The effect of nonassociative learning cognitive processing on alzheimer's disease severity in Caenorhabditis elegans

School Name

Spring Valley High School

Grade Level

10th Grade

Presentation Topic

Zoology

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Oral Presentation Award

2nd Place

Written Paper Award

2nd Place

Abstract

Nonassociative learning is a type of cognitive processing in which behavior towards a stimulus changes without any apparent associated stimulus. It provides a possible method of treatment for preventing the buildup of amyloid-β (Aβ), which causes the nervous system deficits that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Developing a new method of treatment for AD would allow patients with AD to improve their condition and would provide preventive measures for individuals with family histories of AD. It was hypothesized that if chemosensory habituation was applied to Caenorhabditis elegans, then the amount of amyloid-β would be lessened. The test groups were mechanosensory habituation, chemosensory habituation, habituation to a novel environment, and three controls. The mechanosensory habituation group experienced touch cell stimulation, the chemosensory habituation group experienced repeated exposure to an attractive odorant, and the habituation to a novel environment group was introduced to a different petri plate. The control group was exposed to no habituation. After each test day, the presence of amyloid-β in the worms was quantified by counting how many and which of the worms had succumbed to paralysis. The worms in the test groups took longer to become paralyzed and less worms became paralyzed than in the control group. The equation F(4,147)=16.9544, p<0.00001 was also used to run the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. There was a significant difference between the test groups. It was found using a Scheffé test that the difference existed between the control group and the test groups, suggesting that the use of nonassociative learning had a positive effect in mitigating the buildup of Aβ in C. elegans.

Location

Wall 211

Start Date

3-25-2017 10:00 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

Group Project

No

COinS
 
Mar 25th, 10:00 AM

The effect of nonassociative learning cognitive processing on alzheimer's disease severity in Caenorhabditis elegans

Wall 211

Nonassociative learning is a type of cognitive processing in which behavior towards a stimulus changes without any apparent associated stimulus. It provides a possible method of treatment for preventing the buildup of amyloid-β (Aβ), which causes the nervous system deficits that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Developing a new method of treatment for AD would allow patients with AD to improve their condition and would provide preventive measures for individuals with family histories of AD. It was hypothesized that if chemosensory habituation was applied to Caenorhabditis elegans, then the amount of amyloid-β would be lessened. The test groups were mechanosensory habituation, chemosensory habituation, habituation to a novel environment, and three controls. The mechanosensory habituation group experienced touch cell stimulation, the chemosensory habituation group experienced repeated exposure to an attractive odorant, and the habituation to a novel environment group was introduced to a different petri plate. The control group was exposed to no habituation. After each test day, the presence of amyloid-β in the worms was quantified by counting how many and which of the worms had succumbed to paralysis. The worms in the test groups took longer to become paralyzed and less worms became paralyzed than in the control group. The equation F(4,147)=16.9544, p<0.00001 was also used to run the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. There was a significant difference between the test groups. It was found using a Scheffé test that the difference existed between the control group and the test groups, suggesting that the use of nonassociative learning had a positive effect in mitigating the buildup of Aβ in C. elegans.