ETDs

This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.

In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.

Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.

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Characterization of Cannabis Use in Male and Female Patients with Parkinson's Disease for Analysis of Potential Neurotoxic Implications

Description
Cannabis use is increasing both medically and recreationally. Over the last decade studies have investigated sex differences associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis and degenerative symptoms. Previous research has shown that cannabis use has had either a beneficial or deleterious effect on PD symptoms. This research will examine whether sex…

Cannabis use is increasing both medically and recreationally. Over the last decade studies have investigated sex differences associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) diagnosis and degenerative symptoms. Previous research has shown that cannabis use has had either a beneficial or deleterious effect on PD symptoms. This research will examine whether sex differences exist among the positive or negative effects of cannabis use in PD. In this paper, an analysis of sex-based differences between male and female cohorts categorized across 2,700 participants is completed under the Fox Insight data set. Each cohort will be compared to 14 nonmotor symptoms and 8 motor symptoms commonly associated with PD. In each cohort mean age, cannabis intake, cannabis dose, cannabis type, and PD diagnosis are analyzed within groups. Each symptom (motor and nonmotor) was analyzed between cohort responses to indicate if there was beneficial or worsening effect within cannabis. Results indicated that the designated female cohort reported both beneficial and worsening effects of cannabis use regarding both motor and nonmotor symptoms. The positive symptoms primarily consisted of individual motor functioning (e.g. dyskinesia, stiffness, back pain, etc.) while the worsening symptoms primarily consisted of nonmotor functioning (e.g. anxiety and apathy). Meanwhile, the male cohort only reported beneficial effects towards nonmotor symptoms (e.g. dystonia, muscle cramps, heart rate). These findings suggest the need for further examination of nigrostriatal pathways and hypothalamic integrity in PD, as it may provide more information into the effects of cannabis use based on sex differences.
ContributorsHooten, Madeline Loraine (Author) / Ofori, Edward (Thesis advisor) / Daniulaityte, Raminta (Committee member) / Peterson, Daniel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
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MRtrix3 Pipeline Development for Processing Diffusion Weighted Images in Aging in Autism Study

Description
Diffusion weighted imaging utilizes magnetic resonance imaging to capture white matter tracts in the brain. Many studies have utilized this technique to measure white matter structures looking for evidence of anatomical and physiological differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Parkinsonian-like symptoms have been documented and self-reported in aging autistic individuals,…

Diffusion weighted imaging utilizes magnetic resonance imaging to capture white matter tracts in the brain. Many studies have utilized this technique to measure white matter structures looking for evidence of anatomical and physiological differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Parkinsonian-like symptoms have been documented and self-reported in aging autistic individuals, opening up questions about a possible link between ASD and an increased risk of Parkinson’s Disease. Utilizing MRtrix3, an image processing proof-of-concept pipeline was developed for the Autism and Brain Aging (ABA) lab to generate and visualize the brain’s structural connectivity network in these populations of interest. The pipeline provides the opportunity for white matter tractography analysis in the lab’s Aging in Autism study.
ContributorsFeldman, Leslie (Author) / Ofori, Edward (Thesis advisor) / Braden, Blair (Committee member) / Rogalsky, Corianne (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
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Diffusion Imaging Analysis of the Functional Heterogeneity in the Dopaminergic System: Correlates with Prospective Memory

Description
Dopamine neurons are essential for several aspects of cognition. Several decades of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) research have revealed that the deterioration of these neurons is associated with a wide range of cognitive deficits such as attention, motor coordination, and memory. The diversity of these deficits is a demonstration of the…

Dopamine neurons are essential for several aspects of cognition. Several decades of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) research have revealed that the deterioration of these neurons is associated with a wide range of cognitive deficits such as attention, motor coordination, and memory. The diversity of these deficits is a demonstration of the structural and functional heterogeneity within the dopaminergic system; projections from the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area to striatum have targets in the frontal and medial temporal cortices. It is known that prospective memory is negatively affected by PD, but whether the deficits originate from pathways that support attention, retrospective memory, working memory, and/or motor control has not yet been determined. For the current study, the goal is to estimate the structural integrity of these pathways by using diffusion-imaging analysis to then correlate these estimates with prospective memory performance within a standard event-based task. Two participant data sets were reported in the current study and compared with the global and target fractional anisotropy as well as seed connectivity. All the results reported here are preliminary.
ContributorsTerry, Jade (Author) / Brewer, Gene (Thesis advisor) / Ofori, Edward (Thesis advisor) / McClure, Samuel (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022