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.
Recommended Citation
Patton, Gillian, "The effect of nonassociative learning cognitive processing on alzheimer's disease severity in Caenorhabditis elegans" (2017). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 261.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2017/all/261
Location
Wall 211
Start Date
3-25-2017 10:00 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
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.