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.
Fomum-Mugri, Larissa (2010). An Investigation of Preclinical Cognitive Impairments in the Rat Cycad Progressive Model of Parkinson’s Disease. (Mentor: A. Bailey)
Abstract
Previous research has indicated the grave implications of consuming the cycad seed present in the cycad plant, Cycas micronesica. Chamorro individuals in Guam who consumed washed cycad seeds and rodent models given cycad seeds both develop neurological symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Washed cycad seeds fed to rodents have been shown to model the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Unlike the other animal models which demonstrate PD at either an earlier or later stage, this method shows progressive deterioration with eventual motor deficits similar to PD. Subjects in this study were fed washed cycad seeds for 114 days and tested for the changes in cognition. Animals were tested on a delayed non-matching to position task, a set shifting task, and a water maze task.
