Brain damage as the result of an acute event (e.g., stroke, closed head injury) or a neurodegenerative disorder (e.g., Alzheimer's disease) often produces impairments in an individual's ability to navigate. For example, patients suffering from Alzheimer's Disease (AD) frequently get lost in familiar environments such as their homes or neighborhoods, often resulting in episodes of wandering. While spatial disorientation continues to be a critical issue in the management of individuals suffering from AD, limited research has been conducted to examine the neural basis of this symptom. My research program investigates the relationship between neural systems and navigational strategy use to gain an understating of spatial disorientation observed in AD.
Current Lab MembersGraduate Students Holly Sampson (Fall 2022) Undergraduate Students Ashley Gonzalez (Spring 2024) Alfonso Moraga (Spring 2024) Ingrid Murillo (Spring 2024) Lila Roblin (Fall 2023) Baraa Thannoon (Spring 2024) |
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DeepLabCut [github]
Mouse string-pulling
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Video with string pulling components identified movie
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Mouse rung walking
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Rat string-pulling
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Rat exploration
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