Medical Neurobiology Commons^™

Corticobasal Syndrome With Mixed Pathology In The Absence Of Grn Mutation: A Clinico-Pathological Case Of Ftld-Tdp With Coexisting Alzheimer’S And Lewy Body Pathology, Hugo Zamarron, David Irwin, Jeffery Phillips, Edward Lee, Matthew Tisdall, Corey Mcmillan

Research Colloquium

Background: Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by often asymmetric fronto-pariteal and extra-pyramidal features that is traditionally associated with tauopathy, but pathological findings are heterogenous, including other forms of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and mixed pathologies of aging. We present clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic features of asymmetry in a unique patient with CBS and underlying FTLD with TDP-43 pathology (FTLD-TDP), co-occurring with other age-related pathologies.

Case Presentation: A 76-year-old man presented with progressive cognitive and motor dysfunction including asymmetric parkinsonism, left-sided dystonia and rigidity, apraxia, visuospatial impairment, and a subtle social disorder including apathy and social withdrawal. The …

Transcriptomic And Epigenomic Profiling Of Immune Cells Responses To Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Infection In The Brain, Xiaoke Xu

Theses & Dissertations

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is an enveloped retrovirus that significantly impairs the human immune system. A common complication of HIV-1 infection is HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND), which, prior to the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART), led to considerable morbidity and mortality due to untreated neuropsychiatric manifestations. Although ART has substantially reduced the incidence of HIV-associated dementia (HAD), approximately 50% of people living with HIV (PLWH) continue to experience milder forms of HAND. The CNS is seeded by HIV during the acute phase of infection. Once in the brain, HIV targets and activates resident immune cells, primarily microglia and …

The Speech-To-Song Illusion Across Development And The Effects Of High-Level Expectations, Rodica R. Constantine

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The typical listener can readily categorize auditory stimuli as either speech or song even though these structures share many acoustic similarities. These musical and linguistic categories may nevertheless take time to develop as children acquire language- and music-specific knowledge. In the Speech-to-Song (STS) illusion, multiple repetitions of a natural spoken utterance can give rise to a perceptual switch wherein the stimulus begins to sound song-like to the listener. While the STS illusion has been well-researched in adult listeners, it had yet to be investigated in children. In our study, we examined whether children experience the STS illusion by presenting participants …

Exploring The Processing Of Objects, Settings, And Global Properties In Natural Auditory Scenes, Margaret A. Mcmullin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Our auditory system has a remarkable ability to make sense of complex environments, allowing us to identify what we are hearing and where sounds come from. This process of auditory scene analysis is essential for situational awareness, decision-making, and effective communication in daily life. While much is known about how listeners segregate and identify individual sound sources (e.g., voices), less is understood about how global properties of a scene (e.g., openness, naturalness) contribute to perception. This dissertation examined how object- and setting-level information in natural auditory scenes are processed, and whether they rely on distinct or overlapping mechanisms. In Experiment …

Upregulating Ankhd1 In Ps19 Mice Reduces Tau Phosphorylation And Mitigates Tau Toxicity-Induced Cognitive Deficits, Xiaolin Tian, Nathan Le, Yuhai Zhao, Dina Alawamleh, Andrew Schwartz, Lauren Meyer, Elizabeth Helm, Chunlai Wu

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Using the fly eye as a model system, we previously demonstrated that upregulation of the fly gene mask protects against FUS- and Tau-induced photoreceptor degeneration. Building upon this finding, we investigated whether the protective role of mask is conserved in mammals. To this end, we generated a transgenic mouse line carrying Cre-inducible ANKHD1, the human homolog of mask. Utilizing the TauP301S-PS19 mouse model for Tau-related dementia, we found that expressing ANKHD1 driven by CamK2a-Cre reduced hyperphosphorylated human Tau in 6-month-old mice. Additionally, ANKHD1 expression was associated with a trend toward reduced gliosis and preservation of the presynaptic marker Synaptophysin, suggesting …

