Psychology & Neuroscience
Sarah Sohail Jewanee, sarah_jewanee1@baylor.edu
Baylor University, with Dr. Jacques Nguyen
Neuroscience
Behavioral Effects of Oxycodone and Naloxone: An Experimental Study Measuring Withdrawal
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, prescription opioid use and misuse has contributed to the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States, and the negative consequences of opioid addiction on public health has been exacerbated. One particular concern is the impact of opioid addiction treatment and its consequent behavioral and neurobiological outcomes. We hypothesized that male and female subjects exposed to acute oxycodone injections followed by a naloxone injection will not exhibit withdrawal driven changes in anxiety-like behaviors and thermal pain sensitivity. To conduct the experiment, adult male and female Wistar rats were subjected to repeated (twice daily for 7 days) injections of saline (1 mg/kg, i.p.) as a method of acclimating the subjects to the injection regimen. Subjects were then randomly divided into three groups: High-Dose Oxycodone (4 mg/kg, i.p.), Low-Dose Oxycodone (2 mg/kg, i.p.) and a Saline Control Group (1 mg/kg, i.p.). An array of behavioral and biological paradigms were then used to examine consequences of acute exposure and evaluate behavioral changes and intensity of precipitated and spontaneous withdrawal symptoms. The exams were divided into anxiogenic
and antinociception exams. Anxiogenic tests were used to evaluate anxiety-like behavior and biological changes through the use of: a marble burying test, a withdrawal scale, and total weight change. To measure tolerance, a thermal nociception test was used to validate acute exposure to the experimental conditions. 24 hours after naloxone injection, novel subjects were placed on an elevated plus maze to further assess anxiety levels and observe locomotion.
Ellyzabeth Morales-Ledesma, emorale5@stedwards.edu
St. Edward's University, with Dr. Emily Hilz
Behavioral Neuroscience
Reproductive Rights for Agricultural Workers: The Effects of Pesticides on the Menstrual Cycle.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) disrupt the normal function of the endocrine system and can subsequently result in long-term and multigenerational adverse health effects. Many pesticides used in agriculture are EDCs; farm laborers and their children are uniquely vulnerable to these EDCs because of their prolonged exposure to pesticides. Despite this, little extant research has considered the reproductive health effects of pesticidal EDCs on farm laborers and their children. Participants in this study completed an online quantitative survey with up to 42 questions that meant to assess their menstrual health and agricultural practices. The survey included questions about pesticide handling practices, frequency and duration of exposure, types of pesticides used, and details about menstrual cycle characteristics such as cycle length, regularity, and symptom severity. Subjects were female-assigned at-birth both children of farm laborers and not. It was hypothesized that there would be a higher prevalence of menstrual irregularities among children of farm laborers compared to controls. Factors such as duration of pesticide use, personal protective equipment, and generational pesticide exposure were considered in the analysis. Results included a higher menstrual dysfunction in participants who had worked in agriculture for more than 5 years. The findings of this study will provide insights into the impact of pesticide exposure on menstrual health by identifying potential risks and trends, thereby informing future interventions aimed at protecting the health of women in agricultural communities.
Taniya Boone, trboone2@illinois.edu
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with Dr. Jessica Montag
Psychology
The Effect of Siblings on Language Input in the Home Book Reading Environment
Reading picture books at home provides children with linguistic experiences that may be different from other contexts . Older siblings, who are also sources of language input for younger siblings, may affect this learning environment. We aimed to understand how siblings affect linguistic environments during home book reading. Using audio recordings, we examined the differences in language produced to children with or without an older sibling present, including differences in total utterances, turn taking, unique words, and total number of words spoken. I hypothesized that families with siblings present will lead to more linguistic input from the youngest child, it will result in longer reading sessions, and they will lead to greater input from caregivers. We found different books facilitated different amounts of speech and measures of child-caregiver speech when a sibling is present is in a similar range as when a sibling is not present. Overall, linguistic input may or may not have an effect on language input during at home reading. Although the sample size was insufficient in determining significant effects, this form of research is complementary to correlation studies regarding siblings and can indicate potential patterns. Further research will encompass expanding the sample size, as well as the demographics of the participants. Additionally, I would like to evaluate the speech of siblings regarding their linguistic measures in comparison to the target child and other conversational components, such as, complexity of their speech.
Session Location
- Foster 107
Session Date/Time
- Thursday, 10:00 - 11:00am
Session Type
- Oral Student Presentations
- Student Presentations