Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Comparative Assessment Of Familiarity/Novelty Preferences In Rodents, Annaliese K. Beery, Katharine L. Shambaugh

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

Sociality—i.e., life in social groups—has evolved many times in rodents, and there is considerable variation in the nature of these groups. While many species-typical behaviors have been described in field settings, the use of consistent behavioral assays in the laboratory provides key data for comparisons across species. The preference for interaction with familiar or novel individuals is an important dimension of social behavior. Familiarity preference, in particular, may be associated with more closed, less flexible social groups. The dimension from selectivity to gregariousness has been used as a factor in classification of social group types. Laboratory tests of social choice …

B12: The T Cell Co-Receptor Cd5 Alters Mouse Behavior And Gut Microbiome Composition, Kyle Reaveley

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Validation Of Induced Microglia-Like Cells (Img Cells) For Future Studies Of Brain Diseases, Atoshi Banerjee, Yimei Lu, Kenny Do, Travis Mize, Xiaogang Wu, Xiangning Chen, Jingchun Chen

School of Medicine Faculty Research

Microglia are the primary resident immune cells of the central nervous system that maintain physiological homeostasis in the brain and contribute to the pathogenesis of many psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Due to the lack of appropriate human cellular models, it is difficult to study the basic pathophysiological processes linking microglia to brain diseases. In this study, we adopted a microglia-like cellular model derived from peripheral blood monocytes with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-34 (IL-34). We characterized and validated this in vitro cellular model by morphology, immunocytochemistry, gene expression profiles, and functional study. Our results indicated that the iMG …

Influence Of Previous Covid-19 And Mastitis Infections On The Secretion Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor And Nerve Growth Factor In Human Milk, Veronique Demers-Mathieu, Dustin J. Hines, Rochelle M. Hines, Sirima Lavangnananda, Shawn Fels, Elena Medo

Psychology Faculty Research

Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) play a critical role in neurodevelopment, where breast milk is a significant dietary source. The impact of previous COVID-19 infection and mastitis on the concentration of BDNF and NGF in human milk was investigated. Methods: Concentrations of BDNF and NGF were measured via ELISA in human milk samples collected from 12 mothers with a confirmed COVID-19 PCR, 13 mothers with viral symptoms suggestive of COVID-19, and 22 unexposed mothers (pre-pandemic Ctl-2018). These neurotrophins were also determined in 12 mothers with previous mastitis and 18 mothers without mastitis. Results: The NGF …

#Eegmanylabs: Investigating The Replicability Of Influential Eeg Experiments, Yuri G. Pavlov, Nika Adamian, Stefan Appelhoff, Mahnaz Arvaneh, Christopher S.Y. Benwell, Christian Beste, Amy R. Bland, Daniel E. Bradford, Florian Bublatzky, Niko A. Busch, Peter E. Clayson, Damian Cruse, Artur Czeszumski, Anna Dreber, Guillaume Dumas, Benedikt Ehinger, Giorgio Ganis, Xun He, José A. Hinojosa, Christoph Huber-Huber, Michael Inzlicht, Bradley N. Jack, Magnus Johannesson, Rhiannon Jones, Evgenii Kalenkovich, Laura Kaltwasser, Hamid Karimi-Rouzbahani, Andreas Keil, Peter Koning, Layla Kouara

Psychology Faculty Research

There is growing awareness across the neuroscience community that the replicability of findings about the relationship between brain activity and cognitive phenomena can be improved by conducting studies with high statistical power that adhere to well-defined and standardised analysis pipelines. Inspired by recent efforts from the psychological sciences, and with the desire to examine some of the foundational findings using electroencephalography (EEG), we have launched #EEGManyLabs, a large-scale international collaborative replication effort. Since its discovery in the early 20th century, EEG has had a profound influence on our understanding of human cognition, but there is limited evidence on the replicability …

Sound In Color, Amber Rhodes

Honors Scholars Collaborative Projects

“Sound in Color” is an interactive audio-visual experience designed to explore the relationship between sound, color, and emotions. Taking place on the Massey Concert Hall stage, the project is inspired by synesthesia and incorporates research on color psychology. Participants are invited to select an emotion and color. As the user hums into a microphone, they hear their emotions expressed through sound in their headphones and watch as the lights on stage respond to their vocal cues.

