Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

The Intranasal Delivery Of Dnsp-11 And Its Effects In Animal Models Of Parkinson's Disease, Mallory J. Stenslik

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

A major challenge in developing disease altering therapeutics for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been the delivery of compounds across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to the central nervous system (CNS). While direct surgical infusion has been utilized to deliver compounds to the brain that don’t cross the BBB, issues of poor biodistribution in the CNS due in part to properties of the molecules being delivered and/or infusion device protocols have limited the widespread success of this invasive approach. To avoid the issues of surgically delivering compounds to the CNS, numerous studies have examined the use of intranasal administration …

Temporal Localization Of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (Igf1) Positive Cells In Developing Hypothyroid Brain, Shelby Anne Kline

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Hypothyroidism has been known to result in numerous neuroanatomical defects in the developing brain. To investigate further into the mechanism in which these defects are obtained, local brain insulin-like growth factor 1 (Igf1) was investigated in relation to the hypothyroid brain. There are many similarities between hypothyroidism and the Igf1 deficient brain. Additionally, TH (thyroid hormone) is known to interact with Igf1. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of induced congenital hypothyroidism on the temporal expression of Igf1-positive cells in the brain. To investigate the relationship between TH and Igf1 in the brain, we inhibited …

Enhanced Cgmp-Dependent Signaling In Astrocytes: Novel Therapeutic Target In Alzheimer's Disease, Nyema M. Woart

PCOM Biomedical Studies Student Scholarship

Over five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), with an expected 34% increase in the incidence in this disease over the next decade. Unfortunately, there is no cure for AD. Recent studies have indicated that drugs which increase the levels of cyclic guanosine-3’5’-monophosphate (cGMP) may help preserve learning and memory in AD and enhance cognition in the aging brain; however, the mechanism(s) of how cGMP exerts this beneficial effect is unknown. The present findings now suggest that elevation of cGMP in astrocytes depresses inhibitory potassium currents in these cells to stimulate their protective influence on neuronal activity. Cellular currents …

Electrophysiological And Behavioral Working Memory Differences Between Musicians And Non-Musicians, Benjamin P. Richardson

All Master's Theses

The current study examines the P300 brainwave and working memory differences between musicians and non-musicians. Differences in aspects of recorded electrical brain activity have been used to quantify differences in updating processes of working memory possibly related to differences in amount of music experience. The current study is designed to partially replicate and enhance a method previously implemented in research describing how music experience may be associated with differences in visual processing as well auditory working memory and executive function. Behavioral data were collected using six standardized subtest measures of the TOMAL – II, followed by ERP recordings during a …

Introduction To Neuroscience, Charles Keller

Open Educational Resources

Working with a partner from the class, students will choose a topic of interest relevant to the field of neuroscience, explore the relevant literature, write a 5-7 page paper on the topic, and present the results of their research to the class in the form of a 5-10 minute oral presentation.

The Neurological Underpinnings Of Hypnosis And Its Clinical Applications, Raizy Leizerowski

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The brain is so complex that it is almost impossible to select one variable as the reason for a specific observation. This paper will discuss the neurological basis of hypnosis, and how hypnosis has made unique contributions to the refinement and development of cognitive neuroscience. In addition, hypnosis has been proven to cure many psychological and neurologically based diseases. Due to in-depth study of the neurological underpinnings of hypnosis, much advancement has been made in elucidating the relationship between the complex neural circuitry of the brain, its direct correlation to consciousness, and both the efferent and afferent neurological systems. New …

Body Sensations: Neurobiology, Learning To Feel, And Sensory Teamwork, Gin Mccollum

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Most of us must learn to feel, as an artist learns to see in order to draw. All of the physiological processes of feeling and seeing can happen with no awareness at all, when the mind is wandering elsewhere. Essential to the learning process is awareness, prajna. With no awareness, we have unconscious sensations, not conscious perceptions.

