Category: General Neuroscience

Health and Medicine, Neuroscience

Nicotine exposure discovered to block aromatase activity in healthy women

Jessica George ’24 Figure 1 Nicotine use disorder has a profound impact on hormones, yet sex differences are poorly understood. Maintaining a harmonious sex-hormone balance is essential for the optimal functioning of the body, as it regulates a wide range of physiological processes. Aromatase serves as the critical enzyme responsible for the conversion of androgens into estrogens, a process fundamental to functions associated with emotional … Continue reading Nicotine exposure discovered to block aromatase activity in healthy women

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Brain, Neurology

Understanding the Neurobiology of Love and Deception

Julia Chivu ’23 Figure 1  Couple holding hands walking towards a multi-colored sunset Recent scientific research has been increasingly focused on better understanding the complex relationship between deception and love. The study of deception within relationships and across genders is essential for interpreting the correlation between human behavior, neural mechanisms, and trust. A research team from Zhejiang Normal University investigated the neurological mechanisms of deception … Continue reading Understanding the Neurobiology of Love and Deception

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Neuroscience

Radiation-Induced Cognitive Decline Impairs Hippocampal Neurogenesis

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Figure 1: A radiograph captured by X-ray, which produces ionizing radiation, a form of radiation that poses risks of damage to internal tissue. Ionizing radiation is any radiation traveling in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles with enough energy to knock electrons out of the orbit of atoms. While therapies such as radiotherapy for cancer are intended to emit ionizing radiation … Continue reading Radiation-Induced Cognitive Decline Impairs Hippocampal Neurogenesis

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2022-23, Brain, Cognition, General Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Year

Microdosing Psychedelics

Shahzadi Adeena ’25 In recent years, there has been a growing interest in microdosing psychedelic drugs as a potential tool for enhancing cognitive abilities and improving overall wellbeing. Vince Polito and Richard J. Stevenson of Macquarie University investigated the effects of microdosing psychedelics on psychological variables such as mood, attention, wellbeing, mindfulness, mystical experiences, personality, absorption, creativity, and sense of agency. The researchers hypothesized that … Continue reading Microdosing Psychedelics

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2022-23, Brain, General Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Year

Return of Consciousness After Traumatic Brain Injury

Shahzadi Adeena ’25 Understanding the fundamental mechanisms of consciousness, particularly following traumatic brain injury (TBI), is nuanced and challenging. Thalamic function plays a critical role in facilitating consciousness; injury to thalamus-frontal circuitry can impair consciousness. Sima Mofakham and Charles Millek of Stony Brook University hypothesized that thalamocortical projections to the frontoparietal network facilitate the complex dynamics needed for consciousness, and that injury to these connections … Continue reading Return of Consciousness After Traumatic Brain Injury

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2022-23, Biology, Brain, General Neuroscience

Racial Disparities in Recommendation of Resective Surgery Undermines Treatment of Brain Tumors

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Brain tumors—abnormal and typically cancerous growths of uncontrollably multiplying cells—are often first treated using a surgical approach. Benign and malignant brain tumors may be addressed with excision (partial removal) or resection (complete removal) procedures once an evaluation of surgical indications has established their necessity. As such, these procedures require the physicians with whom patients consult—whether neurosurgeons, oncologists, neurologists, or other specialties—to explicitly … Continue reading Racial Disparities in Recommendation of Resective Surgery Undermines Treatment of Brain Tumors

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2022-23, Brain, Degenerative Disease, General Neuroscience, Year

Growth of Artificial Brain Tumors Using Three Dimensional Cell Culture

Julia Chivu ’23 Three dimensional culture systems and patient derived cells successfully allow for tumoroid development. Tumoroids are structures that grow and appear morphologically similar to naturally growing tumors in a patient. Tumoroids show promise for testing new drugs and cancer treatments. For instance, glioblastoma is a form of brain cancer that is aggressive, fast growing, and deadly. In particular, the mesenchymal subtype of this … Continue reading Growth of Artificial Brain Tumors Using Three Dimensional Cell Culture

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2022-23, Brain, General Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Sociology, Year

Racial Disparities in Childhood Adversity Exposure Influence Neuroanatomical Development

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 Childhood adversity is a broad term encompassing a range of experiences and circumstances that negatively impact a child’s well-being and development. Such circumstances include trauma and exposure to violence, all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and family economic hardship, with profound and stratified implications for lifelong health. Lasting effects often include the development of toxic stress responses, accumulating hormones that over-activate certain … Continue reading Racial Disparities in Childhood Adversity Exposure Influence Neuroanatomical Development

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2022-23, General Neuroscience, Neuroscience, Year

Early Taste Experiences Drive Neural Responsiveness and Plasticity in Gustatory Cortex Circuits

Vignesh Subramanian ’24 An individual’s taste preference strongly influences their food choice, impacting their diet and, in turn, their health. Taste preference is defined as an individual’s partiality towards a particular food based on their sensory perception of its taste modalities (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, etc.), flavor, texture, and a host of other factors, and is in part guided by early experiences that identify foods … Continue reading Early Taste Experiences Drive Neural Responsiveness and Plasticity in Gustatory Cortex Circuits

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2022-23, Cognition, General Neuroscience, Health and Medicine, Uncategorized, Year

Dancing on the Way to Good Health: The Implications for Culturally Relevant Dancing in the Latino Older Adult Population

Peter Gillespie ’25 Figure 1  Merengue, cha-cha cha, bachata, and salsa are four popular forms of dancing that have the potential to increase physical activity, thereby helping to prevent cognitive decline. Physical activity is crucial in improving the health of older individuals. Within the Latino community, there is a rich cultural history of various genres of dance that may help promote  widespread physical activity among … Continue reading Dancing on the Way to Good Health: The Implications for Culturally Relevant Dancing in the Latino Older Adult Population

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2022-23, Cognition, Degenerative Disease, General Neuroscience, Uncategorized, Year

Inflammatory diet associated with cognitive impairment 

By: Jessica George, Class of 2024 Figure 1: dietary patterns may predict cognitive decline in older adults Cognitive decline is a major public health concern that affects millions of older adults worldwide. Age-related cognitive decline can lead to mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. While there is no cure for these conditions, early detection and intervention can improve outcomes and quality of life … Continue reading Inflammatory diet associated with cognitive impairment 

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2022-23, Biology, Medicine and Physiology, Neurology

Development of Innovative Burn Assessment Technique Using Neural Network

Julia Chivu ’23 The current burn injury evaluation methods available for clinical use are ineffective and outdated. These circumstances are problematic as the initial injury assessment is necessary to ensure the best clinical treatment plan for the patient. Burns can lead to deep tissue damages, necrosis, and severe scarring. Without a proper course of action, the injury can negatively impact the patient’s quality of life, … Continue reading Development of Innovative Burn Assessment Technique Using Neural Network

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