Seminars & Events
Monday, February 11, 2013: Dr. Daphne Soares (University of Maryland College Park) will speak on "The Sensory World of Cavefishes" at 4:45 pm in Goodpaster Hall 195.
Monday, March 4, 2013: Dr. Joe Cheer (University of Maryland Baltimore) will speak on "Endogenous Cannabinoids and the Pursuit of Reward" at 4:45 pm in Goodpaster Hall 195.
Friday, April 12, 2013: Dr. Jill McGaughy (University of New Hampshire) will speak on "The Role of Cortical Norepinephrine in the Ontogeny of Executive Function" at 3:00 pm in Schaefer Hall 106.
Alumni Highlight
Dr. Erin Johnson '02 recently received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, and was inducted as an alumni member of Nu Rho Psi.
SMP Spotlight
Ron Saul, "Chronic activation of the substantia nigra nociceptin/orphanin receptor induces motor deficits similar to Parkinson's disease," 2008. Saul, the 2008 winner of the Neuroscience Award, infused a drug into the substantia nigra of rats and measured the resulting motor behaviors, mood disturbances, and cognitive abilities.
Bailey, A. M., Kallarackal, A. J., Chen, M. , & Simard, J. M. (2006, October). Apamin significantly improves spatial cognition in a mouse model of Neurofibromatosis 1. Poster session to be presented at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is a common genetic disorder known to cause a variety of physiological symptoms and is associated with visuospatial learning impairments. Investigations with a mouse model of neurofibromatosis 1 (Nf1) have previously found impaired long-term potentiation, a significant up-regulation of small conductance calcium activated potassium type 1 (SK1) channels, and impaired spatial learning in a water maze. We investigated possible involvement of SK1 channels in spatial learning deficits in Nf1+/- mice by administering apamin, a potent SK channel blocker, and examining performance in a water maze. Forty-four Nf1+/- mice and 41 C57BL6 (wild type, WT) mice were administered either 0.2 mg/kg apamin, 0.4 mg/kg apamin, or physiological saline through i.p. injection or micro-osmotic pumps. All mice were given 24 spatial training trials over 6 days with probe tests conducted immediately following the 4th, 12th, 20th, and 24th trials. Immediately following the final probe test, mice were given a visual test in the water maze. There were no differences between Nf1+/- and WT mice in the visual test. Nf1+/- mice treated with saline were significantly impaired in the water maze in comparison to WT mice. Both 0.2 mg/kg and 0.4 mg/kg of apamin significantly improved water maze performance in the Nf1+/- mice on the third day of training and on the corresponding probe test. The results indicate a significant improvement in spatial cognition following apamin treatment in Nf1+/- mice and a potential direction for future research regarding the learning deficits seen in NF1.