The light striking the retina of the eye is the first step in seeing. A great deal more happens in the visual part of the cerebral cortex, at the back of the head, and along the pathways to it. The conscious experience of …

Sensorimotor Analysis Of Oxaliplatin Treated Rats, Krystyna Blanka Wieczerzak

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

There is currently no direct evidence that chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) necessarily explains the sensorimotor deficits seen in 90% patients treated with oxaliplatin (OX). Some patients develop sensory symptoms without CIPN. Our laboratory reported abnormal signaling from IA afferents in OX treated rats with no evidence of neuropathy. We hypothesized that in the absence of CIPN, the behavioral disability is associated with impaired sensory encoding in OX treated rats. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sensorimotor abilities of OX treated rats. The battery of behavioral tests was designed to address proprioception and sensorimotor integration. In the …

Metabolic Characterization Of Mpnst Cell Lines, Christopher A. Waker

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Malignant transformation is the process by which cells develop cancer properties. While many causes for malignant transformation are known (i.e. common genetic mutations and/or exposure to toxins or viruses), the basic requirements that allow a cell to stay alive with altered nutrient and energy requirements are just now being studied. In some tumor types malignant cells undergo changes that result in metabolic differences compared to normal cells. These can include defects in mitophagy resulting in an accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria and/or a metabolic switch resulting in increased glycolysis, termed the Warburg effect. Increased tumor growth and metastasis have also been …

Retinoic Acid Hydroxylase Inhibitors As A Novel Therapy For Alzheimer’S Disease, Isabel M. Makman

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases afflicting the modern world. As no cure for AD has yet been discovered we sought to explore a potential treatment option based on the inhibition of retinoic acid (RA) metabolism, the active metabolite of vitamin A. Beta-amyloid plaques form in the brain and decrease cognitive function in AD patients. In a recent preclinical study RA was shown to decrease these plaques and rescue memory deficits in an Alzheimer’s mouse model[i]. One key limitation is that when RA is administered to humans it induces its own breakdown, making …

Glutamatergic Neurotransmission In The Prefrontal Cortex Mediates The Suppressive Effect Of Intra-Pfc Infusion Of Bdnf On Cocaine-Seeking, Bok Soon Go

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Infusion of BDNF into the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) immediately after the last session of cocaine self-administration prevents cocaine-mediated malfunction of synaptic modulation in the dmPFC that mediates relapse to cocaine-seeking through both GluN2A subunit-containing NMDA receptors and GluN2B subunit-containing NMDA receptors (NMDARS). Intra-dmPFC BDNF is known to suppress cocaine-seeking by normalization of cocaine self-administration- induced disturbance of glutamatergic transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and by prevention of the cocaine self-administration-induced decrease in extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity in the dmPFC through activation of tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB). Neuronal activity is required for BDNF-induced ERK activation and the …

A Structure/Function Analysis Of Nhsl1b In Facial Branchiomotor Neurons, John Ojumu

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to identify critical regions of a novel gene, Nance-Horan syndrome-like 1b (nhsl1b). It was previously discovered that C-terminal truncation of the Nhsl1b protein in nhsl1b mutants resulted in a loss of migration in the facial motor neurons of the hindbrain (Walsh et al. 2011). As nhsl1b expresses many isoforms, multiple targets were investigated in order to determine which transcript bears the largest impact on the motor neurons. Using confocal microscopy to observe immunostained embryos, we examined a mutation in an nhsl1b transcript that encodes a WHD, a domain that is known to …

Role Of Sox11 During Vertebrate Ocular Morphogenesis And Retinal Neurogenesis, Lakshmi Shashidharan Pillai

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Microphthalmia, anophthalmia, and coloboma (MAC) are distinct abnormalities demonstrating a continuum of developmental eye defects that contribute to 15-20% of blindness and severe vision deficiencies in children worldwide. The genetic etiology of MAC is large, complex and encompasses the whole developmental biology of the eye. Understanding how the eye develops will aid in identifying genes and developmental pathways involved in MAC. Although investigation of the genetic architecture of congenital anomalies is growing exponentially, much work remains to be accomplished to understand the complex, genetically heterogeneous congenital anomalies, which significantly impact childhood vision.

