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Title: Localization of chemical and electrical synapses in the retina.
Creator: Liu, Yufei., Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Science
Abstract/Description: The amphibian retina is commonly used as a model system for studying function and mechanism of the visual system in electrophysiology, since the neural structure and synaptic mechanism of the amphibian retina are similar to higher vertebrate retinas. I determined the specific subtypes of receptors and channels that are involved in chemical and electrical synapses in the amphibian retina. My study indicates that glycine receptor subunits of GlyRº1, 3 and 4 and glutamate receptor subunit of...
Show moreThe amphibian retina is commonly used as a model system for studying function and mechanism of the visual system in electrophysiology, since the neural structure and synaptic mechanism of the amphibian retina are similar to higher vertebrate retinas. I determined the specific subtypes of receptors and channels that are involved in chemical and electrical synapses in the amphibian retina. My study indicates that glycine receptor subunits of GlyRº1, 3 and 4 and glutamate receptor subunit of GluR4 are present in bipolar and amacrine dendrites and axons to conduct chemical synapses in the retinal circuit. I also found that the gap junction channel, pannexin 1a (panx1a), is present in cone-dominated On-bipolar cells and rod-dominated amacrine processes possibly to connect rod-and cone-pathway in the inner retina. In addition, panx1a may form hemi-channels that pass ATP and Ca2+ signals. The findings of my study fill the gap of our knowledge about the subtypes of neurotransmitter receptors and gap junction channels conducting visual information in particular cell types and synaptic areas.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3332725
Subject Headings: Synapses, Neurotransmitters, Neural receptors, Cellular signal transduction
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Efficient Representation of Natural Visual Input in the Thalamus.
Creator: Dastjerdi, Mohammad, Dong, Dawei, Florida Atlantic University
Abstract/Description: In this dissertat ion, the early visual system is used to explore the role of efficiency in the general organization of the nervous system. Efficient representation theory predicts that neurons dynamically change their responses to changes in the environment in order to maintain their efficiency. To directly test the predication of this theory, a computational model and a neurophysiological experiment are used. Using a computational model, we investigate the sparseness of the response of...
Show moreIn this dissertat ion, the early visual system is used to explore the role of efficiency in the general organization of the nervous system. Efficient representation theory predicts that neurons dynamically change their responses to changes in the environment in order to maintain their efficiency. To directly test the predication of this theory, a computational model and a neurophysiological experiment are used. Using a computational model, we investigate the sparseness of the response of filters at each stage of the model of the visual pathway. We find that the temporal bandpass filter and the rectification in each stage improves the efficiency of the response representation. Moreover, we find that ON/nonlagged responses carry more information than OFF/ lagged responses in signals with low signal-to-noise ratios. In the neurophysiological experiment, the response of LGN cells is measured and compared to their input from the retina in awake cats during free-viewing of natural time-varying images using quasi-intracellular recording technique. We find that the neural responses in the retina and the LGN are efficient. However, the LGN response is more efficient, sparser and less correlated than the retina's response, and it carries less information about eye movements than the retina's. As a result the LGN represents the visual world with fewer spikes. The LGN response changes with the variation of visual input. The temporal correlation of the visual input changes with saccade timing. Accordingly, the temporal receptive field of the LGN also changes in order to maintain the decorrelation of the LGN response regardless of the saccade. The retina-thalamic transmission changes during and after a saccade in order to transmit useful information to the visual cortex and decreases during a saccade in order to eliminate the variation of the visual input during a saccade. However, the transmission increases after a saccade to facilitate the transmission of new information due to the new gaze direction in the visual environment. The temporal receptive field of the LGN, derived from the efficacy of the thalamic transmission, is causal and bimodal. Such a receptive field decorrelates the visual input and improves the sparseness of the LGN response representation.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000851
Subject Headings: Thalamus--Physiology, Neurotransmitter receptors, Developmental neurobiology, Visual pathways
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Long-term stress-induced changes in brain monoamines of the gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus. Neurotransmitters as indicators of physiological stress.
Creator: Brager, Darrin H., Florida Atlantic University, Lutz, Peter L.
Abstract/Description: It is well established that altered neurotransmitter levels have long been associated with stress in many mammals. The purpose of this study was to determine if changes in the brain tissue concentration and/or turnover rates of the monoamine neurotransmitters could be used as an early indicator of physiological stress for fish in different aquatic ecosystems. Gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus, were collected from two sites, a pristine (control) and a polluted (experimental) site, classification...
