Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons^™

Defining The Peripheral Plasticity Of Nociceptive Afferents Following Spinal Cord Injury And Physical Therapy Intervention., Morgan Julianna Forston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this dissertation is to explore the peripheral plasticity of nociceptive afferents following spinal cord injury (SCI) and whether it is exacerbated or induced when physical therapy-based muscle stretching, a therapy we have shown to be detrimental to locomotor recovery in rodents, is implemented post-SCI. Chapter I provides a brief introduction on sensory afferents with particular emphasis on nociceptive afferents and their multifaceted role within the peripheral and central nervous systems. Chapter II describes SCI epidemiology and common sensory related complications that occur in patients as well and pharmaco- and physical therapies that are employed post-SCI. Chapter III …

Unilateral Tongue Atrophy In Smad3: A Case Report, Gloria Galloway

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Background: Mothers Against Decapentaplegic Homolog 3 (SMAD3) is a disorder of the protein encoded at locus 15q22.33 and involved in the transcription of growth factor-beta (TGF) signalling. In this disorder, SMAD3 encoding is impaired, resulting in a connective tissue disorder with multisystem involvement (Bertoli-Avella et al., 2015; Dulac et al., 2019). This case is the first to describe unilateral tongue atrophy as an initial presentation of SMAD3, thereby providing an important contribution to the literature. Clinical History and Exam: A 43-year-old patient described a 1–2-week history in which he noted that half of his tongue had wasted away, and he …

Neurological Foundations And Technological Interventions For Dyslexia: Advancements And Challenges, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Dyslexia, a complex neurological condition affecting reading and language processing, is intricately tied to variations in brain structure and function. This article explores the neurological underpinnings of dyslexia, emphasizing phonological, visual, and attention-related impairments. Furthermore, the analysis highlights various types of dyslexia—phonological, surface, rapid automatized naming, and visual—while addressing their neurological correlations. It also investigates the relationship between dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions, such as autism and ADHD, focusing on the neurological overlap and differences. To mitigate the challenges associated with dyslexia, advanced technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and eye-tracking are discussed for their diagnostic and intervention potential. These …

Targeted Long-Read Sequencing To Quantify Methylation Of The C9orf72 Repeat Expansion, Evan Udine, Nicole Finch, Mariely Dejesus-Hernandez, Jazmyne L. Jackson, Matthew C. Baker, Siva Arumugam Saravanaperumal, Eric Wieben, Mark T. W. Ebbert, Jaimin Shah, Leonard Petrucelli, Rosa Rademakers, Björn Oskarsson, Marka Van Blitterswijk

Neurology Faculty Publications

Background The gene C9orf72 harbors a non-coding hexanucleotide repeat expansion known to cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. While previous studies have estimated the length of this repeat expansion in multiple tissues, technological limitations have impeded researchers from exploring additional features, such as methylation levels.

Methods We aimed to characterize C9orf72 repeat expansions using a targeted, amplification-free long-read sequencing method. Our primary goal was to determine the presence and subsequent quantification of observed methylation in the C9orf72 repeat expansion. In addition, we measured the repeat length and purity of the expansion. To do this, we sequenced DNA extracted from …

Alteration Of Peripheral Cytokines In Alzheimer’S Disease, Zhengshi Yang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with the clinical symptoms of gradual cognitive decline and memory loss. Biologically, abnormal accumulation of Aβ (Aβ) plaque and tau tangles in the brain are the core pathological hallmarks in AD. Although inflammatory response is not specific to AD, emerging evidence suggests that the disrupted innate immune system within the central nervous system, particularly microglial activation, might act as the bridge linking Aβ aggregation to pathological phosphorylation and aggregation of tau. The inflammatory response was suggested to initially have a neuroprotective role of attempting to clear Aβ plaques, and then become neurotoxic …

Delineating Genetic Influences On Neurodegenerative Disorders And Infectious Diseases Through Advanced Computational Methods, Xiaowei Zhuang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Genetics plays a critical role in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders and pathogen evolution in infectious diseases. For example, identifying genetic variants associated with a disease phenotype uncovers functional pathways that could lead to potential drug targets and therapeutic interventions. In addition, tracking the genetic evolution of pathogens enables early detection and warning of infectious disease outbreaks. In both applications, given the large amount of genetic data, advanced computational methods, including longitudinal and multivariate models, could significantly boost the statistical power and capture interrelationships among traits, environmental factors and genetic influences. This dissertation focuses on four applications of …

Psychological Distress Among Family Caregivers Of Persons With Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementias In Uganda, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) present growing global health challenges, especially in aging populations, such as Uganda. In Uganda, familial caregiving, predominantly undertaken by female relatives, is the primary form of support provided to patients with ADRD. Cultural stigma around dementia and limited access to support services amplify caregivers' challenges. This study examined psychological distress, depression, and quality of life (QoL) among family caregivers of patients with ADRD in Wakiso District, Uganda. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 90 caregivers from three sub-counties in Wakiso, selected through purposive sampling to capture diverse experiences. Participants included caregivers aged 18 years …

