I-ORAL PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS:
Oral Presentation #01
Student Presenter: Rebecca Bradley – Senior (Temple University)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Oral
Talk Title: Investigating The Role of BAP1 in Postnatal Enteric Nervous System Cellular Proliferation, Apoptosis, And DNA Damage Repair
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation of the enteric nervous system (ENS) during post-natal development is still poorly understood. The ENS is the intrinsic nervous system of the bowel that controls most aspects of bowel function. During fetal development, ENS precursors originate from the neural crest and differentiate as they proliferate and migrate through developing bowel. BAP1 (BRCA1-Associated Protein 1) is a deubiquitinating enzyme that regulates transcription, supports DNA replication and DNA damage repair, and facilitates apoptosis. We discovered that loss of BAP1 in a subset of ENS cells causes post-natal growth failure and early death using tyrosinase-CRE Bap1 conditional knock-out (cKO) mice. These mice have normal numbers of enteric neurons at birth, but progressive loss of tyrosinase-CRE lineage neurons between post-natal day 0 (P0) and P15. Using 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU) to identify cells undergoing DNA replication, cleaved caspase 3 to identify apoptotic cells, and gamma-H2AX immunohistochemistry to identify cells with DNA double strand break repair, we evaluated myenteric distal colon enteric neurons in 5 to 7-day old Bap1 cKO mice (male; n=5, female n=4). Preliminary results show no significant difference between the Bap1 wild-type and Bap1 cKO mice, regarding neuron proliferation and apoptosis.
Oral Presentation #02
Student Presenter: Harsheen Singh – Senior (Rutgers University)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Oral
Talk Title: Understanding Fatigue: An Analysis of Sustained Effort in The Effort Expenditure For Rewards Task
Abstract
Understanding fatigue has been a large undertaking for investigators and experts in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and medicine due to the ubiquitous nature of fatigue. Current fatigue literature primarily focuses on defining and measuring fatigue, and understanding fatigue as a correlate for various pathologies. The current study will focus on capturing a measurement of fatigue in the context of a task intended to measure effort expenditure for those with trait anhedonia. This task is known as the Effort Expenditure for Rewards Task, or EEfRT, and presents high reward/high effort tasks with low reward/low effort tasks in order to measure the extent to which those with trait anhedonia choose high effort choices. The EEfRT has successfully demonstrated a correlation between those who are experiencing self-reported anhedonia and choosing low effort options. However, the EEfRT can also provide insight into how fatigue, or the lack of sustained effort over time, modulates the choices about effort expenditure made by those experiencing anhedonia. The trial number and whether or not the prior trial was a hard choice trial are two variables that can be used to predict fatigue during the EEfRT for participants when measuring the effects these variables have on the probability of choosing the hard choice option. It is predicted that a higher trial number and a prior trial that is a hard choice will decrease the likelihood of choosing a hard choice in the trials to follow, which is indicative of fatigue.
Oral Presentation #03
Student Presenter: Sameer Ahmed – Senior (SUNY Old Westbury)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Oral
Talk Title: Microglial Sexual Dimorphism in Glioblastoma Multiforme
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and most aggressive primary tumor of the brain, and is associated with one of the worst 5-year survival rates among all human cancers. Extensive analysis of patient data has shown a sex-based disparity in GBM, reporting that males are 1.5 to 3.5 times more likely to develop brain tumors than females, and subsequently have more extensive tumor necrosis and reduced survival compared to females. Contributing to progression of this disease are the resident immune cells of the brain and spinal cord known as microglia; while inflammatory microglia function in an anti-tumorigenic manner, gliomas can disrupt this by releasing factors that polarize microglia to an immunosuppressive phenotype, which in turn secrete cytokines that support tumor growth and spread. Therefore, a shift in microglial populations towards more pro- or anti-inflammatory behavior could greatly impact GBM progression. We hypothesized that the sexual dimorphism seen in GBM could be explained by differential responses of male- and female-derived microglia, in that male cells would potentially respond in a more anti-inflammatory manner than female microglia. To investigate this hypothesis, we obtained two microglial cell lines – N9 cells, which are of male origin, and BV2 cells, which are of female origin. These cell lines were investigated for their levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory factors in response to lipopolysaccharide and interleukin-4 stimulation. We noted that the female-derived cells had increased inflammatory TNFa and iNOS levels, in accordance with our hypothesis. We then wanted to further observe the effects of these cells on the growth and proliferation of GL261 glioblastoma cells. As the sex-linked steroid hormone estrogen is more prevalent in females, we hypothesized that estrogen may play a role in promoting a pro-inflammatory shift in microglial populations, as well as function in a suppressive manner towards glioblastoma cells. Interestingly, we found that estrogen polarizes N9 microglia to an anti-inflammatory phenotype, but suppresses GBM migration. In conclusion, N9 microglia showed a more anti-inflammatory, pro-tumorigenic phenotype than BV2 microglia, yet estrogen surprisingly acts in an immunosuppressive manner. These data indicate that the worse outcomes seen with GBM in males could in part be due to sexually dimorphic microglial function outside of hormonal effects.
