the original locations within the brain that they are derived from using digital atlasmapping techniques. We use, as an example, the transcriptomic, proteomic and peptidomicanalyses conducted in the mammalian hypothalamus. Following a brief historical overview, wehighlight studies that have mined biochemical and molecular information from the hypothalamusand then lay out a strategy for how these data can be linked spatially to the mapped locations in acanonical brain atlas where the data come from, thereby allowing …

Modeling Emmetropization In An Incessantly Moving Eye, Michele Rucci, Jonathan D. Victor

MODVIS Workshop

Many questions remain unanswered regarding the specific cues and mechanisms for emmetropization, the process by which, during development, the eye adjusts itself so that distant objects are in focus. Research has so far primarily focused on the spatial cues present in the image on the retina, such as the degree of blur. However, eye movements incessantly transform a mostly static scene into temporal modulations, so that the input to the retina is not an image, but a spatiotemporal flow of luminance. Models of retinal input signals indicate that this space-time reformatting caused by eye movements yields additional cues to the …

An Active Efficient Coding Model Of The Development Of Amblyopia, Samuel Eckmann, Lukas Klimmasch, Bertram Shi, Jochen Triesch

MODVIS Workshop

No abstract provided.

Targeting Of Central Nucleus Projections To Extramodular Zones Of The Lateral Cortex Of The Inferior Colliculus In Developing Mouse, Isabel D. Lamb-Echegaray

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The multimodal lateral cortex of the inferior colliculus (LCIC) exhibits a modular-extramodular micro-organization that is evident early in development. In addition to a set of neurochemical markers that reliably highlight its modular-extramodular organization, mature projection patterns in a variety of adult species suggest that major LCIC afferents also recognize and adhere to such a framework. This patch-matrix-like arrangement appears to segregate into distinct afferent streams, with somatosensory inputs targeting LCIC modules and auditory inputs targeting surrounding extramodular zones. Currently lacking is a detailed understanding of the development and shaping of multimodal LCIC afferents with respect to its modular-extramodular framework. The …

Mechanisms And Targeting Of Neurodevelopmental Regulator Rest In Medulloblastoma Dissemination, Keri Callegari

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Molecular subgrouping of medulloblastoma (MB) has produced four subgroups: wingless (WNT), sonic hedgehog (SHH), group 3, and group 4. While patients with WNT tumors have the best prognosis, patients with SHH tumors have a more variable prognosis concurrent with metastatic disease. This subset of SHH patients have elevated levels of the neurogenic regulator, RE1 Silencing Transcription factor (REST). To understand the role of REST in MB, we utilized a novel transgenic mouse model wherein REST expression can be conditionally elevated during postnatal development in the cells of origin of SHH MB, cerebellar granule neural progenitors (GNPs). While these mice did …

The Ush2a Gene: An Analysis Of Ultrasonic Vocalizations In A Mouse Model Of Usher Syndrome Type 2, Kiana R. Akhundzadeh

Honors Scholar Theses

Usher syndrome type 2 is a complex autosomal recessive genetic disorder that is characterized by moderate to severe congenital sensorineural hearing loss, the onset of retinitis pigmentosa in the second decade of life, and in some cases, vestibular dysfunction. Mutations in the USH2A gene account for 85% of cases of type 2. The USH2A gene is responsible for encoding the protein usherin, which has an important role in the development and function of inner ear hair cells and retinal photoreceptors. Until recently, it has been believed that carriers of the USH2A mutation were phenotype free. However, recent data has suggested …

Examining The Appropriate Recovery Interval Following Maximal Exertion For Baseline Computerized Neurocognitive Testing (Cnt), Samantha Mohler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Computerized neurocognitive testing is part of the recommended multi-faceted approach to SRC assessment. Prior research has suggested that maximal exertion negatively effects CNT test scores. Purpose: To identify the appropriate timing of the administration of CNT following maximal exertion in healthy college-aged students. Study Design: Random cross-over, repeated measures design. Methods: Participants will be administered CNT on four different visits, with at least one week between administrations. A VO2 max treadmill test will be performed before CNT administration during three of the four trials. Following the VO2 max test, participants will rest for <2 minutes (immediate), 10-minutes, or 20-minutes before taking CNT. The fourth trial, without maximal exertion preceding CNT administration, will serve as the control. All trials will be randomly-counterbalanced to negate practice effects. RESULTS: There was a significant within-subjects effect for prescribed post-exertion recovery intervals on total symptom scores (Wilks λ = .62, F [3, 23] = 4.64, p = .01, η2= .38). Total symptom scores were significantly higher at the immediate (p < .002), 10-minutes (p = .018), and 20-minutes (p = .011) post-exertion recovery intervals compared to baseline. Additionally, a significantly positive within-subjects effect for prescribed post exertion recovery was observed for processing speed (p=.009, Wilks λ = .60, F [3, 27] = 5.9, η2 = .396). No significant effect was observed for visual memory (p = .07), verbal memory (p = .06), or reaction time (p = .40). CONCLUSION: Baseline symptom scores were negatively influenced processing speed was enhanced by maximal exertion. These changes continue to be elevated 20 minutes post-exertion. Moreover, cognitive performance was not significantly impaired following maximal exercise. To obtain more accurate baseline symptom scores, and allow processing speed composites to return to normal, sports medicine professionals should wait at least 20 minutes following maximal exertion before administering CNT.

Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Impairs Performance In An Object-Place-Paired-Associate Task, Lilliana May Sanchez

Psychology ETDs

Memory impairments, including spatial and object processing, are often observed in individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Much attention has been directed towards the hippocampus, which displays significant alterations after moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). In the present study, we tested a moderate PAE rat model in an object-place-paired-associate (OPPA) task, previously shown to require hippocampal processing. The OPPA task was composed of training rats to discriminate between an identical pair of objects presented in 180° opposite arms of a radial arm maze. Animals were given a total of 10 trials per day over 14 consecutive days of training and …

Effects Of Neonatal Handling On Play And Anxiety In F344 And Lewis Rats, Stephen M. Siviy

Psychology Faculty Publications

Play is an important part of normal childhood development and seen in many mammals, including rats. To better understand the interplay between genotype and postnatal experiences, the effects of neonatal handling on play were assessed in Lewis (LEW) and Fischer 344 (F344) rats. Handled litters experienced brief periods of separation during the first two postnatal weeks. F344 rats were less likely to direct nape contacts toward an untreated Sprague–Dawley (SD) partner and less likely to rotate to a supine position in response to a nape contact. When compared to rats from control litters, handled LEW, and F344 rats were more …

The Role Of The Chorda Tympani Nerve In The Structural Development Of Brainstem Neurons, Louis Martin

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

The brain changes substantially throughout development. In the taste system, brainstem neurons undergo dramatic structural alterations after birth. Most notably, these cells’ dendrites, branch-like projections that that receive sensory input, grow 3-4 times longer by adulthood. It is not clear whether incoming signals about taste are necessary for these structural changes to occur. We have consistently found that when the chorda tympani taste nerve (CT) is cut at an early age in rats, it does not regenerate. With this manipulation, we can permanently limit the amount of taste information that reaches the brain. To determine the role of taste input …