Cognitive Differences In Parkinson’S Disease With Amyloid Positivity And Negativity, Kenya Luna

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

In Parkinson’s Disease (PD), research has shifted to investigate how biomarkers commonly seen in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), such as amyloid beta (AB), may be associated with cognitive functioning in PD. AB is considered a reliable biomarker for AD pathology, however in PD there is a lacking biomarker that can accurately reflect severity of cognitive impairment. AD research has shown an association between low AB and cognitive decline, but the data in PD has mixed results. Most studies that analyze cognitive decline and biomarkers do not use a cutoff level and the few that do have a threshold vary greatly in …

Investigating Brain Reward Mechanisms: A Comparative Study In Male And Female Rats, Valeria Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Drug addiction is a serious public health concern. Recently, electronic cigarette use has become increasingly popular among vulnerable populations such as adolescents and women. Previous research on conventional cigarette use has shown significant sex differences in drug-seeking behavior and withdrawal symptoms, which are driven mainly by hormonal differences. However, changes in sex hormones do not completely explain the enhanced reward sensitivity reported in females. Thus, this dissertation aims to examine other alternative reasons that can explain these sex differences, such as differences in reward-seeking and neuronal reactivity. Additionally, there is a dearth of consistency across papers intending to map electrode …

Examination Of The Role Of Ovarian Hormones On Nicotine Withdrawal Severity In Females, Priscilla Giner

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Women are more susceptible to the long-term consequences of chronic nicotine exposure, and clinical evidence has shown that abstinence from nicotine exposure produces a withdrawal syndrome that is intensified by estrogen (E2 in rats) and progesterone (PR) in females. The goal of this Masterâ??s thesis was to determine the mechanisms by which E2 and PR promote withdrawal from nicotine vapor inhalation in female rats. Prior work in male rodents has revealed that nicotine withdrawal is modulated in the medial habenula-interpeduncular nucleus (MHb-IPN) pathway. Our hypothesis is that females experience greater inhibition of the IPN via local interneurons that release the …

The Neural Mechanisms Of Visual Art Expertise During Different Stages Of The Creative Process: An Eeg Study, Kim N. Awa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Generating and drafting ideas are creative processes linked to internal neural mechanisms, such as directed attentional states, reflected in alpha band synchronization patterns. Previous research has demonstrated that these mechanisms vary based on levels of expertise during creative tasks. However, few studies have examined the multifaceted nature of ideation and externalization across multiple stages of the creative process, particularly when accounting for domain-specific expertise in imagery and figural tasks. The present study investigates alpha band synchronicity (lower and upper) across visual art backgrounds, specifically among artists, intermediates, and non-artists, during three distinct stages of the creative process: thinking of ideas, …

Covid 19 Is A Hoax, Vidushi Sharma '28

Best First-Year Seminar Writing

When COVID-19 first swept across the globe, it brought more than just a viral contagion—it sparked an epidemic of misinformation. Among the various conspiracy theories, one stands out for its audacity: the claim that COVID-19 does not exist. This theory undermines public health efforts, sows mistrust, and complicates crisis management. But why do people believe it, and what makes such narratives so compelling? More importantly, how can we combat this damaging misinformation? This essay explores the origins of the "COVID-19 doesn't exist" conspiracy, examines its three main iterations—denial of the virus’s existence, claims of government overreach, and accusations of corporate …

Medial Prefrontal Cortex To Nucleus Reuniens Circuit Is Critical For Performance In An Operant Delayed Nonmatch To Position Task, Evan J Ciacciarelli, Scott D Dunn, Taqdees Gohar, T Joseph Sloand, Mark Niedringhaus, Elizabeth A West

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Working memory refers to the temporary retention of a small amount of information used in the execution of a cognitive task. The prefrontal cortex and its connections with thalamic subregions are thought to mediate specific aspects of working memory, including engaging with the hippocampus to mediate memory retrieval. We used an operant delayed-non match to position task, which does not require the hippocampus, to determine roles of the rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the nucleus reuniens thalamic region (RE), and their connection. We found that transient inactivation of the mPFC and RE using the GABA-A agonist muscimol led to a …

Increased Neuroinflammation And Compromised Blood Brain Barrier In A Mouse Model Of Autism, Amani S. Ikram, Rekha Jagadapillai, Idil Tuncali, Gregory N. Barnes, Evelyne Gozal

The Cardinal Edge

No abstract provided.

Low Concentrations Of Hexavalent Chromium In Drinking Water Induce Alzheimer’S Disease Neuropathology: Using A Toxic Aging Coin Approach To Assess Hexavalent Chromium Neurotoxicity, Liam Buchanan, Samuel Vielee, Spencer Roof, Haiyan Lu, Jamie L Young, Idoia Meaza Isusi, Aggie Williams, Joseph Kouokam, Sandra Wise, Luping Guo, Jun Cai, John Wise, John P. Wise Jr.