Role And Electrophysiological Properties Of Sexually Dimorphic Oxytocin Receptor Expressing Neurons In The Anteroventral Periventricular Nucleus Of The Female Mice, Armita Abdollahi Govar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Oxytocin is a neurohypophyseal hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating mother-infant bonding and maternal behavior. Oxytocin modulates sex-specific parental behaviors by binding to the oxytocin receptor (OXTR)-expressing neurons in the brain. This study investigates the sexually dimorphic OXTR neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) to understand how oxytocin modulates behavior in females. Specifically, we explored the behavioral roles, neural projections, and intrinsic electrophysiological characteristics of these neurons in the female mice. Using immunohistochemistry revealed that the number of OXTR-expressing neurons was enhanced in postpartum females compared with virgin females, suggesting that these neurons are involved in female-specific …

Sex-Specific Effects Of Early-Life Unpredictability On Hippocampal And Amygdala Responses To Novelty In Adolescents, Elysia Poggi Davis, Bianca T. Leonard, Robert J. Jirsaraie, David B. Keator, Steven L. Small, Curt A. Sandman, Victoria B. Risbrough, Hal S. Stern, Laura M. Glynn, Michael A. Yassa, Tallie Z. Baram, Jerod M. Rasmussen

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Unpredictable childhood experiences are an understudied form of early-life adversity that impact neurodevelopment. The neurobiological processes by which exposure to early-life unpredictability impact development and vulnerability to psychopathology remain poorly understood. In the current study, we investigated the sex-specific consequences of early-life unpredictability on the limbic network, focusing on the hippocampus and the amygdala.

Methods

Participants included 150 youths (54% female). Early-life unpredictability was assessed using the Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC). Participants engaged in 1 or more task–functional magnetic resonance imaging scans between the ages of 8 and 17 (223 total observations) measuring blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) …

Neural Associations Between Fingerspelling, Print, And Signs: An Erp Priming Study With Deaf Readers, Brittany Lee, Sofia E. Ortega, Priscilla M. Martinez, Katherine J. Midgley, Phillip J. Holcomb, Karen Emmorey

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Fingerspelling is a leading predictor of reading ability for deaf people who use a signed language, but few neuroimaging studies have examined how it supports reading. We used event-related potentials to investigate how fingerspelled words prime printed words. Twenty-four skilled deaf adult readers completed a Go/No-Go task while viewing printed English word targets following related and unrelated primes in one of three conditions: printed English words, American Sign Language (ASL) signs, and fingerspelled words. N400 priming effects were strong across all three conditions. Early N400 effects were similar for printed word primes and fingerspelled word primes, suggesting shared orthographic representations. …

A Rare Delayed Neuropsychiatric Encephalopathy After Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment For Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: A Couple’S Case Report, Sabrina Kasha, William J. Naber Ii, Michael Reimer

Graduate Medical Education Research Journal

Background: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is caused when carbon monoxide builds up in the blood, most specifically due to its high binding affinity for the heme structure in hemoglobin. This can lead to serious tissue damage and even be fatal. CO poisoning is primarily the result of incomplete combustion of fuels, with common sources domestically and internationally including furnaces, gas heaters, generators, and motor vehicles.2 Symptoms tend to present as neuropsychiatric symptoms, such as dementia, psychosis, parkinsonism, and incontinence. There are few well-researched CO poisoning specific treatments, which suggest supplemental oxygen and hyperbaric oxygen are most effective. We present a …

Sickle Cell Mice Exhibit Elevated Plasma Bilirubin And Altered Intracranial Cerebral Blood Velocities That Are Exacerbated By Hypoxia-Reoxygenation, Francisco J. Nunez, Ashraf M. Mohieldin, Amy Y. Pan, Sean P. Palecek, Rahima Zennadi, Ramani Ramchandran, Kevin R. Rarick, Surya M. Nauli