Oral Presentation #04
Student Presenter: Anna Warren, Kaaren Liston, Rachel Kantor, & Lena Odell – Seniors (Connecticut College)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Oral
Talk Title: The Effect of Early Developmental Lead Exposure And Social Isolation on Adolescent Spatial Learning And Memory And Aggressive Behavior in Rats
Abstract
Critical periods of neural development occur during early pre- and postnatal life that correspond with increases in synaptic plasticity and the formation of neural circuits needed for learning and memory. This development can be profoundly influenced by experience and negatively affected by environmental toxins. A wealth of evidence has indicated that exposure to excessive amounts of inorganic lead during early development can produce long lasting cognitive deficits in humans. Evidence also suggests that children raised in an impoverished environment are at a disproportionate risk for developing lead-induced cognitive deficits. Additionally, a link between lead exposure in childhood and aggressive or antisocial behavior in young adulthood has been documented in humans and in rodent models of lead exposure. The present study evaluated the effects of continuous lead exposure (0.04% in drinking water) from day 10 of gestation through 7 weeks of age, and/or post-weaning environmental impoverishment on spatial learning and memory and aggressive behavior. Barnes maze assessment of learning at 5 weeks of age revealed that lead-exposed animals committed a significantly greater number of working memory and perseverative errors during learning acquisition, an effect that was exacerbated by post-weaning isolation housing. Male and female lead-exposed animals displayed a significantly greater number of instances of aggressive behavior (rearing, lateral threat, clinch attack, etc.) compared to non lead-exposed rats. These data establish the Barnes maze as a sensitive measure of lead-induced learning and memory deficits and supports previous findings that lead exposure during early development may lead aggressive behavior in adolescence.
Oral Presentation #05
Student Presenter: Mya Whitton – Junior (Rush University)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Oral
Talk Title: The Susceptibility to Dementia With OTC Antihistamines
Abstract
The research of this experiment is focused on the side effect from OTC antihistamines of brain fog also known as cognitive impairment. Brain fog itself typically causes cognitive limitations and hinders the process of adult neurogenesis (mediated by the BNDF), as it limits the person’s ability to perform activity-stimulated behaviors. Over-the-counter (OTC) antihistamines have been consumed for years by sufferers of allergic rhinitis, and these consumers have been faced with the side effects of this drug regularly. Antihistamines consist of either Brompheniramine, Chlorpheniramine, Dimenhydrinate, Diphenhydramine, or Doxylamine; these are the first-generation antihistamines of the H1 class. The second-generation antihistamines of the H1 class consist of the chemical properties of either Loratadine, Cetirizine, or Fexofenadine. H1 first-generation blockers are Benadryl (diphenhydramine) and Chlor-Trimeton (Chlorpheniramine). They have an overexpression of sedating properties that cause much of the brain fog, drowsiness, and confusion. The first generation H1 receptor antagonists in antihistamines tend to cause these detrimental symptoms that could be linked to the neurodegenerative diseases that develop in age after the constant use of the drug. It is known that H1 antagonists pass the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) while second generation H1 antagonists do not, which could be the reason brain fog is heightened when people with allergies take Benadryl (H1 antagonist). Drugs that cross the BBB tend to alter tight junction formation and protein expression, which are key parts of the brain that regulates the brain’s homeostasis. This research aids in discovering if cognitive impairment with antihistamine consumption brings upon susceptibility to dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders/diseases. The previous research however does not directly emphasize if H1 antihistamine antagonists cause this onset of dementia, which may be caused by the presence of brain fog in its consumers. The hypothesis is that brain fog experienced in these users is the first physical sign of antihistamines causing the onset of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Oral Presentation #06
