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The purpose of this study was to test the reproducibility of the current data set. It was hypothesized that older adults’ scores on the Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) would decrease from their initial visit to their one year follow-up visit and that greater overall age is

The purpose of this study was to test the reproducibility of the current data set. It was hypothesized that older adults’ scores on the Repeatable Battery for Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) would decrease from their initial visit to their one year follow-up visit and that greater overall age is associated with worse performance. Overall, the older adults with a follow-up visit in this study experienced greater decline on the RBANS DMI than on the RBANS total scaled score. There seems to be a negative trend in which individuals with higher first-visit VCI scores experience greater improvement on the first trial of the motor task with the non-dominant hand. The same trend can be seen in DMI scores where higher initial DMI scores are associated with greater improvement on the first non-dominant hand trial of the motor task. This initial trend suggests that visuospatial scores have an association with long-term change in the motor task. The number of participants in this data set were limited, thus more data will be needed to increase confidence in conclusions about these relationships in the future.

ContributorsDettmer, Alaina Nicole (Author) / Schaefer, Sydney (Thesis director) / Hooyman, Andrew (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
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This thesis aimed to develop a consistent protocol used to effectively image the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 allele, which is a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The research team used methods to extract DNA from saliva samples, amplify the DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and image

This thesis aimed to develop a consistent protocol used to effectively image the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 allele, which is a known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The research team used methods to extract DNA from saliva samples, amplify the DNA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and image the results using gel electrophoresis and a transilluminator. Extensive literature review was used to optimize these techniques. Future studies will use these methods of characterizing the ApoE ε4 allele as preliminary work towards the goal of integrating this protocol into ongoing research in aging within the Motor Rehabilitation and Learning (MRL) Lab on Arizona State University’s campus.
ContributorsWorman, Drew (Author) / Schaefer, Sydney (Thesis director) / Lewis, Candace (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTLD) are types of dementia that have distinct differences. To help identify some of the neural differences, researchers use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) techniques to assist with diagnosing patients and track progression over time. The major objective of this experiment was to use

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTLD) are types of dementia that have distinct differences. To help identify some of the neural differences, researchers use diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) techniques to assist with diagnosing patients and track progression over time. The major objective of this experiment was to use the advanced diffusion tensor imaging techniques of Fractional Anisotropy (FA) and Free water (FW) to help differentiate between AD and FTLD neurodegeneration. The scope of this experiment was to examine literature research on AD and FTLD by gathering the mean values of (FA) and (FW) to identify diffusivity susceptibility in the specific brain regions of the Uncinate Fasciculus (UF) and the Superior Temporal Gyrus (STG). The methods used were the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and the Frontotemporal Lobe Degenerative Neuroimaging Initiative (FTLD): These data repositories provide researchers with study data to define the progression of AD and FTLD. Next, an imaging analysis was used to calculate the average FA and FW through each slice of the brain regions UF and STG in standard space. Then FreeSurfer segmented Superior Temporal Gyrus and the JHU ICBM Atlas of the Uncinate Fasciculus were used as a set of tools for analysis and visualization of structural and functional brain imaging data for processing the cross-sectional and longitudinal data. We calculated 95% Confidence intervals for mean FW and FA at each slice and direction across 21 participants within each dementia group to determine regions of overlap and nonoverlap. Results indicated that for the FA and FW graphs in the x and z directions among UF and STG regions, there were more non-overlap regions between the AD and FTLD in the FW graphs across x and z-directions in particular the UF. Our results indicate that there may be concomitant decline in white and gray matter regions in dementia, and FW may be more sensitive detecting AD related neurodegeneration in the UF and STG regions.

ContributorsMalone, Joshua (Author) / Ofori, Edward (Thesis director) / Schaefer, Sydney (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor)
Created2022-05