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic disorder characterized by sickle red blood cells (RBCs). Sickle RBCs cause cerebral vasculopathies including vaso-occlusive events, leading to ischemia-reperfusion injury and hypoxic tissue environment. To date, the physiological blood flow velocities in cerebral vessels of preclinical SCD models has not been evaluated under hypoxic-reoxygenation. In our study, we used transcranial ultrasound techniques to measure abnormal blood flow velocities in the internal carotid (ICA) and middle cerebral arteries (MCA) of transgenic sickle cell mice (SS) challenged with hypoxia-reoxygenation. Our study showed that SS mice that underwent hypoxic stress exhibited lower relative mean velocities in …

Assessing The Effects Of Streptozotocin-Induced Hyperglycemia On Amyloid Beta Accumulation And Cognitive Behavior In A Mouse Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease-Related Pathology, Andrew Adonay Ortiz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an irreversible and devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive synaptic, dendritic, glial, and neuronal loss, collectively leading to impairments in learning, memory, and deterioration of cognitive and behavioral functions. AD is the most common form of dementia accounting for 60-80% of all cases. AD affects approximately 7 million Americans and is the 6th leading cause of death in the US. Furthermore, by 2050, the US is projected to spend over $1.1 trillion on AD-related treatments. Pathological hallmarks of AD include beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and chronic neuroinflammation, which can promote and exacerbate both …

Effects Of Altered Somatosensory Input On Gait Kinetics And Kinematics Via Different Footwear In Individuals With Chronic Post-Stroke Hemiparesis, Daniela Casillas, Lesley Ruiz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose/Hypothesis: Individuals with post-stroke hemiparesis walk with significant asymmetries, leading to slow, effortful walking, and a high risk of falls. One contributing factor is altered sensation on the plantar surface. Studies examining altered somatosensory input via insoles, vibration and other tactile stimuli observed improvements in hemiparesis gait. This study investigates whether altering somatosensory input through different footwear can affect kinetics, kinematics and muscle activity during walking post-stroke. We hypothesized the barefoot conditions would have increased dorsiflexion (heel-strike, swing), increased plantarflexion during toe-off, increased muscle activity and kinetics, compared to memory foam conditions.

Participants: 13 individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis (4F/9M, …

The Endocannabinoid System's Influence And Modulation Of Nociception, Doreen M. Flannery

Honors Thesis

The anatomy and physiology of pain is a well-defined pathway where noxious stimuli is processed by different systems in the brain. The central research question of this review is how can we better understand the neurobiological effects pain has, and assess if there is therapeutic potential in using endocannabinoids to modulate these effects. Endocannabinoids are signaling molecules that play a key role at both the cellular and molecular level in modulating both acute and chronic pain by influencing different processes within each level that affect how the body responds to both internal and external stimuli. The endocannabinoid system is a …

Dabigatran Reduced Acute Microgliosis In A Mouse Model With Tbi, Nicholas R. Eltman, Rashmeena Abbasi, Mary C. Kosciuk, Syed Ahmed, Jose L. Pascual, Randel L. Swanson, Nimish K. Acharya

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Objective:

The study objective was to investigate the acute anti-inflammatory effects of dabigatran in a preclinical mouse controlled cortical impact (CCI) model of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Design

Mice were separated into three groups: controlled cortical impact (CCI) with dabigatran (drug treatment, n=5), CCI with saline (positive control, n=5), and sham CCI without saline or dabigatran (negative control, n=3). Dabigatran (80mg/kg) or saline was administered orally at 2, 10, 18, 26, 34, and 42 hours following experimental CCI in the drug treatment or positive control groups, respectively. Animals in the negative control group received sham CCI only. 48h following …

The Correlation Between A Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Deficiency In Autism Spectrum Disorder Patients And The Presence Of Mental Health Disorders, Hinal Joshi, Andrea Iannuzzelli

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

• Currently little literature exists on connection between Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) deficiency and mental health disorders

• Reduced enzyme activity associated with certain MTHFR variants contributes to altered folate metabolism, elevated homocysteine levels, and disrupted DNA methylation, all of which are implicated in mental health disorders

• Identifying genetic risk factors could facilitate earlier diagnosis and intervention, leading to improved outcomes

