Musculoskeletal, Neural, and Ocular Physiology Commons^™

Pectoralis Nerve Block Compared To Thoracic Paravertebral Nerve Block In The Mastectomy Patient: Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations, Eric Boyer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Projects

Patients undergoing a mastectomy are at increased risk of becoming opioid dependent. Most patients undergoing a mastectomy are diagnosed with breast cancer, and the use of opioids is known to aid in cancer metastasizing due to the suppression of the body's natural killer cells. In addition, regional anesthesia, also known as a nerve block, has long provided a reduction in sensation by blocking the nerve pathway, thus numbing the feeling of pain in the operative area. The Pectoralis nerve block (PECS) and the Thoracic Paravertebral block (TPVB) are used in patients undergoing a mastectomy to help reduce the severity of …

Mechanisms Of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Striated Muscle And Aorta

Doctoral Dissertations

Cigarette Smoke is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, accounting for over 480,000 annual deaths. Of these deaths, the most common cause of mortality in chronic smokers is cardiometabolic diseases. Likewise, a significant portion of smokers experience some form of cardiac, vascular, or metabolic dysfunction throughout their lifetime. More specifically, smoking is shown to induce mitochondrial dysfunction in these tissues, causing an increase in oxidative damage and poor overall health. However, despite the advances in the health outcomes related to cigarette smoke exposure, the mechanisms underlying mitochondrial dysfunction in striated muscle and the vasculature remain …

Regeneration Of Neurons In Human Brain Tissue; A Revolutionary Concept With Therapeutic Potential, Mackenzie R. Dunn

Other Undergraduate Research

There is current research to suggest that endogenous neuronal regeneration, exogenous neuronal stem cell transplantation and glial cell reprogramming could be prospective therapeutic treatments for neurodegeneration and traumatic injury. With these conditions, there is significant brain atrophy, loss of neurons and loss of synaptic connections which can have devastating effects on executive functioning, cognition, learning and memory. This review will examine these modern approaches to adult neurogenesis, and assess the viable mechanisms and future outlook of these three therapies for neurological regenerative medicine.

Worse Postoperative Outcomes And Higher Reoperation In Smokers Compared To Nonsmokers For Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair, Susan G. Wager, Spencer Brown, Michael Gaudiani, Joshua P. Castle, Eric Jiang, Vasilios Moutzouros, Eric Makhni, Stephanie J. Muh

Medical Student Research Symposium

Introduction: Smoking impairs healing potential and is a significant risk factor for complications following orthopaedic surgeries. The purpose of this study was to determine if a cohort of former or current smokers at time of surgery met the minimally clinical important difference (MCID) for Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Upper Extremity (PROMIS-UE), Depression (PROMIS-D), and Pain Interference (PROMIS-PI) scores in comparison to nonsmokers.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients who underwent rotator cuff repair was performed. Patients who completed preoperative and 6-month postoperative PROMIS scores were included. The MCID was calculated using a distribution technique with a threshold of 0.5 …

The Top 50 Most Cited Articles On The Medial Patellofemoral Ligament (Mpfl): A Bibliometric Analysis, Varag Abed, Alex Duvall, Jonathan D. Rexroth, Alyssa Goodwin, Joseph Liu, Austin Stone

Medical Student Research Symposium

Objectives: To determine which original articles on the topic of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) have been cited the most in the literature utilizing a bibliometric approach. Secondarily, to determine temporal trends between article types.

Methods: Articles on the topic of the MPFL were identified by utilizing the Web of Science Database. The search yielded 1,596 results and the top 50 cited original articles were collected for further analysis. The following information was gathered for all included articles: title, first author's name, journal name, year of publication, impact factor of the journal in 2021, total number of citations of the …

Closed-Loop Modeling Of Central And Intrinsic Cardiac Nervous System Circuits Underlying Cardiovascular Control, Michelle M. Gee, Abraham M. Lenhoff, James S. Schwaber, Babatunde A. Ogunnaike, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The baroreflex is a multi-input, multi-output physiological control system that regulates blood pressure by modulating nerve activity between the brainstem and the heart. Existing computational models of the baroreflex do not explicitly incorporate the intrinsic cardiac nervous system (ICN), which mediates central control of heart function. We developed a computational model of closed-loop cardiovascular control by integrating a network representation of the ICN within central control reflex circuits. We examined central and local contributions to the control of heart rate, ventricular functions, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). Our simulations match the experimentally observed relationship between RSA and lung tidal volume. …

Improving Translatability Of Spinal Cord Injury Research By Including Age As A Demographic Variable, Andrew N. Stewart, Linda A. T. Jones, John C. Gensel

