Neurosciences Commons^™

Appropriate Timing Of Fluoxetine And Statin Delivery Reduces The Risk Of Secondary Bleeding In Ischemic Stroke Rats, Maria Helen Harley Balch, Moner A. Ragas, Danny Wright, Kenny Reynolds, Bryce Kerr, Adrian M. Corbett

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Background: Ongoing clinical trials are testing the effect of fluoxetine delivered post-stroke where a majority of patients are taking statins. This study determined the influence of the timing of administration of fluoxetine and statin on the final infarct volume and the risk of secondary bleeding in an animal model of ischemic stroke.

Methods and findings: Ischemic strokes were induced by endothelin-1 injection into two cortical sites of 10-12 month old female rats, targeting the forelimb motor cortex. Combined medications (5 mg/kg fluoxetine and 1 mg/kg simvastatin) were orally administered either beginning 6-12 hours or 20-26 hours after stroke induction and …

High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Als Mogelijke Hulp Bij Afasie-Herstel, Dirk B. Den Ouden

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

Samenvatting

Nieuwe kennis over het plastische vermogen van het volwassen brein, ook na hersenschade, heeft geleid tot hernieuwde interesse in technieken om deze plasticiteit fysiek te sturen. Een van die technieken is transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), waarmee de exciteerbaarheid van hersencellen beïnvloed wordt door een zwakke gelijkstroom door de hersenschors te leiden. Als met deze methode hersenplasticiteit bevorderd en gestuurd kan worden, is het wellicht mogelijk om de uitkomsten van afasietherapie te verbeteren, door het aanpakken van de fysieke bron van de stoornis. Dit artikel behandelt kort de geschiedenis en de werking van tDCS, alvorens een overzicht te geven …

Mitochondrial And Neuroprotective Effects Of Phenelzine Related To Scavenging Of Neurotoxic Lipid Peroxidation Products, John Cebak

Theses and Dissertations--Neuroscience

Lipid peroxidation is a key contributor to the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Traditional antioxidant therapies are intended to scavenge the free radicals responsible for either the initiation or propagation of lipid peroxidation (LP). However, targeting free radicals after TBI is difficult as they rapidly react with other cellular macromolecules, and thus has a limited post-injury time window in which they may be intercepted by a radical scavenging agent. In contrast, our laboratory has begun testing an antioxidant approach that scavenges the final stages of LP i.e. formation of carbonyl-containing breakdown products. By scavenging breakdown products such as the …

The Effect Of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Cannabidiol, Menthol And Propofol On 5-Hydroxytryptamine Yype 3 Receptors--A Computational Approach, Andreas C. Schilbach, Tatiana Prytkova, Keun-Hang Susan Yang

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

This study investigates the function of 5-HT type 3 (5- HT3) receptors using a computational approach.

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 …

Amyloid-Related Memory Decline In Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease In Dependent On Apoe Ε4 And Is Detectable Over 18-Months, Christine Thai, Yen Ying Lim, Victor L. Villemagne, Simon Laws, David Ames, Kathryn A. Ellis, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Ralph Martins, Colin L. Masters, Christopher C. Rowe, Paul Maruff, Australian Imaging, Biomarkers And Lifestyle (Aibl) Research Group

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

High levels of β-amyloid (Aβ) in the brain and carriage of the APOE ε4 allele have each been linked to cognitive impairment in cognitively normal (CN) older adults. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cerebral Aβ level, APOE ε4 carrier status, and cognitive decline over 18 monthes, in 317 cognitively healthy (CN) older adults (47% males, 52.4% females) aged between 60 and 89 years (Mean = 69.9, SC = 6.8). Cognition was assessed using the Cogstate Brief Battery (CBB) and the California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II). Planned comparisons indicated that CN older adults …

Unstable Ventilatory Control During Sleep After High Spinal Cord Injury: The Contribution Of Chemosensitivity And Hypoventilation, Amy Therese Bascom

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

UNSTABLE VENTILATORY CONTROL DURING SLEEP AFTER HIGH SPINAL CORD INJURY: THE CONTRIBUTION OF CHEMOSENSITIVITY AND HYPOVENTILATION

by

Amy T. Bascom

May 2015

Advisor: Dr. Harry G. Goshgarian

Major: Anatomy and Cell Biology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

A high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) after spinal cord injury (SCI) has been reported in the literature; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. My studies had 2 aims: 1) to determine the effect of the withdrawal of the wakefulness drive to breathe on the degree of hypoventilation in SCI patients and able-bodied controls and 2) to determine the response of …