• Relevant results could help reduce stigma and promote greater understanding of challenges faced by patients on the spectrum

Effects Of Social Isolation On Cecum Opioid Receptor Expression And Affective Behavior, Jordan Riser, John Tkaczynski, Nicole Shellenbarger, Maya Patel, Daniel Chandler, Daniel Manvich

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

BACKGROUND

Psychological stress can induce gastrointestinal symptoms and exacerbate existing gastrointestinal disorders, indicating an interaction between the central and enteric nervous systems. Central nervous system activation of opioid receptors stimulates sympathetic outflow to the enteric nervous system, delaying motility and reducing gastrointestinal secretions, producing a similar clinical presentation to IBS.

HYPOTHESIS

We hypothesize that social isolation induces anxiety states, disrupting homeostatic noradrenergic activity in the brain and gut, leading to neurophysiological changes in the cecum characterized by altered expression of opioid receptors.

METHODS

Sprague-Dawley rats were housed in either group (control) or socially isolated conditions. Affective behavior was assessed using …

Modulation Of Opioid Receptor Expression In The Ventral Tegmental Area Following Stress Exposure In Rats, Maya Patel, John Tkaczynski, Jordan Riser, Nicole Shellenbarger, Jin Park, Daniel Manvich, Daniel J. Chandler

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Background: The ventral tegmental area (VTA) contains dopamine-producing neurons projecting to various brain regions. VTA dysfunction is linked to addiction and depression. Delta opioid receptor upregulation relates to chronic pain, inflammation, cancer, and early adversity. Kappa receptors in the VTA influence stress, drug-seeking, mood, and reward. Notably, chronic substance abuse upregulates the κ-receptor/dynorphin system, and the opioid system regulates social interaction needs.

Hypothesis: Stress will upregulate opioid receptors.

Methods: We compared group-housed and individually-housed rats using stress tests, analyzing behavior and quantifying VTA opioid receptor expression.

Results: Social isolation upregulated delta and kappa opioid receptors in …

Mitochondrial Dysfunction And Parkinson's Disease: A Critical Link, Anika J. Millar

Senior Honors Theses

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, caused by the damage to and death of dopamine-releasing neurons in the brain. The substantia nigra is a major region housing dopaminergic neurons and plays a critical role in motor and cognitive function. When these neurons are compromised, dopamine levels decline, leading to the development of motor and cognitive dysfunction. Current treatments include dopamine precursors, which help to replace dopamine and relieve motor symptoms. However, while there is symptomatic treatment for Parkinson’s disease, there are no preventative therapies or cures. A potential link between mitochondrial dysfunction and Parkinson’s disease has prompted further research. Investigating …

The Impact Of An Iron-Rich Diet On Fatigue In Menstruating Women With Non-Anemic Iron Deficiency, Meagan Seraydar, Lauren Latimer, Sam Miragliatto

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Fatigue without diagnosed anemia is prevalent in menstruating women, with iron deficiency being a potential contributor. While iron supplementation is a standard intervention, dietary sources of iron may offer a sustainable alternative. This study aims to assess the impact of an iron-rich diet on fatigue levels in menstruating women. A 12-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted, assigning participants to either an iron-rich diet group or a control group following their usual diet without specific iron recommendations. Fatigue will be measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at baseline, six weeks, and twelve weeks, alongside iron status biomarkers, including …

Hdac5 Enzymatic Activity Regulates Scn4b Expression To Control Relapse-Like Cocaine Seeking, Daniel J. Wood

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a relapsing disorder characterized by repeated seeking and use of psychoactive substances despite negative consequences to the individual. Epigenetic changes within the medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) are thought to underly the lasting propensity to relapse in SUD. The epigenetic enzyme histone deacetylase 5 (HDAC5) in NAc MSNs limits the formation of reward-cue associations in rodent models of drug seeking, but not sucrose seeking, leading to decreased relapse-like behavior. However, whether HDAC5 reduces drug seeking behavior through its own deacetylase activity or through the recruitment of co-repressors is unknown. Furthermore, these …