Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Diagnostic Criteria For Apathy In Neurocognitive Disorders, David S. Miller, Philippe Robert, Larry Ereshefsky, Lawrence Adler, Daniel Bateman, Jeff Cummings, Steven T. Dekosky, Corinne E. Fischer, Masud Husain, Zahinoor Ismail, Judith Jaeger, Alan J. Lerner, Abby Li, Constantine G. Lyketsos, Valeria Manera, Jacobo Mintzer, Hans J. Moebius, Moyra Mortby, Didier Meulien, Stephane Pollentier, Anton Porsteinsson, Jill Rasmussen, Paul B. Rosenberg, Myuri T. Ruthirakuhan, Mary Sano, Carla Zucchero Sarracini, Krista L. Lanctôt

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Introduction: Apathy is common in neurocognitive disorders (NCD) but NCD-specific diagnostic criteria are needed. Methods: The International Society for CNS Clinical Trials Methodology Apathy Work Group convened an expert group and sought input from academia, health-care, industry, and regulatory bodies. A modified Delphi methodology was followed, and included an extensive literature review, two surveys, and two meetings at international conferences, culminating in a consensus meeting in 2019. Results: The final criteria reached consensus with more than 80% agreement on all parts and included: limited to people with NCD; symptoms persistent or frequently recurrent over at least 4 weeks, a change …

Gpr171 As A Novel Target To Treat Neuropathic Pain, Erin Bobeck

Funded Research Records

No abstract provided.

Mitochondrial Distribution Of Glycine Receptors In Motor Neuron Cell Lines, Katsiaryna Milashevich

Student Theses and Dissertations

Although non-essential, glycine plays an important role in major metabolic reactions and is most known for its anti-inflammatory effects. An accumulation of contemporary research has shown that glycine is able to stabilize membrane potential using glycine receptors at the cellular level and to protect mitochondrial function directly, whether it is from inflammation, heavy metal poisoning, or ischemia-induced neuroinflammation. In this research, the existence of a hypothetical mitochondrial glycine receptor is examined. Immunofluorescence imaging was used to examine the presence of the glycine receptor subunits alpha 1 and alpha 2 in both non- differentiated and differentiated neuroblastoma cell lines. The preliminary …

Systematic Review Of Race/Ethnicity In Parkinson's Disease, Amia Fisher

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to examine race/ethnicity with an emphasis on African Ancestry in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) through a systematic review. Out of 448 scholarly articles that were originally extracted from the search, 445 were excluded due to their irrelevance regarding race/ethnicity and African ancestry in PD. Three scholarly articles were obtained through a PubMed/MEDLINE search for the review. Amongst the three sources that were chosen, there were more than 450,000 participants with PD that ranged in ages 40-65+; each case of PD within these studies were reported from 1993-2005. The varying races/ethnicities of White/non-Hispanic White, Black/African American, …

Using Deep Learning For Children Brain Image Analysis, Rafael Toche Pizano

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Analyzing the correlation between brain volumetric/morphometry features and cognition/behavior in children is important in the field of pediatrics as identifying such relationships can help identify children who may be at risk for illnesses. Understanding these relationships can not only help identify children who may be at risk of illnesses, but it can also help evaluate strategies that promote brain development in children. Currently, one way to do this is to use traditional statistical methods such as a correlation analysis, but such an approach does not make it easy to generalize and predict how brain volumetric/morphometry will impact cognition/behavior. One of …

The Influence Of Action Video Gaming Experience On The Perception Of Emotional Faces And Emotional Word Meaning, Yuening Yan, Yi Li, Xinyu Lou, Senqi Li, Yutong Yao, Diankun Gong, Weiyi Ma, Guojian Yan

General Human Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Action video gaming (AVG) experience has been found related to sensorimotor and attentional development. However, the influence of AVG experience on the development of emotional perception skills is still unclear. Using behavioral and ERP measures, this study examined the relationship between AVG experience and the ability to decode emotional faces and emotional word meanings. AVG experts and amateurs completed an emotional word-face Stroop task prior to (the pregaming phase) and after (the postgaming phase) a 1 h AVG session. Within-group comparisons showed that after the 1 h AVG session, a more negative N400 was observed in both groups of participants, …