With an interest in elucidating the mechanisms that …

Dual Functions For Insulinoma-Associated 1 In Retinal Development, Marie A. Forbes-Osborne

Theses and Dissertations--Biology

Proper visual system function requires tightly controlled proliferation of a pool of relatively homogeneous retinal progenitor cells, followed by the stepwise specification and differentiation of multiple distinct cell types. These retinal cells, both neuronal and glial, must be generated in the correct numbers, and the correct laminar location to permit the formation of synaptic connections between individual cell types. After synapses are made, constant signaling is required as part of normal retinal function, and to maintain cellular identity and connectivity. These processes rely on both extrinsic and intrinsic signaling, with regulation of gene expression by cascades of transcription factors having …

White Matter Differences Between Multiple System Atrophy (Parkinsonian Type) And Parkinson’S Disease: A Diffusion Tensor Image Study, L. Ji, Yingying Wang, Nanjing Medical University, J. Shi

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

The clinical differential diagnosis between the Parkinson variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) is difficult in early stages. To identify objective markers for differential diagnosis, we combined the novel tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and region of interest (ROI) analyses for the first time to investigate three groups (15 MSA-P, 20 PD patients and 20 controls) with diffusion tensor imaging data. By TBSS, we performed pairwise comparisons of fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity maps. The clusters with significant differences between MSA-P and PD were used as ROIs for further analyses. FA/RD …

Biological Basis Of Motherhood And Effect Of Stress On Maternal Psychophysiology, Erin Loree Minnick 15

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

An Exploration Of The Wheel-Induced Feeding-Suppression, Stephen Benjamin Peckham

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Anorexia nervosa is an enigmatic human condition typified by food-restriction that is often accompanied by extensive exercise. This has been modeled in rats in the wheel-induced feeding-suppression (WIFS) model. In this model, animals are given access to a running-wheel, which induces a volitional drop in food-consumption. Short periods of wheel access have induced a feeding-suppression which is effectively reversed by chlorpromazine administration (Adams et al., 2009). Recent attempts at replicating Adams et al.’s (2009) feeding-suppression have, however, been unsuccessful (Peckham et al., 2013). These attempts raised questions as to whether or not the existing methodology is most effective at suppressing …

Characterization Of The Trans-Plasma Membrane Electron Transport System In The Myelin Membrane, Afshan Sohail

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Myelination is the key feature of evolution in the nervous system of vertebrates. Myelin is the protrusion of glial cells. More specifically, "oligodendrocytes" in the central nervous system (CNS), and "Schwann" cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) form myelin membranes. Myelin remarkably, enhances the propagation of nerve impulses. However, myelin restricts the access of extracellular metabolites to the axons. A pathology called "demyelination" is associated with myelin. The myelin sheath is not only an insulator, but it is itself metabolically active. In this study it is hypothesized that the ratio of NAD(P)⁺/NAD(P)H and the glycolytic pathway of …

Influence Of Planning Resources On Gait Control In Parkinson’S Disease, Frederico P. Faria

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Movement disturbances in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) have been associated with difficulties to plan complex actions. Performance of simple and complex actions overloads resources for individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, it is unclear if central resources required to plan gait adjustments while walking exacerbate gait disturbances of patients with PD. More specifically, it is unclear how gait impairments, sensory processing, and the dopaminergic system influence the load on processing resources (e.g. cognitive load) during the planning of step modifications. In order to investigate the relative influence of these factors on cognitive load and its impact on gait control, …

Acute Cocaine Differentially Induces Pka Phosphorylation Substrates In Male And Female Rats, Wei-Lun Sun, Luyi Zhou, Arbi Nazarian, Vanya Quinones-Jenab, Shirzad Jenab

Publications and Research

Background: Sex differences in intracellular dopamine pathways may contribute to the known sex differences in psychomotor responses to cocaine and differential development of dependence. This study aimed to determine whether there are sex differences in the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2, or p44/p42 MAPK) and PKA phosphorylation-dependent substrates in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) of male and female rats at baseline or after acute cocaine administration.

Methods: 60-day-old male and female Fischer rats were injected with saline or cocaine (30 mg/kg) and sacrificed 5, 15, 30, 45 or 90 minutes later. Total locomotor activity, Stereotypic, rearing, and ambulatory behaviors …