This thesis addresses long- and short-term neurotrophin modulation of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs), focusing on acetylcholine (ACh) release and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT; the enzyme responsible for ACh synthesis) activity. (1) Initially, ACh release was characterized from primary embryonic basal…

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a potentially blinding retinal disorder, which results from the exposure of the premature infant to hyperoxia. The diagnosis and the assessment of severity of ROP are based on the degree of retinal vascular abnormalities (such…

Myelin formation is an evolutionarily late acquisition that contributes to fast conduction in vertebrate axons. Continuous bidirectional signaling is required for the acquisition and maintenance of the mature nerve fiber phenotype. Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) is a representative structural component…

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) responsiveness to stress is generally blunted in lactating rats, except during situations of pup endangerment, suggesting an important role of salience of stressor in stress response during lactation. Conversely, in women, breastfeeding is associated with reduced HPA responses…

A number of brain regions have been implicated in the recovery process after stroke. Yet, we still do not understand how these brain regions may influence each other. To overcome this problem, I used a perturb-and-measure approach, by combining transcranial…

The role of prion protein (PrPC) as a crucial factor in the pathogenesis of the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE's) is well known. However, the physiologic role of this highly conserved protein in vivo is thus far, largely unknown. In vitro…