Glial Endothelial Brain Cell Co-Cultures For Testing Signaling Response And Delivery Of Novel Materials Across Blood Brain Barrier, Neela Prajapati

Doctoral Dissertations

The brain accounts for 20% of overall energy metabolism in the body though it just comprises 2% of the total body mass but has a limited capacity of storing energy unlike other critical organs in the body such as the heart and liver. This energy along with oxygen and nutrients is supplied by cerebral blood flow (CBF), any interruption of which can cease the brain function within seconds with a potential irreversible neuronal injury, within minutes. Vascular cells along with astrocytes and neurons are a part of a recently developed concept known as the Neurovascular Unit responsible for Neurovascular coupling …

Topological Changes In The Functional Brain Networks Induced By Isometric Force Exertions Using A Graph Theoretical Approach: An Eeg-Based Neuroergonomics Study, Lina Ismail

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Neuroergonomics, the application of neuroscience to human factors and ergonomics, is an emerging science focusing on the human brain concerning performance at work and in everyday settings. The advent of portable neurophysiological methods, including electroencephalography (EEG), has enabled measurements of real-time brain activity during physical tasks without restricting body movements. However, the EEG signatures of different physical exertion activity levels that involve the musculoskeletal system in everyday settings remain poorly understood. Furthermore, the assessment of functional connectivity among different brain regions during different force exertion levels remains unclear. One approach to investigating the brain connectome is to model the underlying …

The Neural Architecture Of Emotional Intelligence., Teodora Stoica

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a nebulous concept that permeates daily interpersonal communication. Despite prolific research into its benefits, EI subjective measurement is difficult, contributing to an enigmatic definition of its core constructs. However, neuroimaging research probing socioaffective brain mechanisms underlying putative EI constructs can add an objective perspective to existing models, thereby illuminating the nature of EI. Therefore, the primary aim of this dissertation is to identify brain networks underlying EI and examine how EI arises from the brain’s functional and structural neuroarchitecture. EI is first defined according to behavioral data, which suggests EI is made up of two core …

A Proposed Mechanism For Stimulant-Induced Behavioral Sensitization Involving The Transporter Vmat, Valeria Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Elucidating mechanisms that drive drug craving is crucial to develop pharmacological interventions for addiction. Repeated exposure to psychostimulants produces an enhanced behavioral and neurochemical sensitivity to both the drug and drug-related cues, known as sensitization. We hypothesize that VMAT, the protein responsible for storage of dopamine (DA) into the vesicles, may be functionally altered to redistribute DA between the cytoplasmic pool and the vesicular pool based on demands for drug-mediated release versus neurotransmission in the context of conditioned environmental cues. To examine the role of VMAT, we pretreated rats with a VMAT blocker, tetrabenazine (TBZ), before each daily treatment of …

Effects Of Repeated Nicotine Vapor Exposure And Withdrawal On Somatic Signs, Anxiety-Like Behavior, And Brain Reward Thresholds In Male Sprague Dawley Rats, Michelle Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ampa And Kainate Receptor-Potentiating Rna Aptamers, Janet L. Lynch

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Glutamate receptors act to bring about excitatory transmission in the central nervous system. The receptors are divided into two groups: ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Ionotropic glutamate receptors are ion channels which are activated by an agonist such as glutamate or kainate. The main receptors in the ionotropic glutamate receptor family are the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), kainate and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors. In the central nervous system ionotropic glutamate receptors are found both pre- and postsynaptically. It has been found that most AMPA and NMDA receptors are postsynaptic receptors while the kainate receptors can be pre- or postsynaptic. Underactivity of these …

Early Communication Abilities Of 24-Month-Old Children With Williams Syndrome As Measured By The Communication Complexity Scale., Sean B. Woods

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Williams syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with intellectual disability accompanied by a distinct cognitive profile. Despite their socially outgoing nature, children with WS exhibit delayed communication development and specific deficits across various functions of communication. The purpose of this study was to describe the range of communication complexity observed in 24-month-olds with WS and determine relations between communication complexity and other areas of cognitive development. The communication complexity of 17 24-month-old children with WS was measured using the Communication Complexity Scale (CCS), which quantifies optimal and typical communication complexity, as well as optimal communication for Joint Attention (JA) …