Student Presenter: Daelah Nicholas – Senior (Midwood High School)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Oral
Talk Title: The Susceptibility to Dementia With OTC Antihistamines
Abstract
Objective: Choline and folate are important nutrients involved in fetal brain development, but relationships between diet and infant temperament—an outcome potentially related to brain development—has not been widely explored. Our objective was to examine associations between maternal dietary choline and folate intake during pregnancy and infant temperament assessed at 9 months. Methods: Participants from the Michigan Archive for Research on Child Health (MARCH) prospective pregnancy cohort were included in this analysis (n=89, mean age [SD]=30.4±5.5 y). Maternal dietary intake was assessed during pregnancy with the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool. Infant temperament was assessed by parent report using the Rothbart Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised Very Short Form at the infant 9 month visit (range 8-16 months; mean [SD] 287±31 days after birth). Participants were included if they had data from at least one ASA24 and the Rothbart assessment. Where applicable, the average of two ASA24s was used, limiting to the first two if more than two. For twins, infant data was randomly selected to include only one twin. Independent t-tests were used to assess mean differences in nutrient intake by maternal sociodemographic characteristics. Pearson correlations were used to examine relationships between maternal nutrient consumption and infant temperament scores. Results: Neither folate nor choline intake differed significantly by maternal age, education, marital status or income. Choline intake varied by work status (418.76 ± 197.01 mg [not working/part-time] vs. 337.70 ± 150.34 mg [full-time], p=0.033). Maternal choline intake was related to infant Positive Affect/Surgency, r=0.213, p=0.045. Infant Positive Affect/Surgency was related to Orienting/Regulatory Capacity, r=0.467, p<0.001 and to Negative Emotionality, r=0.279, p=0.008. No significant relationships between maternal folate intake and infant temperament were observed. Conclusions: Pregnancy dietary folate was not associated with infant temperament, but we observed an association between pregnancy dietary choline and temperamental surgency in infants. In addition to replicating these findings, more research is needed to examine the plausibility of associations reported here. Keywords: choline, folate, infant temperament, pregnancy, micronutrients Funding Sources: Funded in part by a grant from the NIH ECHO program.
Oral Presentation #07
Student Presenter: Zaid Ayaz – Senior (SUNY Old Westbury)
Presentation Type: Live Synchronous Oral
Talk Title: Neurodevelopmental Lead Exposure Alters the Sensitivity of The Dopamine System Using Catalepsy Studies
Abstract
Lead poisoning remains an ongoing issue in urban and industrial environments and in underdeveloped countries. It is well-established that low-level lead exposure (i.e., < 5 ug/dL) causes deficits in cognition, motor planning, and goal directed actions that are regulated by the dopaminergic system within the brain. In order to address the question, whether lead poisoning alters this system in early neurodevelopment or later in life, we examined the effects of lead poisoning on 10 day old rat pups through a catalepsy test. Rats were exposed to either a Control regular water (0 ppm) or Perinatal lead acetate drinking water treatment (150 ppm) and allowed to breed. The offspring of these rats were then randomly assigned to be tested at postnatal day 10 with either 1mg/kg saline or haloperidol (i.e., a dopamine 2 receptor antagonist) given s.c. Then 1 hr later, the rat pups were placed with their forepaws extending onto a horizontal bar while standing on their hind limbs to examine their catalepsy (i.e., length of time until they moved both forepaws off the bar). The effects of haloperidol showed that Perinatal male rat pups were 4 times more sensitive and Perinatal female rat pups were 2 times more sensitive than their same sex Control counterparts. This study shows that even 3 days after the activation of the dopaminergic system in the brain, that lead poisoning has already altered the pharmacokinetics and dynamics of the dopamine receptor that will persist into adulthood and, may in part, contribute to the sex-dependent deficits observed in their cognitive, motor planning, and goal-directed actions.
