Whenever a new assay is developed, it must have an advantage over the already-established method that outweighs the disadvantages. That is, it should ultimately give more power to the researcher, by providing more accurate results, by allowing collection of more information, by making it easier to perform, or by lowering cost. Assays that monitor neurogenesis via incorporation of a thymidine analogue are important tools in the study of many neurological functions, however, the numerous restrictions to the current “gold standards” make superior assays development crucial. With better antibodies available for immunostaining and better methods for evaluating more natural environments, researchers want better assays but need conclusive evidence that shows superiority. For this reason, the evaluation of the two thymidine analogues, EdU and BrdU, by Zeng et al. and the verification of EdU as a superior method was necessary.
To identify the appropriate dose of EdU injections, and to compare to the dose of BrdU that is already established, Zeng et al. performed a dose-response experiment. They designed this experiment to not only show dose response but to identify changes in treatments for each dose. Although, this experiment does not compare EdU to BrdU, It determines the saturating concentration (Nmax) that is needed for appropriate comparison. Furthermore, it shows that the EdU assay is capable of detecting differences between control and runner mice even bellow saturation. Averages of each dose from control mice and from runner mice were analyzed by nonlinear regression analysis. For each independent variable, the dose of EdU injected (N), can be fitted into a formula (N=(Nmax(D))/(D50 + D)) that will predict the amount of EdU-posit...
... middle of paper ...
...): 21-32.
References
[1] Berkman, Lisa F., Teresa E. Seeman, Marilyn Albert, Dan Blazer, Robert Kahn, Richard Mohs, Caleb Finch, Edward Schneider, Carl Cotman, and Gerald McClearn. "High, Usual and Impaired Functioning in Community-dwelling Older Men and Women: Findings from the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Successful Aging." Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 46.10 (1993): 1129-140. Print.
[2] Blomquist, Kathleen Beckman, and Fred Danner. "Effects Of Physical Conditioning On Information-Processing Efficiency." Perceptual and Motor Skills 65.1 (1987): 175-86. Web.
[3] Ramon, Y. Cajal, Santiago, and Raoul M. May. Degeneration and Regeneration of the Nervous System. New York: Hafner, 1968.
[4] Ming, Guo-li, and Hongjun Song. "Adult Neurogenesis In The Mammalian Central Nervous System." Annual Review of Neuroscience 28.1 (2005): 223-50. Web.
Walton, Sir John. Brain's Diseases of the Nervous System. Oxford University Press. New York, 1955, pp. 365.
Neurodegeneration is used mainly for diseases that are characterised by progressive loss of structure and function of neurons. There are many neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that...
In closing, the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system is vital for basic bodily functioning and processes. Injury, disease or abnormal structure of the brain will greatly affect one's behaviour, emotional regulation, mental processes and functioning. The brain will respond to any trauma, injury or abnormality to accommodate the dysfunction. During this response, the brain will physically change, the process called neuroplasticity, and attempt to "rewire" the brain to return to normal functioning. In the treatment of many cases as previously discussed, the aim was to reconnect neurons and the theory of neuroplasticity was the foundation behind it.
Walton, Sir John. Brain’s Diseases of the Nervous System. 9th ed. Oxford University Press. Oxford: 1985.
Animals commonly used in medical research are rats and chimpanzees. Over time these species have proven to be plentiful and they have exhibited the ability to sustain the various testing regimens that mimic human experimentation. “The need for animals in research, particularly medical research, is because of the need to determine the toxicity and dangers of new drugs.” (Prater 1).
Carolan Doerflinger, CRNP, PhD, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, Virginia, D. M. (2007). Mental Status Assessment of Older Adults: The Mini-CogTM - Google Search. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from https://www.google.com/search?q=Mental+Status+Assessment+of+Older+Adults%3A+The+Mini-CogTM&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb
Neuroscience refers to “the scientific study of the nervous system” It has been responsible for breakthroughs involving molecular, cellular, developmental, and medical aspects of human behaviors. Various organizations such as the “International society for neurochemistry” and the “European Brain and behavior Society” exist today to further the study of the nervous system and expand human understanding of medical and psychological ailments. The actual study of the nervous system dates all the way back to ancient Egypt where surgeons would drill holes into the human skull in order to alleviate a variety of aliments. The second half of the 20th century furthered the study of neuroscience via advancements in Molecular biology, and electrophysiology. These advancements are currently being used to study potential solutions to diseases such as (ALS) amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, strokes, and brain trauma. This research is funded by credible organizations such as the (NIH) National Institute of Health and the “National S...
Because of the growing concern associated with disability in the elderly, many researchers have examined factors that may be associated with the risk disability in the elderly. These factors have ranged widely, including functional limitations6-9, level of physical activity10, 11, depression12-15, cognitive status13, 16, 17, comorbidities18, 19, falls6, 20, self-rated health21, 22, social interaction23 and others24.
Darby, S. Marr, J. Crump, A Scurfield, M (1999) Older People, Nursing & Mental Health. Oxford: Buterworth-Heinemann.
The neuron plays an important role in the occupation of the brain (Rollin Koscis). A neuron is...
2 Brain death. In Wynngaarden JB, Smith LH, Bennet JC(eds): Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 20th edition. W B Saunders Company, 1996.
“Living systems like human beings and animals are extremely complex. Studying cell cultures in a petri dish, while sometimes useful, does not provide the opportunity to study interrelated processes occurring in the central nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system” (ProCon). Nothing can compare to an actual human body when it comes to research and experimentation in the medical field, but rats offer a way for humans to test experiments safely on a source that will yield almost identical results. The rat has a near identical cell structure to a human and the physiology of a rat is also very similar. The first of these studies that centered on the physiology of the rat involved studying the effects of food and oxygen deprivation of the rat and were met with great success (Animal Research). Subsequent advances in the medical field thanks to experimentation on rats is why the rat is part of the 95% of animals that are most commonly used in animal testing.
...ociations with apathy, resilience and disability vary between young-old and old-old. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23, 238-243.
The human brain is a “thinking organ that learns and grows by interacting with the world through perception and action” (Russo-Neustadt, Beard, & Cotman, 2000, p.305). It is believed that physical exercise improves the brain’s function and protects against cognitive decline. Studies on exe...
Central nervous system: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (n.d.). U.S National Library of Medicine. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002311.htm