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== LIGHTNING TALKS BY STUDENTS! ===<br>
<br>
Daniel G. Taub<br>
" Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, the Thyroid Axis, and Brain
Development"<br>
Abstract: Thyroid hormone is essential for normal brain development.
A lack of thyroid hormone during development can result in severe
deficits in cognition, I.Q., and psychomotor capabilities. The
importance of thyroid hormone during development is emphasized by
the fact that every baby born in the United States is screened for
thyroid function. Recently, a number of industrial chemicals, termed
endocrine disrupting chemicals, have been found to interact with the
thyroid axis and subsequently, alter brain development. My work in
the Zoeller Lab at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst has been
examining the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of
endocrine disrupting chemicals on the thyroid axis and brain
development. Using a novel genetic model and analyzing several
sensitive endpoints has provided more insight into the molecular
foundation of thyroid hormone action in the developing brain<br>
The Ray and Lorna Coppinger Endowment and the Program in Culture,
Brain, and Development provided funding for this research.<br>
<a
href="http://www.hampshire.edu/cs/Ray%20&%20Lorna%20Coppinger%20Endowment%20Grants.htm">http://www.hampshire.edu/cs/Ray%20&%20Lorna%20Coppinger%20Endowment%20Grants.htm</a><br>
<a href="http://www.hampshire.edu/cbd/8124.htm">http://www.hampshire.edu/cbd/8124.htm</a>.<br>
<br>
Dylan Furlong<br>
"The Effects of Sleep Quality on the Processing of Emotional Facial
Expressions"<br>
Abstract: Sleep deprivation is known to have strong effects on our
ability to perceive and respond to emotional stimuli. However
relatively little is known about how sleep deprivation might affect
the processing of facial expressions. For my division III project I
examined the effects of sleep deprivation on facial processing using
ERP.<br>
<br>
Steven Myers<br>
"Utilizing Biology and Neuroendocinology to Contextualize Masculine
Gender: Sexual Dimorphisms in the Form and Function of the Body and
Mind"<br>
Abstract: Gender is often considered a social construct that one's
socioeconomic and cultural upbringing, surroundings, and experiences
shape. While this is true, biology also plays a role in shaping
gender. This work is an exploration of that in two parts, and using
sex differences as a starting point. Those parts are: I) How audio
visual cues can signal masculinity. Such as: pitch of voice, word
choice, gait, and the biometrics of walking. II) How testosterone,
vasopressin, and oxytocin act on the brain to produce masculine
behavior.<br>
<br>
Julie Sargent<br>
"Changing Practice Patterns of Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson's
Disease in the USA"<br>
Abstract: Randomized control studies have shown deep brain
stimulation (DBS) to be an effective treatment for Parkinson's
disease (PD). Outside of large-center studies, little is known about
trends of DBS in the USA . We employ the Nationwide Inpatient Sample
to look at changes in DBS utilization over time. We identified all
individuals with PD (332.0) and essential tremor (ET) (333.1) who
underwent DBS (02.93) from 1998 to 2007. We examined demographics,
hospital status, comorbidities and in-hospital systematic/technical
complications. DBS patients from 2000 to 2007 were compared using
chi-squared tests. PD patients from the 2007 sample who underwent
DBS were older (p=0.01). Both ET and PD patients had significantly
more comorbidities in 2007 (p<0.001). In hospital complications
decreased from 3.8 to 2.8%. DBS was performed in medium or high
volume centers in 70% of cases in 2000 and 9n 50% in 2007. In all
groups, a majority of cases (range 65-71%) underwent DBS at
hospitals in the western and southern USA . Patients who underwent
DBS in the 2007 sample were older and had more comorbidities than
those in the 2000 sample, in hospital complications remained low.
Understanding trends in DBS is helpful in assessing how the
technology is adopted and what relationships should be further
explored.<br>
<br>
Jake Vogel<br>
"Confirming and expanding upon differences in resting alpha EEG
asymmetry between depressed and non-depressed men. "<br>
Abstract: Differences in resting alpha asymmetry have been
consistently found between depressed and non-depressed individuals,
in both frontal and parietal scalp sites, suggesting this measure to
be a putative state or trait marker for depression. However, this
phenomenon has been understudied in males, and existing research has
found inconsistent results. Paying close attention to methodological
details, EEG was taken and alpha asymmetry compared between
depressed and non-depressed men. Results demonstrated a significant
linear relationship between depression scores and frontal alpha
asymmetry, where individuals with higher depression scores
demonstrated more right frontal alpha activity. Temporal and, in
particular, parietal channels also revealed interesting
depression/alpha asymmetry relationship. These results confirmed
findings from a pair of recent studies showing that depressed male
alpha asymmetry patterns occur in the opposite direction that of
depressed females.<br>
The Ray and Lorna Coppinger Endowment and the Program in Culture,
Brain, and Development provided funding for this research.<br>
<a
href="http://www.hampshire.edu/cs/Ray%20&%20Lorna%20Coppinger%20Endowment%20Grants.htm">http://www.hampshire.edu/cs/Ray%20&%20Lorna%20Coppinger%20Endowment%20Grants.htm</a><br>
<a href="http://www.hampshire.edu/cbd/8124.htm">http://www.hampshire.edu/cbd/8124.htm</a><br>
<br>
~~~~ A light lunch will be available at 11:45 a.m. ~~~~
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<title>CBD to-do list updated and attached</title>
Paula Harmon, Administrative Assistant <br>
<div class="moz-signature"><small> School of Cognitive Science <br>
Hampshire College<br>
893 West Street Amherst, MA 01002 <br>
phone: 413.559.5502 <br>
fax: 413.559.5438 <br>
<a href="http://cs.hampshire.edu">http://cs.hampshire.edu</a></small>
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