Finding Rhythm Through Auditory Imagery: An Approach To Parkinson’S Disease Treatment, Jacqueline Larivee

Psychology Student Work

The following research article explores music therapy in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). The general interaction between the rhythmic properties of music and motor associated brain areas is discussed at length. These interactions provide a basis for understanding how music therapy can address the rhythmic impairments of the disease. Dance therapy, Musical Sonification, Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS) are three types of music-based therapies that have been found to be effective in treating the motor symptoms of PD. These therapies may be particularly effective for the PD population because they draw upon musical rhythm as an external pacing cue.While external …

Long-Term Impacts Of Acute Stressor Exposure On Locus Coeruleus Function And Anxiety-Like Behavior In Rats, Olga Borodovitsyna

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Stress is a physiological state characterized by behavioral arousal that occurs during exposure to harmful or threatening stimuli, and usually facilitates an adaptive behavioral response. The persistence of stress sometimes causes it to become maladaptive, potentially contributing to disease development, including physiological complications with altered neuroendocrine signaling and impaired function of organ systems, and psychological conditions including depression and anxiety. Anxiety disorders in particular are associated with a history of stress and are the most common class of mental disorders, with a lifetime prevalence of 33.7% in the general population. The locus coeruleus (LC) is a major node in the …

Application Of Cycle-By-Cycle Analysis To Eeg Data From Individuals With Phelan-Mcdermid Syndrome, Naomi Miller

ENGS 88 Honors Thesis (AB Students)

This study aimed to analyze a novel method of processing data from electroencephalography (EEG) recordings, which implements time-domain cycle-by-cycle analysis. This "bycycle" method, developed by the Cole & Voytek laboratory, was implemented on a EEG dataset of children with and without Phelan-McDermid Syndrome in the hopes of uncovering network-level explanations for the genetic disorder. A supplemental Python pipeline was developed to organize and visualize the data. This led to the discovery of group-level differences in measures of cycle symmetry in alpha band waves over the sensorimotor electrodes. Through the same pipeline, the bycycle tool was validated as a sound EEG …

Music And The Brain: A Review Of Neuroscientific And Clinical Applications, Jacqueline Larivee

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

My research examines the relationship between neuroscience and music, exploring its clinical applications. I extensively review the specific neuroanatomic structures implicated in musical perception. Knowing the function of each brain structure as it relates to musical perception provides insight as to how music is able to elicit certain physical and emotional responses. As music interacts with the human brain, it is also able to provide social, cognitive, and emotional benefits. Given these benefits, my research argues that music is an effective therapeutic intervention for vulnerable populations. I examine the impact of music therapy on preterm infants, hearing impaired individuals, intellectually …

Life Satisfaction: Aging Female Informal Caregivers Of Persons With Dementia, Deborah Ann Monson

Dissertations

Purpose/Aims

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between aging female informal caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) and care recipients’ PWD demographic factors, aging female informal caregivers of PWD social support factors, positive and negative feelings, a sense of flourishing, stress, and life satisfaction.

Background/Rationale

Older adults with dementia are living longer and the majority are receiving care by aging female informal caregivers. Dementia incrementally worsens over time impacting informal caregiver life satisfaction. Most studies have focused on negative aspects of informal caregiving. Therefore, this study investigated both positive and negative aspects of caregiving.

Conceptual Basis …

Mechanisms Linking Socioeconomic Status And Academic Achievement In Early Childhood: Cognitive Stimulation And Language, Lucy A. Lurie, Mckenzie P. Hagen, Katie A. Mclaughlin, Margaret A. Sheridan, Andrew N. Meltzoff, Maya L. Rosen

Neuroscience: Faculty Publications

There is a strong positive association between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement. This disparity may, in part, be explained by differences in early environmental experiences and language development. Cognitive stimulation—including language exposure, access to learning materials, caregiver involvement in children's learning, and variety of experiences—varies by SES and may link SES to language development. Childhood language development in turn is associated with academic achievement. In the current longitudinal study of 101 children (60–75 months), SES was positively associated with cognitive stimulation and performance on language measures. Cognitive stimulation mediated the association between SES and children's language. Furthermore, children's …

Semester Schedule For Cognitive And Behavioral Neuroscience, Megan V. Caldwell

Open Educational Resources

This course schedule has been created for an asynchronous 15-week, 4 credit Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience course. It is a comprehensive schedule including a week-by-week breakdown of lecture topics, reading material, assignments, and exam schedule. The course covers topics related to cognition and neuroscience including the action potential, neurotransmitters, cell gradients, sensation (vision, hearing, and pain/somatosensation), neuroplasticity, memory, and movement systems. The schedule is intended to be accompanied by a syllabus.

