Media
Imaging Neurons Within Thick Brain Sections Using the Golgi-Cox Method
Published by JoVE
February 1, 2017
We present a protocol for using the Golgi-Cox staining method in thick brain sections, in order visualize neurons with long dendrite trees contained within single tissue samples. Two variants of this protocol are also presented that involve cresyl violet counterstaining, and the freezing of unprocessed brains for long-term storage.
Developmental Ethanol Exposure Leads to Long-Term Deficits in Attention and Its Underlying Prefrontal Circuitry
Published by eNeuro
October 27, 2016
Children who exhibit fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) are often diagnosed with comorbid attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), even though mechanisms underlying attention deficits in these two disorders are now believed to differ. We show in mice after developmental binge-pattern ethanol exposure that deficits on an attention task are accompanied by dysregulated function of prefrontal cortex layer VI pyramidal neurons, which are known to be critical for normal attention. These layer VI neurons show decreased intrinsic excitability and increased responses to excitatory neurotransmission, and relationships between their nicotinic signaling and attention performance are disrupted. These findings demonstrate novel mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets to mitigate attention deficits associated with FASD.
Biography
Emma Louth is a PhD Candidate at the University of Guelph, studying the effects of developmental ethanol exposure on attention behaviour and attentional networks in the brain. She completed her BScH in May 2013 in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Guelph, and began graduate school in September of 2013. She is expecting to complete her PhD by the end of 2017. Following her PhD, Louth hopes to continue on to postdoctoral research in the field of neuroscience. Her current work uses an animal model to assess the effects of developmental ethanol exposure on neurons within the prefrontal cortex. She uses a technique called electrophysiology to analyze nicotinic acetylcholine receptor function, AMPA receptor function, and basic electrophysiological properties of neurons within the prefrontal cortex. The end goal of this project is to gain a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying attention deficits associated with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and in the long-term to identify novel therapeutic targets.