Ongoing Projects:
Effects of a Developmental-Vitamin D Deficiency on Maternal Behavior and Temporal Discrimination in Adult Mice Offspring: Connor Lambert
Connor's dissertation, "Effects of a Developmental-Vitamin D Deficiency on Maternal Behavior and Temporal Discrimination in Adult Mice Offspring," is designed to evaluate how a vitamin D deficiency during fetal development affects the long-term behavior outcome of offspring and the behavior provided to offspring by moms. This is of concern because vitamin D deficiency is becoming increasingly common among the global population. Vitamin D is seemingly more important during brain development than later in life, and a lack of it during development may induce permanent changes in the architecture of the brain. Previous evaluations of how a vitamin D deficiency affects behavior suggest that there are multiple long-term behavioral alterations that might be related to processes that underlie temporal discrimination abilities, or the ability to accurately time intervals of time. Connor is evaluating how temporal discrimination is affected in adult offspring, and how maternal behavior after pregnancy is altered.
Do the Adaptogenic Mushrooms, Cordyceps Militaris and Hericium Erinaceus, Produce Caffeine-like Discriminative-Stimulus Effects?: Stephen Cullinan
There has been a recent surge in the use of adaptogenic mushrooms, such as cordyceps and lion’s mane, in coffee replacement products. These adaptogenic mushrooms are claimed to provide energy-boosting effects similar to caffeine, yet limited research has effectively compared the experienced effects of these mushrooms to caffeine. This study seeks to evaluate the extent to which the discriminative stimulus effects of cordyceps and lion’s mane mushrooms mimic those of caffeine. Rats will be trained to discriminate between caffeine and saline (control) and will subsequently be tested on various doses of either cordyceps or lion's mane mushrooms. If the rats respond to the mushrooms in the same way that they do to caffeine, it would suggest that these adaptogens may serve as viable substitutes for caffeine. Such findings could provide evidence that these adaptogenic mushrooms may function as effective substitutes for caffeine for individuals seeking to reduce or eliminate caffeine consumption.
Recently Completed Projects:
Behavioral Effects of Prenatal ECIG Aerosol Exposure on Sprague-Dawley Rats: Erin Wylie
Maternal electronic cigarette (ECIG) use during pregnancy is a continuing concern, but its effects on the behavior of offspring are not fully understood. ECIGs are marketed as safer alternatives to traditional smoking, yet their potential risks during pregnancy remain unclear. Erin's dissertation uses a rat model to explore how prenatal exposure to ECIG aerosols (both with and without nicotine) affects offspring behavior. Pregnant rats will be exposed to ECIG aerosols throughout pregnancy, and their offspring will be observed in adulthood for behavioral changes. The research focuses on three key areas: learning new behaviors, attention deficits and hyperactivity, and choice for voluntary nicotine consumption. By including a group exposed to nicotine-free ECIG aerosols in addition to the group exposed to nicotine-containing ECIG aerosols and the filtered air control group, the study aims to identify whether the ECIG base liquid alone contributes to effects of prenatal ECIG aerosol exposure. The findings of the present study will provide valuable insights into the potential risks of ECIG use during pregnancy, helping shape public health recommendations surrounding ECIG use during pregnancy.
Effects of Win-Paired Stimulus Delivery on Loss Trials On Risky Choice in Rats: Connor Lambert
Gambling by way of electronic gambling machine is very common. Electronic gambling machines are things like slot machines, video lottery, and video poker. There is evidence that electronic gambling machines are relatively more addictive than other forms of gambling, and may accelerate the development of pathological gambling disorder. One theorized reason for this is the many audio and visual stimuli presented while using electronic gambling machines. These stimuli, or "cues", are paired with winning outcomes and may take on conditioned reinforcing properties. Then, when these cues are presented on losses, they may disguise the aversive properties of the loss, otherwise known as a loss-disguised as win. Probability-discounting procedures can be used to examine risky choice. The presentation of stimuli within a probability discounting procedure can be systematically arranged so as to mimic the stimulus presentations used in electronic gambling machines. The present study aims to clarify the relationship between win-paired stimuli and risky choice by systematically presenting a win-paired stimulus on a proportion of trials where no reinforcement is delivered.
Individuals often engage in the comorbid use of alcohol and nicotine, leading to further-escalated health consequences than the use of either drug in isolation. Given these poor health outcomes from combined administration of alcohol and nicotine, some of which may be due to increased risky choice, more basic research is needed to better characterize drug/dose interactions on risky choice. Probability-discounting procedures allow for the assessment of risky choice across studies that may facilitate the understanding of factors underlying increases in risky choice seen following the consumption of these drugs in humans. Probability-discounting procedures involve a series of discrete choices between a smaller, certain reward and a larger, increasingly uncertain reward. The administration of drugs can alter probability discounting, resulting in more or less maladaptive outcomes for an individual. The present study involves the acute administration of ethanol alone and in combination with nicotine. Experiment 1 will involve the administration of several doses of ethanol alone, and Experiment 2 will involve the combined administration of several doses of ethanol together with several doses of nicotine. Effects of these drugs on risky choice, as measured through a probability-discounting procedure, will be evaluated. Through an assessment of how ethanol, and ethanol and nicotine in combination, alter choice, there may be increased understanding of how common drugs of abuse affect these choices.