Show moreIt is well established that altered neurotransmitter levels have long been associated with stress in many mammals. The purpose of this study was to determine if changes in the brain tissue concentration and/or turnover rates of the monoamine neurotransmitters could be used as an early indicator of physiological stress for fish in different aquatic ecosystems. Gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus, were collected from two sites, a pristine (control) and a polluted (experimental) site, classification based upon the hydrocarbon content of their sediment. The brains were quickly removed and dissected into three regions: frontal lobes, hypothalamus, and brain stem which were later analyzed for using high performance liquid chromatography. A decrease in brain tissue norepinephrine and dopamine concentration in the frontal lobes and hypothalamus was observed in individuals collected from the polluted site. No significant difference in either norepinephrine or dopamine concentration was present in the brain stem. Despite a decrease in dopamine levels, there was no significant change in dopamine turnover. There was a significant decrease in serotonin concentration in the hypothalamus at the polluted site. There was an increase in serotonergic activity in the hypothalamus and brain stem at the polluted site. A significant decrease in the weight of the hypothalamus in fish from the polluted site was also observed. These results suggest that a change in brain monoamines can be used as a early indicators of chronic environmental stress.
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Date Issued: 1997
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15458
Subject Headings: Neurotransmitters, Gray snapper--Effect of stress on, Stress (Physiology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Role of taurine in the central nervous system.
Creator: Wu, Jang-Yen, Prentice, Howard
Date Issued: 2010-08-24
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT3327262
Subject Headings: Central Nervous System --metabolism, Glutamic Acid --metabolism, Homeostasis --physiology, Neuroprotective Agents --metabolism, Neurotransmitter Agents --metabolism, Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 --metabolism, Receptors, Neurotransmitter --metabolism, Signal Transduction --physiology, Taurine, Taurine --metabolism, Neuroprotective Agents, Neurotransmitter Agents
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Analyses of neuronal replacement in the neuron-depleted olfactory systems in adult mice.
Creator: Liu, Huan, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Abstract/Description: New neurons are continuously generated in the olfactory system of adult mice, including olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the olfactory epithelium (OE) and interneurons, produced in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and migrated toward olfactory bulb (OB) along rostral migratory stream (RMS). The present study observed the effects of target neuron loss on the life-span and maturation of adult-born OSNs in the OE and on the proliferation, migration and differentiation of SVZ stem cells in the...
Show moreNew neurons are continuously generated in the olfactory system of adult mice, including olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) in the olfactory epithelium (OE) and interneurons, produced in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and migrated toward olfactory bulb (OB) along rostral migratory stream (RMS). The present study observed the effects of target neuron loss on the life-span and maturation of adult-born OSNs in the OE and on the proliferation, migration and differentiation of SVZ stem cells in the forebrain after eliminating bulb neurons. We found the life-span of newborn neurons in the absence of synaptic targets was shortened, but the timing of maturation was not delayed. In addition, SVZ cells continued to divide and migrate to the damaged bulb, and the migration of newborn cells in the RMS on the contralateral side was delayed at 2 weeks post-BrdU. Also, the proliferation of cells in dentate gyrus of the hippocampus was not affected by OB damage at 3 weeks post-lesion, though lesion affects occurred in the adult SVZ/RMS.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/172671
Subject Headings: Mice as laboratory animals, Neurotransmitter receptors, Sensory neurons, Testing, Cellular control mechanisms
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The effect of ambient temperature on serotonin syndrome.
Creator: Krishnamoorthy, Swapna., Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Abstract/Description: Serotonin syndrome (SS) is a drug-induced toxicity caused by an excess of serotonin (5-HT) in the central nervous system (CNS). The symptoms of the disorder range from mild to severe, with the severe state evoking life-threatening hyperthermia. Autonomic dysfunction is controlled in part by serotonin receptors, with the 5-HT2A receptor responsible for increasing core body temperature (Tcor). Our results show that the 5-HT2A receptors on the preoptic/anterior hypothalamus (PO/AH) and...
