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Some of the material in is restricted to members of the community. By logging in, you may be able to gain additional access to certain collections or items. If you have questions about access or logging in, please use the form on the Contact Page.
A subpopulation of neurons in the chick cochlear nucleus, nucleus magnocellularis (NM), dies following cochlea removal. Previous studies using a "candidate molecule" approach, in which molecules known to regulate cell death in other...
Genetic animal models have become an increasingly useful tool in addressing pathophysiological changes in neuropsychiatric disorders at the molecular, synaptic and circuitry levels. Previous genetic and postmortem studies have identified...
In this Dissertation, the effects of amphetamine (AMPH) exposure on pair bond formation in the socially monogamous prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) are characterized and the neural mechanisms that underlie these effects are...
Epigenetic regulation of gene expression involves a steady-state balance of acetylation carried about by histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs). HATs act as transcriptional co-activators and HDACs interact...
Psychosis may arise from an altered modulation of the mesolimbic dopamine system. However, the source of upstream disturbance and the underlying neural circuitry remain unknown. It is generally agreed that genetic susceptibility...
ABSTRACT Endometriosis, defined by ectopic growths of uterine tissue, is considered an enigma because it is unknown how or even if these abnormal growths contribute to the painful conditions including dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and...
Voltage-gated potassium ion channels such as Kv1.3 have a role in altering excitability of neurons. The neuron has to have a sophisticated mechanism to regulate the modulation, expression, turnover and distribution of ion channels. Ion...
Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy report changes in behavior commonly referred to as “chemo brain.” It is hypothesized that neuroinflammation contributes to the pathophysiology of “chemo-brain.” I examined the effects of naproxen, ...
Depression, anxiety, and impairments in learning and memory are all associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI). While zinc deficiency has been correlated with depression, supplemental zinc appears to have antidepressant effects in both...
Circadian rhythms in mammals are generated by a negative transcriptional feedback loop in which PERIOD (PER) is rate-limiting for feedback inhibition. Casein kinases Iδ and Iε (CKIδ/ε) can regulate temporal abundance/activity of PER by...
Approximately three million adolescents abuse nicotine in the United States today, and the vast majority of smokers began smoking during adolescence. Given that the adolescent brain is still undergoing growth and development, the...
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of epilepsy in adults, and patients with TLE often suffer from seizures refractory to antiepileptic drugs. A deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of TLE is critical for...
Autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) are classified as pervasive developmental disorders characterized by abnormalities in various cognitive and behavioral functions. Although exact underlying causes are still unknown, autism is thought to...
The key to species survival depends on the ability to reproduce. In mammals ovulation requires a precisely timed luteinizing hormone (LH)-surge on the afternoon of proestrus. It is thought that this LH-surge requires the convergence of...
Little is known regarding the mechanisms underlying the neurobiological consequences of antidepressant exposure during adolescence. Therefore, in this dissertation, I assessed the long-lasting effects of adolescent exposure to Fluoxetine...
Early life experiences play a major role in adult onset psychopathology. Childhood maltreatment, whether physical or emotional, is linked to mental illness and behavioral malfunctioning. Individuals who are emotionally, physically, or...
The role of hypocretin (orexin, hcrt/orx) neurons in regulation of arousal is well established. Recently, hcrt/orx has been implicated in food reward and drug-seeking behavior. I report here that in male rats, Fos-immunoreactivity (ir)...
The work presented in this dissertation represents investigations into the mechanism of two neurological disorders. The first set of experiments was aimed at examining the morphology of post-synaptic structures called dendritic spines in...
Research on the regulatory role of gut microbiota in clinically relevant behaviors has grown dramatically in recent years. The communication between the gut and the brain, often referred to as the gut-brain axis, can influence underlying...
Accumulating evidence suggests that schizophrenia is a disorder of the brain’s communication, a result of functional and structural dysconnectivities. Patients with schizophrenia exhibit irregular neuronal circuit and network activity, ...
Protein aggregates formation is a common characteristic of many neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Effective clearance of those toxic protein...
Motivationally significant stimuli activate motivational systems to support perception and action. Rewards are naturally occurring motivationally salient stimuli that activate approach behaviors, for example, effort for a reward. Two...
Animals can easily develop new food preferences and aversions through associative learning. If they consume a novel flavor and experience malaise, they develop an aversion towards that particular flavor, food or fluid. Conditioned taste...
One of the core pathogenic mechanisms for schizophrenia is believed to be dysfunction in glutamatergic synaptic transmissions, particularly hypofunction of N-methyl D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). In addition, previous genetic and...
Oxytocin is a versatile neuropeptide that is involved in a variety of mammalian behaviors, and its role in reproductive behavior has been well established. Oxytocin stimulates male sexual behavior, in part, by promoting erectile function...
Mating is a socially rewarding experience that yields protective benefits to health, confers resistance to stress, and lowers anxiety-related behaviors in a number of mammalian species, including humans and rodents. These beneficial...
The transcription factor ΔFosB is increased in the brain after repeated exposure to several forms of stimuli. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), an area of the brain involved in rewarding behavior, is a site of major ΔFosB activity after...
It is well known that exposure to severe stress increases the risk for developing mood disorders. However, less is known about the complex interactions between witnessing and experiencing traumatic events. While much has been learned...
It is well known that exposure to severe stress increases the risk for developing mood disorders. However, less is known about the complex interactions between witnessing and experiencing traumatic events. While much has been learned...
Some of the material in is restricted to members of the community. By logging in, you may be able to gain additional access to certain collections or items. If you have questions about access or logging in, please use the form on the Contact Page.
