Browsing Centre for Neuroscience Studies Graduate Theses by Publish Date
Now showing items 1-20 of 251
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Visual and olfactory sensory systems employed by monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) to locate their milkweed host plants
(2007-08-09)Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are well known to depend almost exclusively on milkweed (genus Asclepias) host plants for oviposition sites, as their larvae need to ingest compounds critical for adult butterfly ... -
Representation of object dynamics for action
(2007-09-12)The human hand has evolved to be remarkably good at skillfully manipulating objects. This manipulation requires knowledge of the dynamic properties of an object, which is represented in the central nervous system (CNS) by ... -
The effects of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) on gait in chronic stroke
(2007-09-17)Excessive muscle tone or stiffness secondary to stroke frequently involves the ankle plantarflexors and has been associated with decreased mobility and reduced function. Although becoming more common in clinical practice, ... -
Double Dissociation of the Effects of Haloperidol and the Dopamine D3 Receptor-Specific Antagonist ABT-127 on Acquisition vs. Expression of Cocaine Conditioned Activity
(2007-09-19)The psychostimulant effects of cocaine can be associated with environmental stimuli and thus can be easily conditioned in a laboratory setting. In rats, both behavioural stimulant and reinforcing effects of cocaine have ... -
Activity in regions sensitive to auditory speech is modified during speech production: fMRI evidence for an efference copy
(2007-10-01)Models of speech production postulate that, in order to facilitate rapid and precise control of articulation, the predicted auditory feedback is sent to the auditory system to be compared with incoming sensory data. If ... -
Nuclei-Specific Response to Pain in the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis
(2007-10-01)The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) is a basal forebrain cluster of several distinct nuclei. It has been proposed that the BST coordinates autonomic, neuroendocrine, and behavioral functions through the integration ... -
Muscles that see: early muscle activations are time-locked to the onset of visual targets
(2007-10-03)The visual grasp reflex provides automatic orienting of gaze (the visual axis in space) to novel visual stimuli. Previous studies have demonstrated activation of neck muscles of awake monkeys appearing at a short fixed ... -
Activation of EPAC Inhibits the Aquisition of Nucleus Accumbens Amphetamine Place Preference in a Dose-Dependent Manner in Rats
(2008-04-28)Reward-related learning occurs when previously neutral stimuli acquires an enhanced ability to elicit approach and other responses. Studies in the past have shown that dopamine receptor-mediated 3’,5’-cyclic adenosine ... -
Saccadic eye movements and executive function in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD): Results from a multi-centered study
(2008-09-04)A serious consequence of maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is the fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS): characterized by growth deficiency (both pre- and post-natal), craniofacial dysmorphology and central nervous ... -
Balancing Energy Demands with the Potential for Threat in the Environment
(2008-09-19)In their natural environment animals must balance their safety requirements (i.e., avoiding predation) with their need to satisfy their energy demands (i.e., securing food). How the brain integrates these competing demands ... -
Behavioural and Neuroimaging Studies of the Influence of Semantic Context on the Perception of Speech in Noise
(2008-09-19)Meaningful semantic context has been shown to improve comprehension of spoken sentences by young and old adults, especially in difficult listening conditions. Whether older adults benefit differently than younger adults ... -
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Pain in the Spinal Cord and Brainstem
(2008-09-26)Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies performed to date have focused on brain structures rostral to the thalamus, although the first level of sensory information and pain transmission occurs at the spinal ... -
Simultaneous Imaging and Current Clamp Recordings from Hippocampal Slices during Simulated Ischemia
(2008-09-27)Following sudden failure of the Na+/K+ATPase pump, the acute neuronal swelling and dendritic damage that occurs within minutes of stroke onset are consequences of anoxic depolarization (AD). The AD front in our protocol ... -
The characterization of the olfactory ensheathing cell phenotype by protein analysis
(2008-10-09)Over the recent years, olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) have gained world-wide attention due to their reputed potential in promoting spinal cord regeneration and repair. In order to isolate, identify, and characterize ... -
Countermanding in Rats as an Animal Model of Inhibition of Action: Validation of the Race Model
(2008-10-09)Executive function, the cognitive processes that allow the voluntary control of goal-directed behaviour, can be studied through the examination of inhibition of action. The countermanding paradigm has been shown to be a ... -
The Distribution of Serotoninergic and Noradrenergic Synapses on the Dendritic Trees of Spinal Motoneurons
(2008-10-21)The currents generated by excitatory and inhibitory synapses on motoneurons can be amplified by noradrenalin and serotonin. Both of these neurotransmitters act, and interact, via the same Gq-protein second-messenger system ... -
The Relationship Between Bottom-Up Saliency and Gaze Behaviour During Audiovisual Speech Perception
(2009-01-12)Face-to-face communication is one of the most natural forms of interaction between humans. Speech perception is an important part of this interaction. While speech could be said to be primarily auditory in nature, visual ... -
Neural Processes Involved in Action Selection During a Mixed-Strategy Game
(2009-02-02)Game theory outlines optimal response strategies during mixed-strategy competitions in which available actions are selected probabilistically. The neural processes involved in choosing individual strategic actions, however, ... -
Preferential Potentiation of Weaker Inputs to Primary Visual Cortex by Activation of the Basal Forebrain in Urethane Anesthetized Rats
(2009-03-31)The ability of the brain to store information and adapt to changes in the sensory environment stems from the capability of neurons to change their communication with other neurons (“synaptic plasticity”). However, the ... -
Adiponectin Modulates Excitability of Subfornical Organ Neurons at Different Energy States
(2009-04-01)Adiponectin (ADP) is an adipokine, which acts as an insulin sensitizing hormone. Recent studies have shown that adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1, AdipoR2) are present in the CNS; however, there is some debate as to whether ...