Show moreSerotonin syndrome (SS) is a drug-induced toxicity caused by an excess of serotonin (5-HT) in the central nervous system (CNS). The symptoms of the disorder range from mild to severe, with the severe state evoking life-threatening hyperthermia. Autonomic dysfunction is controlled in part by serotonin receptors, with the 5-HT2A receptor responsible for increasing core body temperature (Tcor). Our results show that the 5-HT2A receptors on the preoptic/anterior hypothalamus (PO/AH) and prefrontal cortex (PFC), in particular, are sensitive to changes in ambient temperature (Tamb). The toxic increase of 5-HT is postulated to occur due to the temperature-dependent activation of these receptors that promotes a positive feedback mechanism. Our results suggest that changes in Tamb can either exacerbate or alleviate the symptom and that this is mediated by the 5-HT2A receptors. Understanding the mechanism involved in elevating Tcor is imperative in treating and preventing the disorder.
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Date Issued: 2008
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/186297
Subject Headings: Serotoninergic mechanisms, Central nervous system, Physiology, Body temperature, Regulation, Neurotransmitter receptors, Serotonin, Physiological effect
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Representation of object-in-context within mouse hippocampal neuronal activity.
Creator: Asgeirsdottir, Herborg Nanna, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: The rodent hippocampus is critical for processing spatial memory but its contribution to non-spatial, specifically object memory is debated. The cognitive map theory of hippocampal function states that the hippocampus stores relationships of goal locations (places) to discrete items (objects) encountered within environments. Dorsal CA1 place cells were recorded in male C57BL/6J mice performing three variations of the novel object recognition paradigm to define "object-in-context"...
Show moreThe rodent hippocampus is critical for processing spatial memory but its contribution to non-spatial, specifically object memory is debated. The cognitive map theory of hippocampal function states that the hippocampus stores relationships of goal locations (places) to discrete items (objects) encountered within environments. Dorsal CA1 place cells were recorded in male C57BL/6J mice performing three variations of the novel object recognition paradigm to define "object-in-context" representation of hippocampal neuronal activity that may support object memory. Results indicate, (i) that place field stability is higher when polarizing environmental cues are provided during object recognition; (ii) hippocampal place fields remain stable throughout the novel object recognition testing without a polarizing cue; and (iii) time dependent effects on stability when objects were dissociated from the context. These data indirectly support that the rodent hippocampus processes object memory, and challenge the view that "object-in-context" representations are formed when mice perform novel object recognition task.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362339
Subject Headings: Mice as laboratory animals, Hippocampus (Brain), Neurotransmitter receptors, Cellular control mechanisms, Cellular signal transduction
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Selective Activation of the SK1 Subtype of Small Conductance Ca2+ Activated K+ Channels by GW542573X in C57BL6J Mice Impairs Hippocampal-dependent Memory.
Creator: Rice Kuchera, Claire A., Stackman, Robert W., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: SK channels are small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels expressed throughout the CNS. SK channels modulate the excitability of hippocampal CA1 neurons by affecting afterhyperpolarization and shaping excitatory postsynaptic responses. Such SK-mediated effects on activity-dependent neuronal excitability and synaptic strength are thought to underlie the modulatory influence of SK channels on memory encoding. Here,the effect of a new SK1 selective activator, GW542573X, on hippocampal...
Show moreSK channels are small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels expressed throughout the CNS. SK channels modulate the excitability of hippocampal CA1 neurons by affecting afterhyperpolarization and shaping excitatory postsynaptic responses. Such SK-mediated effects on activity-dependent neuronal excitability and synaptic strength are thought to underlie the modulatory influence of SK channels on memory encoding. Here,the effect of a new SK1 selective activator, GW542573X, on hippocampal-dependent object memory, contextual and cued conditioning, and trace fear conditioning was examined. The results demonstrated that pre- but not post-training systemic administration of GW542573X impaired object memory and trace fear memory in mice 24 h after training. Contextual and cued fear memory were not disrupted. These current data suggest that activation of SK1 subtype-containing SK channels impairs long-term memory. These results are consistent with converging evidence that SK channel activation suppressed behaviorally triggered synaptic plasticity necessary for encoding hippocampal-dependent memory.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004541, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004541
Subject Headings: Cellular control mechanisms, Cognitive neuroscience, Cognitive psychology, Hippocampus (Brain), Mice as laboratory animals, Neurotransmitter receptors
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Neurotransmitter systems and EEG related to acupuncture.
Creator: Marshall, Michael L., Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Science
Abstract/Description: Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat a wide range of diseases, but the mechanisms involved in the process have remained a mystery. The present study measures EEG responses to stimulation of a specific acupuncture point, GB37 (Guang Ming), with two different types of manual needle stimulation. Previous studies stimulated for a maximum of 2 minutes. The present study reflects the normal acupuncture treatment time of 20 minutes, with EEG recordings during and for 10 minutes...
