Neuroscience – Proceedings of the Texas A&M Medical Student Grand Rounds

Inhibition of the Mannose Binding Lectin Pathways Creates Neuroprotective effect in Traumatic Brain Injury Induced Animal Models

November 7, 2023 Madison Demmer

Madison Demmer Introduction: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. 1.7 million people in the United States are afflicted by TBI annually.1 Immune response to a TBI consists of a Primary and Secondary response. Secondary insult can also include breakdown of the…

Neuroscience

Somatodendritic 5-HT1A Autoreceptor Desensitization due to Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) Therapy for Depression

September 16, 2023 Mathew Pietz

Mathew Pietz Introduction: Depression is a mood disorder and is highly prevalent in the United States. Mood disorders affect about 20% of the population while major depressive disorder (MDD) specifically affects almost 7% of the US population.2 Common symptoms of depression include insomnia, lethargy, unexplained pain, GI symptoms, and headaches.3…

Neuroscience Psychiatry

The Role of GABA in Alcohol Use Disorders

September 7, 2023 Steven Maxwell

Minhal Zaidi Alcohol use disorders are a result of heightened pleasure from repeated alcohol drinking behavior. 6 There are genetic components and environmental factors linked to alcohol use disorder. There is genetic heterogeneity in the risk of developing alcohol dependence, with different genetic loci contributing to the risk. 6 The…

Neuroscience

The Role of the mTOR Pathway in Treating Spinal Cord Injury for Neuron Survival and Axonal Growth

August 3, 2023 Zane Ahlfinger

Zane Ahlfinger Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a “destructive neurological and pathological state that causes major motor, sensory, and autonomic dysfunctions”.1 Primary spinal cord injury is caused by direct blunt trauma to the spinal cord either from direct force or by impingement from vertebral fragments. Primary injury will most…

Neuroscience

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) as a Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Military Populations

July 25, 2023 Miles Hill

Miles Hill Background: Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are among the most common psychiatric disorders that affect military service members (SMs) and veterans in the United States. SMs suffering from PTSD often have depression resistant to pharmacological therapies and present with additional comorbidities. These disorders…

Engineering Medicine Military Medicine Neuroscience

Multiple Sclerosis and the Epstein Barr Virus – Autoimmunity Through Molecular Mimicry of EBNA1 with GlialCAM

July 24, 2023 Duncan Salmon

Duncan Salmon Background: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease characterized by demyelination and oligodendrocyte damage within the Central Nervous System (CNS)1. Patients typically present with unilateral optic neuritis, internal ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and the production of intrathecal IgG known as oligoclonal bands2. These symptoms manifest as T2-FLAIR white matter hyperintensities…

Engineering Medicine Immunology Microbiology Neuroscience

Alzheimer’s Disease and Sleep: A Review of Their Interplay and Methods to Improve Both

July 24, 2023 Cooper Lueck

Cooper Lueck Background: Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is currently the most common neurodegenerative disease in the United States and is the sixth leading cause of death for Americans.1,2 The disease also has a global health expenditure greater than 1 trillion USD annually.1 Despite the gravity of this disease and the amount…

Engineering Medicine Neuroscience

Methods of Non-Imaging Diagnosis of Acute Ischemic Stroke and AI Algorithms

July 24, 2023 Arsalan Nisar, M.H.S.

Arsalan Nisar, M.H.S. Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) comprise the overwhelming majority of hospitalized stroke cases, with more than 87% of all cases being attributed to AIS. Current diagnostic efforts consist mainly of non-contrast CT imaging and a comprehensive neurologic examination. However, due to the large number of stroke cases…

Engineering Medicine Neuroscience

Brain Cancer Risk after CT Radiation Exposure in the Pediatric Population

July 24, 2023 Amulya Srivatsa

Amulya Srivatsa Background: Computed tomography is an imaging modality that can provide valuable diagnostic information that is not easily obtained using other imaging techniques. Critically, children experience higher risks of developing radiation-induced cancers compared to adults due to faster cell division, a longer post-irradiation lifespan, and greater local radiation dose…

Engineering Medicine Neuroscience Pediatrics

Focused Ultrasound Mediated Gene Therapy Delivery for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

July 24, 2023 Isuru Somawardana

Isuru Somawardana Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that afflicts approximately 1% of the population aged 60 or older.1 Patients diagnosed with PD often present with symptoms such as bradykinesia, resting tremor, and cogwheel rigidity, which typically persist and worsen over time. Levodopa combined with carbidopa is…

Engineering Medicine Featured Abstracts Neuroscience