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II-POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Poster Presentation #01
Student Presenter: Naomi Codrington – Post-Bac (Lehman College)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Poster
Talk Title: Understanding Dendrites Activity in CA3 Region of The Hippocampus Using Neuron Tracing
Abstract
Dendrites have been implicated in shaping hippocampal activity and predicting the formation of place fields, but few studies have directly observed dendritic activity. The goal of our group’s research is to evaluate the relationship between dendrites and soma of the same neurons as mice learn different environments and tasks. To track the activity of dendrites and soma across days, regions of interest (ROIs) must be identified. Our group is developing an automated program to find these ROIs. To contribute to this I manually traced ROIs of multiple neural data sets using Imagej. I identified soma and dendrites active across time, using a specific naming convention to link parent soma with their dendrites. These manually drawn ROIs compared with ROIs from our automated program and another published program, suite2p. Manual labeling of these data sets took between 2-50 hours, depending on the density of neurons. Both suite2p and our program took mere minutes on the same data. ROIs from Suite2p tended to be more liberal, identifying any potential group of pixels that could be a neuron. In contrast, our dendritic detection program tends to be more conservative, focusing only on important neural activity and leaving out the background noise. Our program also had fewer parameters to tune than suite2p to arrive at accurate dendritic ROIs. In the future, we hope to use the new dendritic detection program to further expand our knowledge on the relationship between dendrites and soma of the same neurons and understand dendrites' role in spatial working memory.
Poster Presentation #02
Student Presenter: Geanelle R. Sam & Alisha L. Ulloa – Sophomore & Junior (SUNY Old Westbury)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Poster
Talk Title: An Assessment of Taurine as a Nootropic in Aged Male Rats in The Attention Set-Shift Test
Abstract
The global population is continuing to age more than ever before, while at the same time increasing the rates of age-related cognitive dementias and associated neurodegenerative disorders. This situation has directed researchers to examine the potential for cognitive enhancing drugs to ameliorate or forestall the naturally occurring age-dependent decline in cognitive functions that accompanying aging. The present study examined in aged male rats (i.e., 1-year of age) that were randomly assigned to either a Control water of 0.05% Taurine water (i.e., for 1-month) prior to being subjected to the Attention Set-Shift Test (ASST; a very sensitive test for cognitive functions of the frontal lobes, flexibility, and evaluation of perseverative behaviors). The Control rats unfortunately with age could not form the necessary simple and complex discriminations to complete the ASST and failed the test. Interestingly, the age-matched Control+Taurine rats were able to complete the ASST and did so at rates comparable to younger (i.e., 60 day old) rats. Then as an additional proof of concept, the Control rats that failed the test, half remained on the same treatment, whereas the other half were then switched to 0.05% Taurine water for 1-month. Another month later, the rats were re-tested and again the Control+Taurine rats were able to complete the ASST, but the Control rats could not. This study offers a first report of Taurine clearly serving as a nootropic (i.e., cognitive enhancing drug) in an aging model. It is thought that since aging reduces the level of GABA (i.e., the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain), that taurine may serve to compensate and replenish levels of this neurotransmission which could explain the cognitive improvements in this animal model of aging. This work shows that taurine may prove to be an effective nootropic to be prescribed in aging populations to preserve cognitive functions in the elderly.
Poster Presentation #03
Student Presenter: Paige Dadika – Junior (Rutgers University)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Poster
Talk Title: Ontogeny of Lateralized Responses in The Zebra Finch: Time Course And The Effect of Atypical Acoustic Environments
Abstract
The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata; ZF) is a species of songbird that is utilized as an animal model for the study of vocal production and perception, primarily due to the many similarities in vocal learning that they share with humans. In ZFs, this learning process occurs during a critical period of development (which ends ~120 post-hatch days, phd), wherein they are exposed to a tutor (generally their father) in order to form a tutor-song-template that they will utilize when they practice their own song. Studies from our lab have shown that normal rearing conditions (wherein birds are raised with a tutor) will lead, on average, to birds that exhibit right-lateralized responses in the higher auditory area NCM (caudomedial nidopallium; Phan & Vicario, 2010). However, the onset of right-lateralized responses remains unknown. In addition, it is unclear whether the ontogeny of lateralized brain activity in ZFs is predicated only by tutor exposure or whether it may be contingent on the complexity of auditory input during development regardless of tutor exposure. Birds were exposed to various environments and their lateralized states were tracked during development to ascertain the emergence of lateralized activity and whether sufficiently complex environments would result in similar developments.