Show moreAcupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat a wide range of diseases, but the mechanisms involved in the process have remained a mystery. The present study measures EEG responses to stimulation of a specific acupuncture point, GB37 (Guang Ming), with two different types of manual needle stimulation. Previous studies stimulated for a maximum of 2 minutes. The present study reflects the normal acupuncture treatment time of 20 minutes, with EEG recordings during and for 10 minutes prior to and after stimulation. Our results show no changes in the global spatial and temporal properties of EEG during and shortly after acupuncture treatment of acupoint GB37. The second part of this study examines the global protein expression of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) knockout mice. GAD is the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of GABA, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. The protein content of wild type, hetero-, and homozygous GAD knockout mice brains were determined using a LC-MS-based gel-free shotgun profiling of complex protein mixtures. The data was analyzed using the Raculovic algorithm to determine the proteins differences. A short list of 32 proteins was determined with four that have been shown to be significant proteins that influence cell survival and excitotoxicity in the brain and have potential relationships with GABA. These proteins include VATPase, Glutamine synthetase, Beta-synuclein, and Micortuble associated protein (MAP). The proteomics results provide a preliminary best guess list of proteins influencing GAD and GABA production.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3318669
Subject Headings: Acupuncture points, Integrative medicine, Mind and body therapies, Proteomics, Neurotransmitter receptors
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The Limbic Thalamus.
Creator: Hoover, Walter Boyd III, Florida Atlantic University, Vertes, Robert P., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences
Abstract/Description: The thalamus has been traditionally viewed as a structural relay to specific cortical areas behaviorally associated with sensory or motor functions, and thalamic nuclei that function in this manner are referred to as 'relay nuclei·. However. the parts of the thalamus interconnecting limbic association cortices (functionally involved in memory. reward, emotion. and decision making) comprise the midline and intralaminar nuclei. The midline thalamus has not been examined fully at the anatomical,...
Show moreThe thalamus has been traditionally viewed as a structural relay to specific cortical areas behaviorally associated with sensory or motor functions, and thalamic nuclei that function in this manner are referred to as 'relay nuclei·. However. the parts of the thalamus interconnecting limbic association cortices (functionally involved in memory. reward, emotion. and decision making) comprise the midline and intralaminar nuclei. The midline thalamus has not been examined fully at the anatomical, physiological. or behavioral level, and may serve as an important relay between cortical and subcortical structures and the limbic system. The work incorporated into this dissertation included five axonal tract tracing projects that were conducted in the rat. to explore and test the hypothesis that the midline thalamus serves as an important interface between limbic structures including the amygdala. nucleus accumbens. medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampal formation. An important finding was the demonstration of a closed anatomical loop between the hippocampal formation, the ventral medial prefrontal cortex and the ventral midline thalamus: CA 1/subiculum > PLIIL > RE > CA 1/subiculum. Another finding was that 1) the hippocampal formation innervates the entire medial prefrontal cortex; and 2) the hippocampal formation projects more heavily to ventral as compared to dorsal cortices in the mPFC. The paraventricular, parataenial, rhomboid and reuniens nuclei of the midline thalamus were shown to distribute to limbic structures important for cognitive processing: the amygdala, nucleus accumbens, hippocampal formation, parahippocampal cortex, and the prefrontal cortex. Present results demonstrate that the ventral midline nuclei (reuniens and rhomboid) extensively innervate limbic cortical structures (the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampal formation) whereas dorsal midline nuclei (paraventricular and parataenial) distribute more heavily to subcortical limbic structures (the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens). These midline nuclei may, therefore, relay information between these limbic areas. This connectivity suggests that the midline nuclei could further be subdivided from the intralaminar and relay groups. The midline thalamic nuclei would, therefore, comprise the limbic thalamus.
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Date Issued: 2007
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00000861
Subject Headings: Neuroanatomy, Limbic system--Physiology, Prefrontal cortex--Physiology, Thalamus--Physiology, Neurotransmitter receptors
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Effects of target neuron loss on olfactory sensory neurons in adult mice.
Creator: Ardiles, Yona., Florida Atlantic University, Guthrie, Kathleen M.
