Sophie
Burstein
Sponsor: David Olson, Ph.D. MED: Biochem & Molecular Med Serotonergic hallucinogens such as N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) have been shown to promote rapid neuronal regeneration, and characterization of their specific binding interactions at the serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor is essential for future research. Despite the promise of such compounds, psychedelics have many undesirable effects that pose problems for practical medicine. Thus, understanding the required interactions for binding to the 5-HT2A receptor, as well as the mechanism of undesired hallucinatory side effects is crucial for treatment development. To probe these fundamental questions, we prepared a compound library of synthetic DMT analogs in tandem with a GPCR based biological assay (Psychlight) that analyzes hallucinogenic potential. By synthesizing electronically distinct analogs of DMT, the structural motifs necessary to theoretically retain, increase, or decrease hallucinogenic properties can be discerned in a compound binding to the 5-HT2A receptor. Preliminary analysis of the results suggests that certain chemical interactions are required at the binding site for hallucinogenic effects while other structural and electronic aspects of the molecule are less necessary. As the data collection nears completion, we hope to definitively establish correlations between structure and activity at the 5-HT2A receptor, creating a baseline for future research into neurotherapeutics. Investigation of a Rapid Cognitive Assessment as a Tool to Predict Speech-in-Noise Perception
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Sophie Burstein
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The ability to perceive speech in noisy environments greatly varies, even with people with audiologically normal hearing. However, the underlying causes for these differences are currently unknown. Speech perception is believed to be mediated by, among other factors, cognitive function. This study investigates the relationship between speech-in-noise perception and cognitive ability. Specifically, we evaluate the Montreal Cognitive Assessment's (MoCA) application as a predictive measure for performance on speech-in-noise tasks. The MoCA is traditionally used to evaluate cognitive decline and dementia. We believe it can also be a sensitive measure of cognitive function in younger individuals because of its ability to efficiently quantify a wide range of cognitive domains. We use linear regression to predict participants' performance on a battery of speech-in-noise tasks related to their performance on the MoCA. Our results show scores on the MoCA are predictive of speech-in-noise performance, while surprisingly, the speech-in-noise tasks are not significantly correlated with each other. Our findings demonstrate that cognitive assessment performance correlates with better speech-in-noise perception, providing evidence for the link between the two. In addition, our work suggests that rapid cognitive assessment tools like the MoCA might be a sensitive measure for preclinical listening difficulties in audiometrically normal individuals. UC Davis 36 th Annual Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities Conference 75 Manual Segmentation of Rat Brain MRI Scans for Alzheimer's Disease Research Anelise Caceres
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UC Davis / Neuro Physio & Behavior / 2025
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Sophie Burstein