Poster Presentation #04
Student Presenter: Monica Tschang – Senior (Rutgers University)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Poster
Talk Title: Sex-specific Response And Mechanism of Potential Spinal Cord Injury Therapeutics
Abstract
Like other conditions affecting the central nervous system, spinal cord injury (SCI) is difficult to treat with molecular therapies because the blood-brain barrier makes intravenous treatments largely ineffective. For example, a synthetic peptide derived from the effector domain (ED) of myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS) improves functional recovery after SCI in female mice; however, peptides do not always pass the blood-brain barrier; therefore, the ED peptide cannot access the central nervous system to exhibit its effects if administered intravenously. Instead of injecting the peptide into the bloodstream, we propose to find compounds that can pass the blood-brain barrier in place of the ED peptide, improving treatment compatibility. To find such alternatives, we screened compound libraries via competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and identified five potential ED peptide mimetics—compounds that mimic the structure and function of the ED peptide. All five mimetics trigger a significant increase in neurite length in neurons from female mice, but not male mice, when compared to the vehicle control solution. While these results suggest that the mimetics trigger ED peptide functions, further investigation suggests that the mimetics and the ED peptide elicit this same sex-specific effect through different signaling pathways. Understanding the molecular pathways activated by ED peptide may help further develop the mimetics into viable therapeutics for SCI patients.
Poster Presentation #05
Student Presenter: Jennifer O’Connor – Senior (SUNY Old Westbury)
Presentation Type: Prerecorded Poster
Talk Title: Biased Interpretations of SES: Limits to Our Understanding of The Environmental Influences on Neuronal Circuitry Programming in Early Childhood
Abstract
It is challenging to clearly disentangle the factors in which contribute to deficits associated with socio-economic class. Thus far, there is little compelling evidence to support the conclusion that structural brain differences influence language abilities and other cognitive deficits in lower-SES children. It is imperative that the scientific community remains aware of biased interpretations of SES-associated differences such as skew variations in data due to gender, age, and parental-upbringing that uniquely shape an individual’s identity. Previous research has established the correlations of these types of structural brain changes to differences in a variety of cognitive processes, however, research studies often miss out on the brain’s compensatory capacity; in that they fail to recognize what strengths low SES individuals demonstrate compared to higher SES individuals. Several developmental norms modeled/postulated from these studies more predominantly represent the trajectories of higher SES children. The framework of cultural neuroscience investigates how the human cultural environment influences neurobiological systems both directly and epigenetically, and may provide a more fruitful perspective with which to analyze these types of issues. It is imperative that the scientific community remains aware of biased interpretations of SES-associated differences such as skew variations in data due to gender, age, and parental-upbringing that uniquely shape an individual’s identity. Previous research has established the correlations of these types of structural brain changes to differences in a variety of cognitive processes. The brain’s neuroplastic capacity can be thought of as a compensatory network, and researchers have yet to determine whether decreased cortical volume represents an advancement in synaptic pruning, underdeveloped synaptic connections, or a combination of factors. Over the course of development from infancy into early adulthood, the brain undergoes significant experience-dependent changes modulated by synaptic pruning and axon myelination. Advancing neuroimaging methodologies continue to strengthen our understanding of neuroplasticity and its relationship to the programming of neuronal circuitry. Moving forward, our methodology behind the interpretation of these results should be approached in the same way our brain functions to understand why it compensated for some deficits in one aspect, yet strengthened in another. This presentation details some of these issues and identifies relationships between culture-based changes in neurobiological systems and cognitive processing differences which may be less biased and more appropriate for guiding future research with a primary focus on the role of neural route activation patterns and how they uniquely specify within the prolonged period of synaptic pruning and neuroplasticity that has shown to occur in early childhood development.
