Toni Johnson

Disciplinary Research Guide

4/27/17
Howard University
Neuroscience Disciplinary Research Guide

Article Reviews:

~Journal Article

Ford, J. H., & Kensinger, E. A. (2017). Age-Related Reversals in Neural Recruitment across
Memory Retrieval Phases. The Journal of Neuroscience, 0521-17.
doi:10.1523/jneurosci.0521-17.2017

Review: In this article, the author states that neuroimaging research has identified age-related
neural changes that occur during cognitive tasks. This research has been going on for a couple of
years now. They use this research to help researchers identify functional changes that contribute
to age-related impairments in cognitive performance. These claims are backed by common
reports and other relations happening in the brain that influence these processes. One commonly
reported example of such a change is an age-related decrease in recruitment of posterior sensory
regions coupled with an increased recruitment of prefrontal regions across multiple cognitive
tasks. The author also states that age is not only associated with spatial shifts in recruitment, but
also with temporal shifts. Which is shown in experiments where young and older adults recruit
the same neural region at different points in a task trial. Participants, ages 19-85, took part in a
memory retrieval task with a protracted retrieval trial consisting of an initial memory search
phase and a subsequent detail elaboration phase. These results replicated prior reports of age-
related decreases in posterior recruitment and increases in prefrontal recruitment. However,
during the later elaboration phase, the same posterior regions were associated with age-related
increases in activation. These results suggest that the often-reported posterior-anterior shift may
not reflect the inability of older adults to engage in sensory processing, but rather a change in
when they recruit this processing. In this article, the author does a good job of getting right to the
point and showing exactly what they are trying to say. This is a clear essay and keeps the readers
interest. My only qualm is that I wish they would use different phrasing in parts, it felt repetitive
at times.
 ~General Interest Article

Morales, K. (2017). A concussion may affect your driving even after symptoms disappear,
says study. UGA Today. Retrieved February 11, 2017, from
http://news.uga.edu/releases/article/a-concussion-may-affect-your-driving/

Review:
The author states in her article that the effects of a concussion on a persons driving ability may
continue to linger even after the symptoms of the concussion disappear. This is all supported by a
14-person study group that they monitored to gauge this conclusion. The study showed that the
effects of a concussion continue after the symptoms have faded away. Often people drive
themselves home or even somewhere else almost immediately after a concussion theres never
been a problem with it. This study states that driving should be suspended at least until after the
symptoms clear and maybe even after that. The patients were shown in a driving simulator that
they were more likely to drive erratically not unlike that of a person under the influence of
alcohol. It is because of this that she came to the conclusions she did in this article. It shows that
something we thought we knew a lot about is changed by the continuation of research in this
field. We have unearthed a potentially dangerous problem. This article was good at drawing the
reader into a potentially dangerous practice it also is good at educating the reader while
providing the right number of sources and proof to keep it credible. I think it couldve been a bit
longer and it seemed to repeat points often instead of drawing new conclusions and continuing to
open new doors. Overall it was a good article.
Key Terms:

Neurology: a branch of medicine concerned especially with the structure, function, and diseases
of the nervous system https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neurology

Cognitive Science: the interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligence, embracing philosophy,
psychology, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, linguistics, and anthropology.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/cognitive-science/

Neurological Disorder: any disorder of the nervous system. Structural, biochemical or electrical
abnormalities in the brain, spinal cord or other nerves can result in a range of symptoms.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurological_disorder

Neural Development: refers to the processes that generate, shape, and reshape the nervous
system of animals, from the earliest stages of embryogenesis to adulthood.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural_development

Plasticity: refers to the extraordinary ability of the brain to modify its own structure and function
following changes within the body or in the external environment. www.brainfacts.org/about-
neuroscience/ask-an-expert/articles/.../what-is-brain-plasticity

Concussion: is a type of traumatic brain injury that is caused by a blow to the head or body, a
fall, or another injury that jars or shakes the brain inside the skull.
www.webmd.com/brain/tc/traumatic-brain-injury-concussion-overview

Neural Transplantation: is a prospective therapy for TBI as transplanted cells may differentiate
into region-specific cells and integrate into the host tissue to replace the lost cells in the injured
brain. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4774215/

Clinical Research: is a branch of healthcare science that determines the safety and effectiveness
(efficacy) of medications, devices, diagnostic products and treatment regimens intended for
human use. These may be used for prevention, treatment, diagnosis or for relieving symptoms of
a disease. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_research

Biochemical: characterized by, produced by, or involving chemical reactions in living organisms
a biochemical defect in the brain. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biochemical

Synapto Dendritic: The synaptotropic hypothesis proposes that input from a presynaptic to a
postsynaptic cell (and maturation of excitatory synaptic inputs) eventually can change the course
of synapse formation at dendritic and axonal arbors. This synapse formation is required for the
development of neuronal structure in the functioning brain.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synaptotropic_hypothesis
Jobs

1. Neurosurgeon
2. Professor/ Director of a Program
3. Post Doctoral Associate

Profession: Physician
Specialty: Surgery
State: FL

MDA is seeking a Board Certified/Board Eligible Neurosurgeon for an ongoing locum

tenens(LT) in Florida (FL). We work closely with our physicians to ensure a successful locum
tenens assignment. We take care of you so you can take care of your patients.

