Cerebellar Modulation of Dopamine Efflux in the Medial Striatum: Relevance to Autism Spectrum Disorders

Identifier

52

Author

Damian Matthew Coomes

Date

2015

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Major

Psychology

Concentration

Behavioral Neuroscience

Committee Chair

Charles Blaha

Committee Member

Meghan McDevitt-Murphy

Abstract

Cerebellar structural abnormalities have come to be associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Experiments have looked at the effects these abnormalities have on cerebellar-cortical connections and how dopamine is modulated in the forebrain region. There have been no notable experiments that study the effect of these abnormalities on the striatum. This structure is integral in movement and reward based learning. Given the symptoms of ASD and the integral nature of dopamine in this region, it is hypothesized that a cerebellar-striatal connection exists and that ASD individuals receive an attenuated dopamine response upon cerebellar activation. 20 Fmr1 mice (10 wildtype, 10 mutant knockout) were anesthetized and underwent stereotaxic surgery. Dopamine extracellular concentrations in the striatum were measured based on dopamine oxidation current via fixed potential amperometry through the recording electrode. The control group showed no difference with the ASD group after running a one way ANOVA [F(1, 16 = 3.73, p = 0.073].

Comments

Undergraduate Honor's Thesis

Library Comment

Honors thesis originally submitted to the Local University of Memphis Honor’s Thesis Repository.

Notes

Data is provided by the student.

Recommended Citation

Coomes, Damian Matthew, "Cerebellar Modulation of Dopamine Efflux in the Medial Striatum: Relevance to Autism Spectrum Disorders" (2015). Honors Theses. 32.
https://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/honors_theses/32