Abstract/Description: Olfactory sensory neurons (OSN) expressing the same odor receptor (OR) project their axons to topographically fixed glomeruli in the olfactory bulb (OB). This topographic map results from axon guidance mechanisms determined by ORs, glia and molecular guidance cues. The present study examined the organization of mature OSNs expressing the P2 OR in adult mice after ablation of bulb neurons with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). Rapid neuronal degeneration was followed by progressive laminar...
Show moreOlfactory sensory neurons (OSN) expressing the same odor receptor (OR) project their axons to topographically fixed glomeruli in the olfactory bulb (OB). This topographic map results from axon guidance mechanisms determined by ORs, glia and molecular guidance cues. The present study examined the organization of mature OSNs expressing the P2 OR in adult mice after ablation of bulb neurons with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA). Rapid neuronal degeneration was followed by progressive laminar disorganization of the OB and glomerular shrinkage. P2 axon targeting and convergence was maintained within degenerating glomeruli for up to 2 weeks. After that time, fewer P2 axons were observed in the lesioned OB with fewer P2 neurons in the olfactory epithelium (OE). By 3 weeks, the mature OSN population was reduced and the immature population was increased. These results suggest that bulbar synaptic contacts do not maintain sensory axon convergence in the adult, but regulate neuronal survival in the OE.
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Date Issued: 2004
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13166
Subject Headings: Sensory neurons--Testing, Senses and sensation, Neurotransmitter receptors, Mice as laboratory animals, Smell--Research--Methodology
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Roles of serotonin 2A receptor in a serotonin syndrome.
Creator: Zhang, Gongliang, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Science
Abstract/Description: Serotonin (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Decrease in the brain 5-HT level could induce depression, showing a state of low mood, aversion to motion and feeling of worthlessness. About 12 million adults in the United States have depression. Antidepressants, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, can alleviate the depressive mood by increasing the brain's 5-HT activity, however they can also induce a potentially life...
Show moreSerotonin (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Decrease in the brain 5-HT level could induce depression, showing a state of low mood, aversion to motion and feeling of worthlessness. About 12 million adults in the United States have depression. Antidepressants, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, can alleviate the depressive mood by increasing the brain's 5-HT activity, however they can also induce a potentially life-threatening side effect, namely 5-HT syndrome. This syndrome is manifested by neuromuscular hyperactivities, mental disorders and autonomic dysfunctions. Clinical studies have demonstrated that 5-HT2A receptor antagonists could effectively block severe symptoms of patients with the 5-HT syndrome. To understand the underlying mechanisms, in this study we examined the activity of the 5-HT2A receptor in rats with the 5-HT syndrome evoked by a combined injection of clorgyline, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor , and paroxetine, a selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor. The major findings from my study were that: (1) Chronic clorgyline treatment significantly exacerbated 5-HT2A receptor-mediated symptoms of the 5-HT syndrome animals; (2) The 5-HT2A receptor-mediated symptoms were also aggravated when the 5-HT syndrome animals were housed in warm (32 ÀC) ambient temperature; (3) Blocking 5-HT2A receptors in the medial prefrontal cortex alleviated the 5-HT syndrome through a circuit between raphe serotonergic neurons and medial prefrontal cortex glutamatergic neurons. Taken together, my data demonstrate that the activity of 5-HT2A receptors may be enhanced by chronic antidepressant treatment and warm environmental temperature., The sensitized 5-HT2A receptor in the medial prefrontal cortex may exacerbate the syndrome through a positive-feedback circuit between medial prefrontal cortex and raphe nuclei, which would result in excessive 5-HT in the brain. This study casts a new light on the underlying mechanisms of the 5-HT syndrome.
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Date Issued: 2010
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/2100576
Subject Headings: Serotonin uptake inhibitors, Therapeutic use, Serotonin uptake inhibitors, Physiological effect, Serotonin, Receptors, Physiological effect, Central nervous system, Physiology, Neurotransmitter receptors, Serotoninergic mechanisms
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Over-Expression of BDNF Does Not Rescue Sensory Deprivation-Induced Death of Adult-Born Olfactory Granule Cells.
Creator: Berger, Rachel A., Guthrie, Kathleen M., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Science
Abstract/Description: It is of interest to understand how new neurons incorporate themselves into the existing circuitry of certain neuronal populations. One such population of neurons is that which are born in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and migrate to the olfactory bulb where they differentiate into granule cells. Another area of interest is the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on the survival and overall health of these neurons. This study aimed to test whether or not BDNF is a survival factor...