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Papers

Pre-clinical and clinical spinal cord injury (SCI) studies differ in study design, particularly in the demographic characteristics of the chosen population. In clinical study design, criteria such as such as motor scores, neurological level, and severity of injury are often key determinants for participant inclusion. Further, demographic variables in clinical trials often include individuals from a wide age range and typically include both sexes, albeit historically most cases of SCI occur in males. In contrast, pre-clinical SCI models predominately utilize young adult rodents and typically use only females. While it is often not feasible to power SCI clinical trials to …

The Effects Of Cannabidiol On Aqueous Humor Outflow And Trabecular Meshwork Cell Signaling, Alyssa S. Aebersold, Zhao-Hui Song

Faculty Scholarship

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is regulated primarily through aqueous humor production by ciliary body and drainage through uveoscleral and trabecular meshwork (TM) tissues. The goal of this study was to measure the effect of non-psychotropic cannabidiol (CBD) on aqueous humor outflow through TM and assess the effect of CBD on the TM cell signaling pathways that are important for regulating outflow. Perfused porcine eye anterior segment explants were used to investigate the effects of CBD on aqueous humor outflow. Cultured porcine TM cells were used to study the effects of CBD on TM cell contractility, myosin light chain (MLC) and myosin …

Artificial Gravity Partially Protects Space-Induced Neurological Deficits In Drosophila Melanogaster, Amber M. Paul, Siddhita D. Mhatre, Janani Iyer, Juli Petereit, Roberta M. Dolling-Boreham

Publications

Spaceflight poses risks to the central nervous system (CNS), and understanding neurological responses is important for future missions. We report CNS changes in Drosophila aboard the International Space Station in response to spaceflight microgravity (SFmg) and artificially simulated Earth gravity (SF1g) via inflight centrifugation as a countermeasure. While inflight behavioral analyses of SFmg exhibit increased activity, postflight analysis displays significant climbing defects, highlighting the sensitivity of behavior to altered gravity. Multiomics analysis shows alterations in metabolic, oxidative stress and synaptic transmission pathways in both SFmg and SF1g; however, neurological changes immediately postflight, including neuronal loss, glial cell count alterations, oxidative …

Optimizing Rna Isolation And Histology Protocols For Characterization Of Preclinical Models Of Tendon Disease, Deirdre Finnigan, Melika Meshkat, Ali Naeij, Dawn Bryce, Matthew W. Grol

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Tendons join muscle to bone and are essential for posture and movement. Tenocytes are the resident tendon cells. Isolating RNA from small animal models such as mice can be difficult, especially from tendon, as much of the time, they are extremely small samples. Downstream analysis such as qPCR and especially RNA sequencing require greater quantity and quality of RNA than is often achievable. RNA degradation is extremely rapid following tendon isolation, with RNA quality decreasing as time increases between the collection of tendons and RNA isolation. Even tendons whose RNA was isolated immediately following tendon isolation had imperfect quality. The …

Effects Of Exercise On Parkinson's Symptom Relief, Brooke Burnett

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this review of twenty research articles, the effects of moderate exercise therapy on the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease will be explored. Appropriate literature was located using the research question, “In older adults with a Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis, how does moderate exercise influence the symptoms of this disease?” Twenty peer-reviewed research articles were examined for the impact of different forms of exercise on various symptoms associated with Parkinson’s. Nineteen of the articles reviewed provide substantial evidence in support of exercise therapy as a treatment option for people with Parkinson’s, and one of the articles found inconclusive evidence neither in support …

A Neurophysiological Investigation Of Listening Effort In Normal Hearing Adults Using Fnirs And Pupillometry, Jessica Defenderfer

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Real-world conversations are often accompanied by some sort of interference that challenges the clarity of the speaker’s message, causing listeners to exert more effort to understand speech. Previous research has demonstrated that when listening to speech becomes difficult, various regions of the brain are recruited beyond those which engage during optimal listening conditions. However, the neural correlates that underly listening effort are not fully understood. Importantly, the pupillary response can be used to index listening effort, such that pupil size increases with increasing cognitive demand. I proposed that pupillometry can be used to characterize the cortical response, such that changes …

At-Home Aerobic Exercise Improves Functional Ability Of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis With Limited Exercise Options, Daniel Harris

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A clinical decision report using

Neuberger GB, Aaronson LS, Gajewski B, et al. Predictors of exercise and effects of exercise on symptoms, function, aerobic fitness, and disease outcomes of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2007;57(6):943-952. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.22903

and its application for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

Early Morphological Changes Of The Rectus Femoris Muscle And Deep Fascia In Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy, Patrizia Sabatelli, Luciano Merlini, Alberto Di Martino, Vittoria Cenni, Cesare Faldini