Poster Presentation #06
Student Presenter: Nishi Patel – Senior (Temple University)
Presentation Type: Live Synchronous Poster
Talk Title: Validation And Characterization of ERP Signatures Using a Passive Oddball Paradigm in a Mouse Model
Abstract
Neurophysiological mechanisms for attentional processes are well studied and show frontoparietal circuits are recruited for attention. Additionally, nicotine is shown to enhance attentional processes in simple stimulus detection tasks. Event-related potential (ERP) recordings investigate the recruitment of brain circuits implicated in attention by using the auditory oddball paradigm. Through electroencephalography (EEG) studies and ERP analysis, brain wave oscillations can be measured within frontoparietal regions to understand attentional discrepancies between the parietal (PC) and prefrontal (PFC) cortices. Here, we conducted EEG recordings in awake C57BL/6J mice for deviance detection using a passive oddball paradigm with normal auditory stimulus (80dB, 2kHz) and deviant “oddball” stimulus (4kHz). The amplitudes and latencies of the negative (N1) and positive (P1, P2 and P3) ERP components were analyzed from PFC and PC. For initial validation, animals were exposed to 3 trial conditions (200, 500, and 1000 tone presentations with 20% deviant stimulus probability). Based on pilot data, the 500-trial condition was selected for subsequent studies. We then recorded and compared ERP responses in the PFC and PC following acute nicotine or saline injections using a within-subjects design. Our preliminary results show the most prominent effect of nicotine on the mismatch negativity on the amplitudes and latencies of P1 and N1 waveforms, which stipulates early components of ERP responses reflecting stimulus selection may serve as a neurophysiological biomarker of attentional impairments. Moreover, these translational endpoints could be used in preclinical studies to assess the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions targeting attentional mechanisms in psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Poster Presentation #07
Student Presenter: Citlalli Thomas Baltazar – Junior (Temple University)
Presentation Type: Live Synchronous Poster
Talk Title: Chronic Topical Applications of Beta-caryophyllene But Not Cannabidiol, Non-psychoactive Cannabis Constituents, Induces Contact Dermatitis in Mice
Abstract
Beta-caryophyllene (β-CP) and cannabidiol (CBD) are non-psychoactive constituents of cannabis that are used for treating certain conditions like pain and seizure. However, allergic reactions in agricultural workers have been reported. Concerns over occupational health hazards and people working in warehouses dedicated to cannabis products have been rising. The aim of this study is to assess whether chronic topical applications of β-CP and CBD would induce allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in male Swiss-webster mice. Before any application of the compounds, mice were observed for an hour to assess baseline scratching. CBD (1-10 mg/ml), β-CP (1-10 mg/ml) or vehicle (acetone) were topically applied to the nape of the mice 2x/week for 5 weeks. Twenty-four hours following the second application weekly, scratching bouts were counted for an hour. Additionally, mice were evaluated for development of dermatitis in the presence of hemorrhage and bleeding, oedema, excoriation and erosion, and dryness and xerosis. Baseline scratching bouts were similar in mice in different treatment groups. Topical chronic applications of β-CP at 10 mg/ml significantly increased scratching bouts and induced dermatitis in mice. Whereas chronic topical applications of vehicle, β-CP at 1 mg/ml, CBD at 1 mg/ml, and at 10 mg/ml did not induce dermatitis or scratching in mice. These results show that topical applications of β-CP at a high concentration causes contact dermatitis in mice. Our results indicate that β-CP might be responsible for the development of allergic reactions in cannabis users and workers in cannabis farms.
Poster Presentation #08
Student Presenter: Robert Reisler – Senior (Rutgers University)
Presentation Type: Live Synchronous Poster
Talk Title: Comparing Engrailed2 And 16p11.2 Neurodevelopmental Models of Learning Through Positive Valence Operant Conditioning Tests
Abstract
Scientists have long struggled to create an effective model for mapping the development cognitive and motor processes of those with human neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While such a model would be highly valuable, human developmental modeling presents many unique difficulties regarding longitudinal time, rarity, and variability between individuals. The mapping of certain mice with unique genetic knockouts has yielded promising results for the possibility of creating a robust model for behavioral learning. Different mouse models however, carry their own sets of benefits and deficiencies when it comes down to their actual ability to accurately mirror their human neurodegenerative disorder counterparts. Two such mouse models are the Engrailed2 (En2) and the 16p11.2 (16p) knockout variants. Understanding how these models differ in task acquisition, behavioral motivation, and sex differences under the influence of stress can provide baseline knowledge needed to create more accurate and practical models of learning to benefit those with ASD. This paper will discuss the value each model can serve and recommend future directions of research into eventually creating superior therapy models.