Show moreIt is of interest to understand how new neurons incorporate themselves into the existing circuitry of certain neuronal populations. One such population of neurons is that which are born in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and migrate to the olfactory bulb where they differentiate into granule cells. Another area of interest is the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on the survival and overall health of these neurons. This study aimed to test whether or not BDNF is a survival factor for adult-born granule cells. Here were utilized a transgenic mouse model over-expressing BDNF under the α- calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CAMKIIα) promoter, and tested its effect on olfactory granule cells under sensory deprived conditions. Results from this experiment indicated that there was no significant difference in cell death or cell survival when comparing transgenic and wild type animals. We concluded that BDNF is not a survival factor for adult-born granule cells.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004722, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004722
Subject Headings: Cellular control mechanisms, Mice as laboratory animals, Nervous system -- Diseases -- Gene therapy, Neural circuitry, Neuroplasticity, Neurotransmitter receptors, Sensory deprivation, Sensory neurons -- Testing
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Of Mice, Men and Memories: The Role of the Rodent Hippocampus in Object Recognition.
Creator: Cohen, Sarah J., Stackman, Robert W., Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences
Abstract/Description: Establishing appropriate animal models for the study of human memory is paramount to the development of memory disorder treatments. Damage to the hippocampus, a medial temporal lobe brain structure, has been implicated in the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. In humans, the role of the hippocampus is largely defined; yet, its role in rodents is much less clear due to conflicting findings. To investigate these discrepancies, an extensive review of the rodent...
Show moreEstablishing appropriate animal models for the study of human memory is paramount to the development of memory disorder treatments. Damage to the hippocampus, a medial temporal lobe brain structure, has been implicated in the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. In humans, the role of the hippocampus is largely defined; yet, its role in rodents is much less clear due to conflicting findings. To investigate these discrepancies, an extensive review of the rodent literature was conducted, with a focus on studies that used the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) paradigm for testing. The total amount of time the objects were explored during training and the delay imposed between training and testing seemed to determine hippocampal recruitment in rodents. Male C57BL/6J mice were implanted with bilateral dorsal CA1 guide cannulae to allow for the inactivation of the hippocampus at discrete time points in the task. The results suggest that the rodent hippocampus is crucial to the encoding, consolidation and retrieval of object memory. Next, it was determined that there is a delay-dependent involvement of the hippocampus in object memory, implying that other structures may be supporting the memory prior to the recruitment of hippocampus. In addition, when the context memory and object memory could be further dissociated, by altering the task design, the results imply a necessary role for the hippocampus in the object memory, irrespective of context. Also, making the task more perceptually demanding, by requiring the mice to perform a two-dimensional to three-dimensional association between stimuli, engaged the hippocampus. Then, in the traditional NOR task, long and short training exploration times were imposed to determine brain region activity for weak and strong object memory. The inactivation and immunohistochemistry findings imply weak object memory is perirhinal cortex dependent, while strong object memory is hippocampal-dependent. Taken together, the findings suggest that mice, like humans, process object memory on a continuum from weak to strong, recruiting the hippocampus conditionally for strong familiarity. Confirming this functional similarity between the rodent and human object memory systems could be beneficial for future studies investigating memory disorders.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004580
Subject Headings: Memory--Research., Mice as laboratory animals., Hippocampus (Brain)--Physiology., Episodic memory., Neurotransmitter receptors., Cellular control mechanisms., Cellular signal transduction., Human information processing.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Reciprocal regulation between taurine and glutamate response via Ca2+ - dependent pathways in retinal third-order neurons.
Creator: Bulley, Simon, Shen, Wen
Date Issued: 2010-08-24
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3327274
Subject Headings: Amacrine Cells*/cytology, Amacrine Cells*/drug effects, Amacrine Cells*/metabolism, Ambystoma, Calcium/metabolism, Calcium Channels/metabolism, Cells, Cultured, Enzyme Inhibitors/metabolism, Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists/pharmacology, GABA Antagonists/pharmacology, Glutamic Acid/metabolism, Glycine Agents/pharmacology, Kainic Acid/pharmacology, Membrane Glycoproteins, Membrane Potentials, Neurotransmitter Agents, Retinal Ganglion Cells, Signal Transduction, Synaptic Transmission
Format: Document (PDF)

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