Investigation Of Whether Sedentary And Physically Active Conditions Lead To Altered Gabaergic Signaling In The Rvlm, Maryetta Donna Dombrowski

Wayne State University Dissertations

Investigation of whether sedentary and physically active conditions lead to altered GABAergic signaling in the RVLM

MD Dombrowski, and PJ Mueller

Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, MI

A sedentary lifestyle is a major risk for cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease has been associated with elevated basal sympathetic nerve activity. The rostral ventrolateral medulla is a bilateral brainstem region that is an important for the control of resting and reflex control of sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure. The activity of these neurons in this region is tonically inhibited by the neurotransmitter γ-butyric amino acid (GABA). Interestingly, …

High-Definition Tdcs Of Noun And Verb Retrieval In Naming And Lexical Decision, Svetlana Malyutina, Dirk B. Den Ouden

Communication Sciences and Disorders Faculty Articles and Research

High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) is a novel brain stimulation method that has high potential for use in language therapy for speakers with aphasia, due to its safety and focality. This study aimed to obtain foundational data on using HD-tDCS to modulate language processing in healthy speakers. Participants received stimulation either of left Broca’s area or of angular gyrus (20 minutes of anodal, cathodal and sham stimulation on separate days), followed by naming and lexical decision tasks with single-word verb and noun stimuli. We found that cathodal stimulation over both Broca’s area and left angular gyrus increased naming speed …

Decreased Pain Severity And Differential Gene Expression Following Calmare Therapy, Jeffrey Petraco, Angela R. Starkweather, Amy Heineman

UROP Posters

We present the results of a double-blinded randomized sham-controlled research study of a non-pharmacologic low back pain intervention. Calmare therapy is an neurocutanous electrical stimulation approach for pain management. The intervention group received Calmare therapy and the other received sham. Differences in pain severity and interference scores, pain sensitivity measures and gene expression profiles are reported. Patterns of downregulated gene expression suggest that Calmare may alter proteins involved in pain transduction may have implications for the treatment of other chronic pain conditions.

Regulation Of System XC- By Pharmacological Manipulation Of Cellular Thiols, Rebecca Albano, Nicholas J. Raddatz, Julie Hjelmhaug, David A. Baker, Doug Lobner

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The cystine/glutamate exchanger (system x_c^-) mediates the transport of cystine into the cell in exchange for glutamate. By releasing glutamate, system x_c^- can potentially cause excitotoxicity. However, through providing cystine to the cell, it regulates the levels of cellular glutathione (GSH), the main endogenous intracellular antioxidant, and may protect cells against oxidative stress. We tested two different compounds that deplete primary cortical cultures containing both neurons and astrocytes of intracellular GSH, L-buthionine-sulfoximine (L-BSO), and diethyl maleate (DEM). Both compounds caused significant concentration and time dependent decreases in intracellular GSH levels. However; DEM caused an increase …

Effects Of Nicotine Withdrawal On Motivation, Reward Sensitivity And Reward-Learning, Jason A. Oliver

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on addictive behavior has traditionally emphasized the role that primary reinforcing effects of drugs of abuse plays in the development and maintenance of dependence. However, contemporary behavioral economic theory and animal models of nicotine dependence suggest the need for greater attention to the impact that response to alternative rewards may have on smoking behavior. The present study sought to investigate the impact of nicotine withdrawal on self-report, behavioral and neural indices of motivation, immediate response to rewards and the capacity to learn and modify behavior in response to positive and negative feedback. Heavy smokers (n = 48) completed two …

Development Of An Avian Model For Identifying Individual Differences In Drug Vulnerability, Beth A. Rice

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

The attribution of incentive salience to cues that become associated with drugs of abuse is a critical characteristic of individuals who may be vulnerable to drug addiction. Rodents with the propensity to sign track are thought to be vulnerable to drug abuse. The goal of the current work was to investigate whether sign trackers (STs) would acquire cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) to a discrete cue using an avian species. In Experiment 1, sign and goal trackers (GTs) were first identified using a one third rank order split. Following identification, cocaine-CPP was conducted with a discrete cue in each end …

Effects Of Hiv-1 Viral Protein Tat On The Viability And Function Of Oligodendroglial Cells, Shiping Zou