How The Covid-19 Pandemic Has Affected Physical Activity, Sleep And Mental Health In University Students, Faculty And Staff And To Examine The Relationship Between These Variables, Zachary Parisi

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Increased physical activity has been shown to be beneficial in decreasing stress. This project will expand on this knowledge while also studying college students, a demographic that has been less studied. This study will also examine the impact of COVID-19 on these variables. COVID-19 changed many peoples’ activities of daily life, and possibly physically activity levels, due to public health measures such as lockdowns and remote learning. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected physical activity, sleep, and mental health in university students, faculty and staff and to examine the relationship …

Headache-Related Disability Among Individuals With And Without Migraine Aura, Delora Denney

Honors Theses

Migraine is a neurological disease marked by recurrent headache and migraine attacks. Migraine is one of the most common diseases in the world, and as a result of high prevalence and symptoms, migraine is also quite disabling. One-third of people who have migraine experience aura, and these individuals have a greater risk for stroke, psychiatric comorbidities, and suicide attempts. The present study aimed to evaluate if there was a difference in headache-related disability between those who have migraine with and without aura, and any headache or psychiatric factors that may account for observed difference in disability.

The present study is …

Reduced Adaptation Of Glutamatergic Stress Response Is Associated With Pessimistic Expectations In Depression, Jessica A. Cooper, Makiah R. Nuutinen, Victoria M. Lawlor, Brittany A.M. Devries, Elyssa M. Barrick, Shabnam Hossein, Daniel J. Cole, Chelsea V. Leonard, Evan C. Hahn, Andrew P. Teer, Grant S. Shields, George M. Slavich, Dost Ongur, J. Eric Jensen, Fei Du, Diego A. Pizzagalli, Michael T. Treadway

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Stress is a significant risk factor for the development of major depressive disorder (MDD), yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Preclinically, adaptive and maladaptive stress-induced changes in glutamatergic function have been observed in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Here, we examine stress-induced changes in human mPFC glutamate using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in two healthy control samples and a third sample of unmedicated participants with MDD who completed the Maastricht acute stress task, and one sample of healthy control participants who completed a no-stress control manipulation. In healthy controls, we find that the magnitude of mPFC glutamate response to the …

Effects Of A Play-Based Intervention On Locomotor Skills And Strength Performance Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amber Bardsley

Honors Scholar Theses

Emerging evidence indicates that around 80-100% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have motor impairments in gross motor skills, strength, and endurance. In the current study, which is a multisite collaboration with the physical therapy programs at the University of Connecticut and the University of Delaware, we are assessing the effects of two types of movement-based interventions compared to a standard-of-care seated play control intervention on motor performance in children with ASD. This thesis will analyze data from one of the movement training groups, i.e., the play group, that involved children engaging in activities based on music, dance, and …

The Development And Evaluation Of Novel Da Transport Inhibitors And Their Effects On Effort-Related Motivation: A Review, Mukund Desibhatla

Honors Scholar Theses

Depression is a debilitating disorder that can cause motivational deficits such as psychomotor retardation, anergia, apathy, and fatigue. Recent research indicates that these motivational deficits, and potential pathways of therapeutic intervention, can be studied in animal models involving rats and mice. Treatments with the VMAT-2 inhibitor tetrabenazine (TBZ) and cytokine interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) can create a low-effort bias and impair effort-related motivation (Nunes et al. 2013, 2014). A number of high-affinity DA transport inhibitors such as d-amphetamine, methylphenidate, and cocaine can restore extracellular DA, albeit with the cost of undesirable effects such as high abuse liability. These observations have led researchers …

You Might Think This Article Is About You: A Neurological Overview Of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Kaitlyn Griffith

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.

Loosen Up, Sleep Tight: How Relaxation Techniques May Be The Solution To Stress-Induced Insomnia, Afomia Ayele

Scientific Kenyon: The Neuroscience Edition

No abstract provided.