Category: Neuroscience

The Role of Bumetanide and Its Derivatives in Potentiating GABAergic Medications as a Treatment for Neonatal Seizures

August 18, 2021 Ramya Varadarajan
Ramya Varadarajan Introduction. Neonatal seizures are commonly attributed to irregular accumulations of high levels of Cl- in neonatal neurons.1,4,6,7 This leads to difficulty in administering phenobarbital (a GABAergic medication) as a treatment for seizures, as opening of GABA channels leads to neuronal depolarization due to Cl- efflux rather than the expected…
Neuroscience

The Role of Organ-on-a-Chip Devices in Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Discovery and Disease Modeling

August 18, 2021 Solyman Hatami
Solyman Hatami Introduction: Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the leading cause of dementia worldwide, is an irreversible neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss and executive dysfunction.1  It is characterized by intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques through improper cleavage of amyloid precursor protein by β-secretases. Aβ aggregation is known…
Engineering Neuroscience

Psilocybin Promotes Neuroplasticity through 5-HT2A Receptor agonism: Implications for Treatment of Depression

August 16, 2021 Brianna Peacock
Brianna Peacock Introduction. Depression is a state of low mood with a lifetime prevalence of about 20% globally.1 Potential etiologies include the monoamine hypothesis which describes a decrease in molecules like serotonin.1,2 Loss or alteration of neuroplasticity may also play a role in pathogenesis, as suggested by the decreased BDNF…
Featured Abstracts Neuroscience Psychiatry

A Novel Approach to Non-Invasively Diagnosing Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Leg with Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

August 12, 2021 Austin Hagen
Austin Hagen Introduction. Patients with trauma to the lower leg may develop Acute Compartment Syndrome (ACS). Prompt diagnosis of ACS is critical to ensuring these patients receive fasciotomy to avoid complications such as paralysis.1 Clinical Signs of ACS alone have poor sensitivity and specificity, may be unattainable in obtunded patients,…
Engineering Neuroscience Orthopedics

Utilization of Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Neuroimaging to Direct Treatment and Predict Outcomes in Ischemic Stroke

August 10, 2021 Caleb Haeussler
Caleb Haeussler Introduction. Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, with an incidence of 700,000 ischemic strokes per year and 4 million stroke survivors.1,2 Ischemic stroke is a result of decreased blood flow to the brain, usually as result of thrombosis, embolism, or…
Cardiology Engineering Neuroscience

The Role of DNA Methylation as an Epigenetic Mechanism of the Neuroadaptations Associated with Cocaine Use Disorder

August 6, 2021 Rachael Wong
Rachael Wong Introduction. Cocaine use disorder is 79% heritable, and 2 million Americans use cocaine monthly with over 850,000 of them meeting the DSM-V criteria for cocaine dependence.5,9 While identification of specific genetic factors and pharmacological treatment has remained elusive, promising results are arising from the study of epigenetic modifications…
Featured Abstracts Neuroscience Psychiatry

GABA-ergic Interneuron Cell Therapy as a Potential Curative Approach to Post-Traumatic Epilepsy

August 6, 2021 ErinElise Wilson
ErinElise Wilson Introduction. Post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE) is one of the multiple comorbidities seen after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and accounts for up to 20% of all acquired epilepsies.1-4 While the exact nature of pathogenic mechanisms is unclear, neurodegeneration yielding a hyperexcitable state accompanies the development of PTE after TBI.1,2,5 Cells…
Neuroscience

The Multiple Roles of α-Synuclein in the Pathology and Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration of Parkinson’s Disease

August 5, 2021 Tejaswi Veerati, MS, MPH
Tejaswi Veerati, MS, MPH Introduction: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a movement disorder characterized by resting tremor, bradykinesia, and rigidity1. There is currently no diagnostic test for PD1. The neuropathology includes selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the deposition of misfolded α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregates in…
Neuroscience