Autism Treatments: Beyond Applied Behavioral Analysis Therapy, Sarah Samosiuk

Honors Projects

This literature review dicusses the efficacy of mindfulness as a potential treatment option for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It differs from other treatment options as it works to reduce the symptoms of ASD by reducing the stress and anxiety that cause the symptoms. I discuss the neuroscience behind the autistic mind and give a multitude of studies showing the power of mindfulness. Researchers have only scratched the surface of the possibilities that mindfulness could achieve in this field and hopefully this movement can gain traction so that this kind of help is available to all of those who …

The Influence Of The Gut Microbiota And Alzheimer’S Disease, Mackenzie E. Gibbs

Honors Theses

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that effects the neurons in the brain and can lead to cognitive impairment and death. The main aspects of Alzheimer’s research focus on genetic factors contributing to the disease, but the microbiota gut-brain-axis may be playing a potential role in Alzheimer’s development. The human body has an abundant microbiota to help our bodies carry out daily needs, but the amount of microbiota present has to be kept in a tolerance range by the immune system. If there is an increase in the amount of gut microbiota present in the human body, inflammation can occur …

Identification Of Chronic Postural Stability Impairments Associated With History Of Concussion, Nicholas Reilly

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Concussion is the most common form of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, there is a disproportionate level of understanding between the acute and chronic impairments associated with traumatic brain injury. Specifically, problems maintaining balance during standing and walking are cardinal signs of acute concussion, but the temporal extent to which postural control deficits remain following the initial injury are not well defined or understood. The purpose of the projects composing this dissertation was to examine the long-term effects of a prior history of concussion on static (i.e. standing) and dynamic (i.e. gait) postural control. To address this, healthy adults aged …

Imaging Of Neurotransmitters And Small Molecules In Brain Tissues Using Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry Assisted With Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles., Chaochao Chen, Steven R Laviolette, Shawn N Whitehead, Justin B Renaud, Ken K-C Yeung

Chemistry Publications

Inorganic nanostructured materials such as silicon, carbon, metals, and metal oxides have been explored as matrices of low-background signals to assist the laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectrometric (MS) analysis of small molecules, but their applications for imaging of small molecules in biological tissues remain limited in the literature. Titanium dioxide is one of the known nanoparticles (NP) that can effectively assist LDI MS imaging of low molecular weight molecules (LMWM). TiO₂ NP is commercially available as dispersions, which can be applied using a chemical solution sprayer. However, aggregation of NP can occur in the dispersions and the aggregated NP …

Receptors And Channels Associated With Alcohol Use: Contributions From Drosophila, Kristin M. Scaplen, Emily Petruccelli

Applied Psychology Department Faculty Journal Articles

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a debilitating disorder that manifests as problematic patterns of alcohol use. At the core of AUD’s behavioral manifestations are the profound structural, physiological, cellular, and molecular effects of alcohol on the brain. While the field has made considerable progress in understanding the neuromolecular targets of alcohol we still lack a comprehensive understanding of alcohol’s actions and effective treatment strategies. Drosophila melanogaster is a powerful model for investigating the neuromolecular targets of alcohol because flies model many of the core behavioral elements of AUD and offer a rich genetic toolkit to precisely reveal the in vivo …

Use Of A Zebrafish Model To Identify Anticonvulsant Properties Of Cannabinoid And Terpenoid Extracts And Mixtures, Courtney Murr

LSU Master's Theses

Epilepsy is a complex group of neurological disorders affecting approximately 65 million people worldwide. Animal models reveal the activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 and cannabinoid receptor 2 reduces the severity of seizures associated with epilepsy. Trials of phytocannabinoids in mammals demonstrate their efficacy of reducing the severity of epileptic seizures. Numerous terpenoid compounds are present in Cannabis plants but most have yet to be clinically investigated. The goal of this research was to use zebrafish (Danio rerio) to identify the potential anticonvulsive properties of phytocannabinoid and terpenoid compounds. During acute cannabinoid exposures, 7-days-post-fertilization (7 dpf) zebrafish larvae were …

Effects Of The Antidepressant Drug Vortioxetine On Ventral Pallidal Neuronal Activity, Respiration, And Heart Rate In The Rat, Piper Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a mental illness that affects millions of people worldwide. People diagnosed with MDD are often prescribed antidepressant drugs. Most antidepressants increase levels of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) in the synapses between neurons. Selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), one class of antidepressants, do this by inhibiting the reuptake of serotonin released into the synapse. Serotonin neurons from the brainstem raphe nuclei affect a wide range of areas throughout the brain. Among these areas is the ventral pallidum (VP), located in the basal forebrain. Citalopram, an SSRI, has been found to increase the firing rate of action potentials of …