The Role of BDNF Expression In Chronic Ethanol Usage

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Porter, Caleb The Role of BDNF Expression In Chronic Ethanol Usage Faculty Mentor: Scott Steffensen, Neuroscience Introduction It has been observed that chronic exposure to drugs of abuse, particularly opiates, increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in ventral tegmental area (VTA) neurons. In particular, BDNF expression is dramatically increased during drug withdrawal, which would suggest […]

Role of Exercise and Stress in Memory and Learning of the Hippocampus

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Baker, Paul Role of Exercise and Stress in Memory and Learning of the Hippocampus Dr. Jeff Edwards, Neuroscience Introduction Some of the most devastating diseases today are diseases of the mind. Common side effects of Alzheimer’s disease are dementia and memory loss and more than 44 million people suffer from the disease worldwide [1]. Other […]

Cognitive Control and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

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Katherine Slinn and Faculty Mentor: Michael Larson, Psychology and Neuroscience Introduction This project was an in-depth statistical analysis of previously collected data in order to explore the hypothesis that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with a decrease in the ability to regulate behavior and to apply top-down cognitive control. OCD has been diagnosed in approximately […]

Marital Satisfaction, Error-observation, and the Brain: Harmful or Beneficial Effects of Spouse Observation?

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Chelsea Romney and Michael Larson, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Introduction Romney, Chelsea Marital Satisfaction, Error-observation, and the Brain: Harmful or Beneficial Effects of Spouse Observation? Faculty Mentor: Larson, Michael, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Introduction Rewarding marital relationships are associated with many positive outcomes in one’s physical and mental health (Robles, & Kiecolt-Glaser, 2003). […]

Receiving reward’s effect on Ego-depletion

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Travis Johnson and Michael J. Larson, PhD, Psychology and Neuroscience Introduction Recent research suggests that willpower–the capacity to exert self-control–is a limited resource that is depleted after exertion (Job, Dweck & Walton, 2010). We aimed to explore the influence of ego-depletion on how we process rewards and punishment. Ego depletion specifically refers to the idea […]

Electrophysiological Testing of Iterhemispheric Transfer in Individuals with Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

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Nathan Alder and Michael J. Larson, PhD, Psychology and Neuroscience Introduction A key issue in mild traumatic brain injury (TBI; also known as concussion) research is the identification and validation of a cost-effective, physiological measure that accurately identifies individuals who have experienced a mild TBI, is robust against motivation difficulties, and aids in the prediction […]

The Effects of Chronic Ethanol in δ Knockout Mice

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Zachary Gardner and Scott Steffensen, Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience Introduction Substance abuse is a prolific problem with serious consequences. Specifically, alcohol abuse is the third leading cause of preventable mortality in the world (Mokdad et al., 2004). Each year the far-reaching effects of alcohol abuse cost the United States several hundred billion […]

Effects of Exercise on Food-Related Cognition

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Tyshae Davis and Michael J. Larson, Psychology and Neuroscience Project Purpose Since the Yerkes-Dodson theory was initially put forward (as early as 1906), multiple theorists have suggested an inverted-U relationship between physiological arousal and cognitive performance. Literature on this topic, however, is mixed, with some studies showing evidence supporting the inverted-U relationship and others showing […]

Polymorphisms of the Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene and the Association with Stress

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Randall Beck and Michael J. Larson, Psychology and Neuroscience Introduction Polymorphisms in the GR gene are an interesting and important area of research as these polymorphisms may be associated with an attenuated ability to cope with stress. This project bridged an unexplored gap between cellular and environmental stress and the expression of the GR gene—specifically […]

Depression, Suicide, and Performance Monitoring: Identifying Neuroelectric Markers of Suicidal Behavior

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Kaylie Carbine and Michael Larson, Psychology and Neuroscience Introduction From 2000-2009, suicide mortality rates increased by 15% (Rockett, et al., 2012) and 98% of individuals who complete suicide have diagnosable psychopathology (Bertolote, Fleischmann, De Leo, & Wasserman, 2003). Individuals at risk for suicide exhibit cognitive impairments in decision-making and problem-solving abilities (Pollock & Williams, 2004; […]