Poster Presentation #09
Student Presenter: Emily Wheelis – Junior (SUNY Binghamton University)
Presentation Type: Live Synchronous Poster
Talk Title: The Effects of The Serotonin 5-HT2A Agonist DOI on Prepulse Inhibition in Rats
Abstract
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is characterized by the profound loss of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons, leading to motor dysfunction and various non-motor symptoms such as psychosis, which may be related to serotonin transmission. Prepulse inhibition (PPI) has been shown to have face, construct, and predictive validity for evaluating sensorimotor gating. 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI), a potent serotonin 2A/2C receptor (5-HT2A/2C R) agonist and known hallucinogen, has been shown to induce PPI deficits in rats. The present study assessed multiple doses of DOI in naive rats to confirm its hallucinogenic efficacy. In a within-subjects counterbalanced design, male and female rats (N=8) underwent a dose-response curve for DOI (0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg) and PPI was tested during each condition. Seventy trials were presented in a pseudo-random order of ten prepulse trials presented alone for three conditions (70,75, 80 dB), and a startle stimulus (110 dB) presented alone for ten trials and directly following each of the aforementioned prepulses for ten trials. Results showed that DOI decreased the startle amplitude more as the dose increased compared to the vehicle. Moreover, PPI was reduced at all DOI doses, with the lowest, 0.25 mg/kg, showing greater impairment. Lastly, the effects of DOI appeared to be independent of prepulse conditions. Overall, this data suggests that DOI can induce modest sensorimotor gating deficits in naive rats. Future research will extend this work by testing whether dopamine depletion exacerbates DOI effects in a bilateral 6-OHDA lesion model of PD.
Poster Presentation #10
Student Presenter: Nylah Miles – Junior (Temple University)
Presentation Type: Live Synchronous Poster
Talk Title: Post-weaning Social Isolation Alters Sociability in a Sex-specific Manner
Abstract
Adolescence is a critical period for brain development. Adversity during adolescence can have long lasting effects on behavior and brain development. Social isolation and loneliness may lead to detrimental mental health outcomes in females, although most of the work on social isolation has been performed in male animals. Our lab used social isolation to induce stress in male and female mice. Stress primes microglia, causing them to have a heightened pro-inflammatory response to a second challenge. The anti-inflammatory drug minocycline inhibits microglia. Administration of minocycline fosters active stress coping and aids in the recovery from social isolation. Our lab has previously shown that adolescent social isolation effects sensitivity to social reward, especially in males. The current study examined the effects of minocycline on post-weaning social isolation and social interaction during adolescence and adulthood in male and female mice. At postnatal day (PND21), mice were either group-housed or isolated. We then administered daily injections of saline or minocycline until adolescence (PND45). When tested on a three-chamber sociability task during adolescence (PND45), we found that minocycline did not alter sociability in either group of female mice, but decreased sociability in both groups of male mice. When mice were tested again during adulthood (PND60), minocycline did not alter sociability in male mice, but increased sociability in isolated female mice. Taken together, adolescent social isolation leads to sex-specific changes in social interaction in adulthood. Inhibiting microglia with minocycline does not alter the effects of social isolation in males, but may do so in females.
Poster Presentation #11
Student Presenter: Clara Angioletti – Senior (Rutgers University)
Presentation Type: Live Synchronous Poster
Talk Title: Effect of Home Environment on Adult’s Intuitive Beliefs About Cognitive Abilities
Abstract
Although decades of research in developmental science revealed the early emergence of a suite of basic cognitive abilities in humans and non-human species, lay adults tend to greatly overestimate the ages by which children obtain these core cognitive abilities, and ascribe the origin of these basic abilities to nurture rather than nature. The present study asks how information about others’ environment influences lay people’s intuitive beliefs about the origins of a range of sensory and cognitive abilities. Across all the different types of environments, the present study replicated the previous finding that lay adults overestimate the onset of core numerical cognition and attribute it to learning and experiences. Importantly, adults appear to believe that individuals growing up in negative environments obtain cognitive abilities later and are worse at performing them than children in positive environments. These findings provide converging evidence that lay adults may be “intuitive empiricists”, and also shows their strong presumptions about when and how well individuals in different types of environments should perform based on brief descriptions of their growing environments. These results also have important implications for understanding the scope of people’s stereotypical assumptions about others’ cognitive abilities.