Theses and Dissertations

Myelin pallor is frequently reported in HIV patients, and can occur in the CNS prior to other evidence of disease process. Our exploratory studies showed that oligodendrocytes (OLs) are direct targets of HIV-1 Tat (transactivator of transcription). Tat induces a dose-dependent increase of intracellular Ca²⁺ level ([Ca²⁺]_i) in cultured murine OLs, which can be attenuated by ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) antagonists MK801 and CNQX. The Tat-induced [Ca²⁺]_i increase leads to increased death in immature (O4⁺, MBP^-), but not mature (O4⁺, MBP⁺) OLs, over 96 …

Meta-Analysis Of Gene Expression Studies, Umaporn Siangphoe

Theses and Dissertations

Combining effect sizes from individual studies using random-effects models are commonly applied in high-dimensional gene expression data. However, unknown study heterogeneity can arise from inconsistency of sample qualities and experimental conditions. High heterogeneity of effect sizes can reduce statistical power of the models. We proposed two new methods for random effects estimation and measurements for model variation and strength of the study heterogeneity. We then developed a statistical technique to test for significance of random effects and identify heterogeneous genes. We also proposed another meta-analytic approach that incorporates informative weights in the random effects meta-analysis models. We compared the proposed …

Psychoactive Synthetic Cathinones (Or 'Bath Salts'): Investigation Of Mechanisms Of Action, Farhana Sakloth

Theses and Dissertations

Synthetic cathinones represent threatening and high abuse-potential designer drugs. These are analogs of cathinone (the b-keto analog of amphetamine (AMPH)) a naturally occurring stimulant found in the plant Catha Edulis. Methcathinone (MCAT) was the first synthetic analog of cathinone to be identified in 1987 by Glennon and co-workers and it exerted its action primarily through the dopamine transporter (DAT). Most central stimulants exert their action via monomaine transporters by causing either the release (e.g. cathinone analogs such as MCAT) or by preventing the reuptake (e.g. cocaine) of the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) thus increasing the extracellular synaptosomal concentration of this …

Effects Of Hiv-1 Tat On The Enteric Nervous, Joy Ngwainmbi

Theses and Dissertations

More than 1.2 million people are estimated to be currently living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States of America. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is both a major target and an important component of HIV pathogenesis. The GI processes that are dysregulated during HIV infection are controlled by the enteric nervous system (ENS). Indeed, both clinical and experimental studies have implicated the ENS in HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) pathogenesis. In addition to direct viral effects, the HIV virus also indirectly affects the GI tract via cellular and/or viral toxins released by infected cells. Trans-activator of …

Sigma Receptor Activation Mitigates Toxicity Evoked By The Convergence Of Ischemia, Acidosis And Amyloid-Beta, Adam Alexander Behensky

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of long-term disability in industrialized countries. The core region of an ischemic stroke dies within minutes due to activation of necrotic pathways. Outside of this core region is the penumbral zone, where some perfusion is maintained via collateral arteries. Delayed cell death occurs in this area due to the triggering of apoptotic mechanisms, which expands the ischemic injury over time. The cellular and molecular events that produce the expansion of the ischemic core continue to be poorly understood. The increases in the amyloid precursor …

Strategies For Preventing Age And Neurodegenerative Disease-Associated Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Vedad Delic

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a pivotal role in the development of aging phenotypes and aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Strategies that restore mitochondrial dysfunction may rescue the deficits of central metabolism in these disorders and improve cell survival. For example, we found that modulating the mTOR signaling pathway in a tissue culture model of aging-induced mitochondrial DNA mutation enhanced mitochondrial function as evidenced by increased oxygen consumption. Our previous melatonin studies also led us to hypothesize that caloric restriction and the hormone melatonin would reverse brain mitochondrial dysfunction in animal …

Minocycline Treatment And The Necessity To Develop A Novel Outcome Measure For Children With Angelman Syndrome, Joseph Christopher Grieco

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare genetic disorder affecting 1/10,000 to 1/20,000 births. This disorder arises through the genetic disruption of the maternal UBE3A allele, which when coupled with epigenetic silencing of the paternal allele UBE3A allele, gives rise to an absence of UBE3A protein in the central nervous system. Clinical manifestations of the syndrome vary in severity and include poor motor function, deficits in language and severe intellectual impairments. Previous research in the Angelman syndrome mouse model revealed abnormalities in dendritic spine density and morphology of hippocampal pyramidal cells. As seen in humans with AS, mice show abnormal behavioral …