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) is a severe form of muscular dystrophy caused by the loss of function of collagen VI, a critical component of the muscle-tendon matrix. Magnetic resonance imaging of UCMD patients’ muscles shows a peculiar rim of abnormal signal at the periphery of each muscle, and a relative sparing of the internal part. The mechanism/s involved in the early fat substitution of muscle fiber at the periphery of muscles remain elusive. We studied a muscle biopsy of the rectus femoris/deep fascia (DF) of a 3-year-old UCMD patient, with a homozygous mutation in the COL6A2 gene. By immunohistochemical …

Automatic Posture Correction Utilizing Electrical Muscle Stimulation, Ravi Kiran Kattoju

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Habitually poor posture can lead to repetitive strain injuries that lower an individual's quality of life and productivity. Slouching over computer screens and smart phones, asymmetric weight distribution due to uneven leg loading, and improper loading posture are some of the common examples that lead to postural problems and health ramifications. To help cultivate good postural habits, researchers have proposed slouching, balance, and improper loading posture detection systems that alert users through traditional visual, auditory or vibro-tactile feedbacks when posture requires attention. However, such notifications are disruptive and can be easily ignored. We address these issues with a new physiological …

How Exercise Affects The Musculoskeletal System In The Biological Sexes: A Literature Review, Lauren Connolly

Honors Program Theses

Exercise has countless benefits for the human body. Physical activity increases overall health and reduces the risk of developing many chronic diseases. While the entire body is impacted by exercise, the musculoskeletal system is perhaps targeted most directly. Muscle contraction is required to complete any form of exercise, which helps build muscle mass and consequently strengthens bones. The physiology of musculoskeletal growth after exercise is the same for all individuals. However, the magnitude of this growth is not the same for men and women. Men have a profound ability to gain muscle mass that most women are not capable of …

Metabolic Reprogramming Steers Stem Cell Evolution, Juyoung Park

Dental Theses

Remarkable plasticity of stem cells endows them with the ability to adapt quickly to ever-changing niches throughout a lifetime by reprogramming their metabolism and function. Upon sensing environmental challenges and following intrinsic genetic programs, rapidly proliferating progenitor cells during early postnatal development rewire their metabolic program to convert into quiescent somatic stem cells for lifelong tissue homeostasis. The molecular switch controlling this stem cell fate conversion is still obscure. Here we show that neonatal mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (nMSCs) exhibit robust stem cell activity with higher proliferation and multilineage differentiation potential than adult MSCs (aMSC). The functional robustness of nMSCs requires …

The Effect Of Cancer Cachexia Progression On The Feeding Regulation Of Skeletal Muscle Protein Turnover, Brittany R. Franch

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Cancer cachexia is defined as the unintentional loss of skeletal muscle mass with or without fat loss that cannot be reversed by conventional nutritional support. Cachexia occurs in ~20% of cancer patients. More specifically, 50% of lung cancer patients, the most common cancer worldwide, develop cachexia. Cachexia occurs most often in lung and gastrointestinal cancers, whereas breast and prostate have the lowest rate of cachexia. Cancer-induced cachexia disrupts skeletal muscle protein turnover (decreasing protein synthesis and increasing protein degradation). Skeletal muscle’s capacity for protein synthesis is highly sensitive to local and systemic stimuli that are controlled by mTORC1 and AMPK …

The Impact Of High Intensity Interval Training On Neurogenesis And Angiogenesis In The Dentate Gyrus, Darrin Lenhart

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

BACKGROUND: Exercise is associated with improved neuronal health and longevity, synaptic plasticity, cerebral blood volume, overall brain volume, and neurogenesis which collectively may have the power to forestall neurodegenerative disease.

PURPOSE: This study aims to explore the impact of high intensity interval training on individuals with mild cognitive impairment using a range of cognitive, physiological, and biomechanical measures. Specifically, this study seeks to assess the impact of high intensity interval training on neurogenesis and angiogenesis in the dentate gyrus of individuals with mild cognitive impairment versus healthy age-matched controls, as assessed by urinalysis of BDNF levels, performance on the Rey …

Local Renin-Angiotensin System Activation And Myofibroblast Formation In Graft Versus Host Disease–Associated Conjunctival Fibrosis, Kiumars Shamloo, Judy Weng, Christopher Ross, Jenni Lee, Saleh Alfuraih, Jennifer Totonchy, Ajay Sharma

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: The present study was designed to investigate the role of myofibroblast transdifferentiation and the conjunctival renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in the pathogenesis of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)–associated conjunctival fibrosis.

Methods: A mouse model of major histocompatibility-matched allogeneic transplantation was used to induce GVHD, with male B10.D2 mice as donors and female BALB/c mice as recipients. Male BALB/c to female BALB/c syngeneic transplantation was used as control. Y chromosome staining in the spleen cells obtained from female recipient mice was used to confirm engraftment. The phenol red thread test and fluorescein staining were used to quantify tears and corneal keratopathy. …