Publication Date
2022
Document Type
Thesis
Committee Members
Sherif M. Elbasiouny, Ph.D., P.E., P.Eng. (Advisor); David Ladle, Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mark Rich, M.D., Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. To date, there are no significant disease-modifying treatments, and one limiting factor in treatment is the amount of time it takes for a patient to receive a diagnosis of ALS. This study examined multiple mouse models before symptom onset to help identify early changes in a reflex circuit of ALS mice. Dorsal root stimulation of the sacral spinal cord in multiple models ALS mouse models showed changes in the resulting ventral root compound action potential amplitude, latency, and ability to maintain synaptic depression. These data also suggest that a mouse model of TDP43 inclusions is fundamentally different in its network properties than that of SOD1 ALS mutant mice. While these data suggest changes in motor neuron excitability may play a contributing factor, there are likely other synaptic changes involved, but further work needs to be done to verify this.
Page Count
48
Department or Program
Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology
Year Degree Awarded
2022
Copyright
Copyright 2022, all rights reserved. My ETD will be available under the "Fair Use" terms of copyright law.
ORCID ID
0000-0002-0981-3337