The Cardinal Edge

Introduction: We are currently facing an aging crisis, as 20% of the U.S. population will be geriatric (65+) by 2030. This growing geriatric population will result in increasing prevalence of age-related diseases, coinciding with increasingly prevalent environmental pollution. Environmental pollution is a ubiquitous health threat that affects people at all ages and contributes to aging pathology. However, geriatric individuals are likely more susceptible to the negative health effects from environmental pollution. The distinct effects of environmental pollutants across age groups are currently understudied. We use a Toxic Aging Coin approach to investigate: 1) how age impacts toxicity (heads), …

Exploring Modality Differences In Recognition Memory: Repetition Effects On Recollection And Familiarity, Ivanesa Velikova, Kevin Mohawk, Colleen Parks

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Research has shown that memory for visual objects tends to be superior compared to memory for auditory objects. The present study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanisms of why recognition memory tends to be better for visual information. Recognition memory relies on two processes, recollection and familiarity. Recollection involves retrieving contextual details of a memory while familiarity is simply a feeling that something has been encountered before. We investigated recollection and familiarity in the two modalities by having participants lean a list of auditory objects (e.g., dog barking) and visual objects (e.g., picture of a lion) under full attention (FA) …

The Effect Of Encoding Strategies On Recognition Memory, Camila Schettini, Cole Kaneshiro, Kevin Mohawk, Colleen Parks

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Successful memory decisions require distinguishing between true and false memories. VariouS strategies can be used to avoid false memories such as the Recall-To-Reject (R-R) strategy and the Distinctiveness Heuristic (DH). R-R involves rejecting false information by recalling correct information (I know this person is not Bob, because Bob has brown hair); while DH involves the rejection of false information due to failure to recollect expected information (I know I never met this person because I would remember if I had). The purpose of this study is to examine how these strategies affect recognition memory. In the present study participants were …

Comparing Forgetting Rates Between Item And Relational Memories, Lex De Asis, Rhiannon N. Soriano Smith, Colleen M. Parks

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Forgetting is an everyday occurrence where an idea that could be recalled successfully is no longer able to be retrieved (Tulving, 1974). Multiple theories suggest how forgetting occurs, such as the decay theory, which suggests that memories are gradually forgotten over time, and the interference theory, in which forgetting occurs because of competing information. Additionally, there are two newer theories which both predict that item representations should be forgotten because of interference and mnemonic discrimination should be forgotten due to decay: the memory system-dependent forgetting hypothesis (Hardt, Nader, & Nadel, 2013), and the representation theory of forgetting (Sadeh et al., …

Examining Emotion And Ease Of Recall For Life Story Memories In Young Adults, Roxanna E. Chavez, Erin L. Murphy, David E. Copeland

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Life stories are narratives that use autobiographical memories to shape personal identity. This study investigated how emotional valence and ease of recall may change over time. Participants were asked to recall ten life story memories in two interviews held three weeks apart. Participants provided ratings of emotional valence and ease of recall for each memory. A significant difference was found in emotional valence between Session 1 (M = 3.159, SD = .772) and Session 2 (M = 2.905, SD = .788), t(68) = 2.734, p < .01, with Session 1 memories rated as significantly more negative (M = 1.812, SD = 1.427) than those in Session 2 (M = 1.275, SD = 1.316), t(68) = 3.232, p < .01. Furthermore, negative memories were more frequent in the last five Session 1 memories (M = 0.986, SD = 0.866) than in all of Session 2 memories (First Five: M = 0.652, SD = .783; Last Five: M = 0.623, SD = .892), F(3, 204) = 3.663, p < .05. For ease of recall, the first five memories in both sessions (Session 1: M = 5.684, SD = 0.806; Session 2: M = 5.612, SD = 0.963) were significantly easier to recall than the last five in both sessions (Session 1: M = .214, SD = 1.128; Session 2: M = 5.136, SD = 1.080), F(2.498, 169.864) = 7.369, p < .001. Overall, these findings suggest participants recalled more accessible memories first, with negative memories being harder to retrieve as sessions progressed.

Investigating The Impact Of Psychological Interventions On Autoimmune Disease Progression In Women, Nicole Datastanyan

Undergraduate Research Symposium Posters

Autoimmune disease arises when an individual's immune system mistakenly attacks and damages the body’s tissues. Autoimmune disease disproportionately affects women, with eighty percent of diagnosed patients being female. This research proposal aims to explore the relationship between psychological factors (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) and the progression of autoimmune diseases. This poster will propose a detailed study to assess whether reducing psychological distress through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can slow disease progression. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of talk therapy to relieve symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress, or grief. Two hundred female patients diagnosed with …