Poster Presentation #12
Student Presenter: Jakub Suchojad – Non-traditional Junior (Rutgers University)
Presentation Type: Live Synchronous Poster
Talk Title: Exploring The Efficacy of The Dual Orexin Receptor Antagonist Suvorexant in Reducing Demand in a Rodent Model of Cocaine Use Disorder
Abstract
Currently, there are no FDA-approved treatments for cocaine use disorder (CUD). Preclinical studies indicate that experimental compounds that block signaling of the neuropeptide orexin reduce motivation to self-administer cocaine. We explore the potential utility of repurposing the suvorexant, which is FDA-approved for the treatment of insomnia, for reducing addiction-associated endophenotypes in a rat model of CUD. Male Long Evans rats (n=20) were trained to lever press for sucrose pellets on a Fixed Ratio 1 (FR1) schedule, then trained to respond for intravenous cocaine (FR1 schedule; 2h/day, short access) prior to being assessed for baseline economic demand for cocaine using a behavioral economics (BE) paradigm. Subjects then self-administered cocaine on an intermittent access schedule (IntA; 5 min access every 30 min; total 6h) for 14d, which promotes a multifaceted addiction-like phenotype. Following IntA training, rats were retested on the BE paradigm following pretreatment with suvorexant (0, 3, 10, 30mg/kg; p.o.). Finally, we tested for any off-target effects of suvorexant on a psychomotor vigilance test (as a measure of alertness) and a general locomotor activity assay (as a test of sedation). IntA cocaine self-administration was associated with decreased demand elasticity (increased motivation). This effect was reversed by suvorexant (10, 30 mg/kg) in a dose-dependent manner. General locomotor activity was not affected by either dose, however, performance on the psychomotor vigilance test was affected by both doses. Our results indicate that orally administered suvorexant reduces demand for cocaine in rats that have transitioned to an addiction-like state, but might decrease vigilance.
Poster Presentation #13
Student Presenter: Samuel Shrem – Junior (Rutgers University)
Presentation Type: Live Synchronous Poster
Talk Title: The Baroreflex Response to Alcohol Cues And Predisposing Factors For Alcohol Use Disorder
Abstract
Binge drinking (BD) and having family members with a history of problematic drinking are associated with a predisposition for alcohol use disorder (AUD). This association may be due to how the body experiences alcohol-related cues, as prior research has shown heightened physiologic responsivity in high-risk samples. College-aged drinkers (n=309) were categorized as having or lacking a first-degree relative with AUD (FH+,FH-) and as binge or non-binge drinkers (BD+,BD-). Cardiovascular responses to positive, negative, neutral, and alcohol-related stimuli were measured as part of an acute alcohol administration paradigm. Participants consumed a control, placebo, or alcohol beverage. We calculated 0.1 Hz HRV and total HRV to capture baroreflex activity and overall cardiovascular adaptability. We used mixed linear models to compare 0.1Hz and total HRV between beverage, FH+/-, and BD+/BD- for each stimuli set. There was no effect of FH+/-, BD+/-, beverage, or stimuli on total HRV. A main effect of beverage for all stimuli sets except alcohol-related images showed lower 0.1 Hz peak after alcohol (p<0.003). There was a significant FHxBingexBeverage effect for alcohol-related images (p=0.03). Across all beverage conditions, FH+/BD+ participants had higher 0.1 Hz peak in response to alcohol cues than any other group. FH-/BD- participants showed a significantly higher 0.1 Hz peak under placebo relative to control and alcohol. A placebo effect was observed in FH-/BD- participants viewing alcohol-related stimuli. Regardless of beverage, FH+/BD+ participants had a higher 0.1 Hz peak when viewing alcohol-related stimuli. This indicates altered brain-heart communication may be associated with the aforementioned predisposition for AUD.