We will accept multiple Neurosurgeons to fill this full time need. We prefer at least 2 weeks
availability but will consider all. There are 2 other Neurosurgeon at the facility.

For more information about this LT assignment please contact Gigi McKinney at 770.797.2150
or gmckinney@mdainc.com. I work for you.

Postdoctoral Associate
Full Time
--A postdoctoral position is available immediately for a neurophysiologist at the Virginia
Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine in the laboratories of Kurt F. Hauser and
A. Rory McQuiston. The candidate will study fundamental mechanisms underlying glial
dysfunction and synaptodendritic injury in the striatum and hippocampus following drug and
HIV exposure.

Carnegie Mellon University Director, BrainHub

Full Time
---Carnegie Mellon University invites applications for the Director of BrainHub, a multi-
disciplinary research partnership aimed at understanding the brain and how it gives rise to
behavior. Carnegie Mellon is poised to play a critical role in 21st century brain science and have a
transformative impact on human health, the economy, and society. The university seeks an active
and accomplished scientist with the vision and skills to engage Carnegie Mellon's unique
community of biologists, engineers, behavioral, cognitive, and computational neuroscientists
interested in the brain and behavior. Successful candidates will have the experience and expertise
to bridge across many disciplines both inside and outside of the university through the
directorship of the highly successful scientific and training programs of Carnegie Mellon's
BrainHub initiative.
Undergraduate Organizations

~The Undergraduate Neuroscience Organization (UNO)

-The Undergraduate Neuroscience Organization (UNO) is a group of undergraduate students at

the University of Georgia on the pursuit of knowledge through neuroscience. Founded in
October of 2008 as an official University of Georgia organization, UNO has been growing ever
since. As a team, they aim to serve UGA, and people everywhere affected by neurodegenerative
diseases. Their mission is to emphasize the value of neuroscience and show the necessity of
excellence in research.
UNO strives to create a sense of fellowship and community among students at UGA who share a
passion for learning about the mysteries of the brain. They provide opportunities for leadership
and networking among students, and between students and faculty. Furthermore, they hope to
create an association that strengthens the academic and professional needs of those pursuing
medical school, graduate school, or other studies and careers in the sciences. By engaging in
philanthropic projects, they aid neuroscience research and spread awareness about issues in
neuroscience. Through spreading awareness, they help unlock the secrets of the brain and push
back the frontiers of science to change lives everywhere.

~The Undergraduate Neuroscience Society

Parent Organization: University of Wisconsin - Madison

It shall be the purpose of the Undergraduate Neuroscience Society to expand the amount of
interest and knowledge about the neurological sciences. In an informal group setting, students
will be able to listen to speakers and actively participate in learning about neuroscience. Group
events and activities include having doctors, professors, graduate students, post-docs, and
professionals speak to the group. Social events will also take place throughout the year, including
cookouts, article readings, and student lab presentations.
Style Guide

APA (American Psychological Association) style is used to cite sources in the social sciences.
This resource in adherence to the second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the
general format of APA research papers. In your freshman writing you will encounter this style
when doing lab reports in a biology class or essays in a psychology course.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Use white 8 x 11 paper.

Make 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides
The first word in every paragraph should be indented one half inch.
APA recommends using Times New Roman font, size 12.
Double space the entire research paper
Include a page header known as the running head at the top of every page.
~Source Citations
1. Journal Article
- Last, F. M., & Last, F. M. (Year Published). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue),
pp. Pages.
- Jacoby, W. G. (1994). Public attitudes toward government spending. American
Journal of Political Science, 38(2), 336-36

2. Essay in Anthology(Print)
- Last, First M. "Essay Title." Book/Anthology, Ed. First M. Last. City: Publisher, Year
Published. Website Title. Web. Date Month Year Accessed.
- Hemingway, E. (1999). The killers. In J. Updike & K. Kenison (Eds.), The best
American short stories of the century (pp.78-80). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

3. Tweet
- Username. (Year, Month Date). Tweet text. Retrieved from URL.
o jtimberlake. (2014, June 16). USA! USA!!.
https://twitter.com/jtimberlake/status/478689830667186176.
4. Video
- Last Name, F.M. [Username]. (Year, Month Date). Title of video. [Video File].
Retrieved from URL.
o [GEICO Insurance]. (2013, May 22). GEICO hump day camel commercial
happier than a camel on Wednesday. [Video File]. Retrieved from
http://youtu.be/kWBhP0EQ1lA.
5. Audio File (Music)
- Songwriter F.M. (Copyright year). Song title [Recorded by F.M. Last (performers
name/musical group)]. On Album title [Medium of recording]. City, State of label:
Record label name.
o Turner, A. (2013). Do I Wanna Know? [Recorded by Artic Monkeys]. On AM
[MP3 file]. London, England: Domino Records.