Date Approved
5-13-2025
Graduate Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Health Sciences (M.H.S.)
Degree Program
Biomedical Sciences
First Advisor
Eric S. Ramsson
Second Advisor
Chris Pearl
Third Advisor
John Capodilupo
Academic Year
2024/2025
Abstract
Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter involved in movement initiation, learning, and motivation, primarily functioning within the basal ganglia. However, the precise mechanisms regulating dopamine neurotransmission remain incompletely understood. During a stroke, dopamine terminals become hyperexcitable, leading to a substantial release of dopamine. Previous research in our lab demonstrated that varying glucose levels influence dopamine neurotransmission. Building on this, we investigated whether glucose levels impact dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens under stroke-like conditions and how this might affect neurotransmission afterward. Our findings suggest that glucose levels have a minimal effect on dopamine release during stroke-like conditions, though males exhibited more pronounced glucose-dependent responses. This suggests a potential sex-dependent regulatory mechanism in dopaminergic neurotransmission, which could help to better understand the cellular effects of glucose on stroke outcome.
ScholarWorks Citation
Zimmerman, Sydney A., "Effects of Glucose on Dopaminergic Signaling in an Ischemic Stroke Model in Mouse Brain Slices" (2025). Masters Theses. 1148.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/theses/1148
