Award Date

12-15-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Interdisciplinary Programs

First Committee Member

James Hyman

Second Committee Member

Jefferson Kinney

Third Committee Member

Ashley Blackwell

Fourth Committee Member

Colleen Parks

Number of Pages

136

Abstract

Neuroinflammation has emerged as a critical modulator of cognitive function and neural circuit dynamics, yet the distinct contributions of acute and chronic neuroinflammation to brain function remain poorly defined. This dissertation examines how inflammation independently alters large-scale neural activity and behavior, focusing on interactions between the hippocampus (HPC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), regions essential for memory and executive processes. Using in vivo electrophysiological techniques in a rodent model, this study compares the effects of short-term (acute) and prolonged (chronic) neuroinflammatory states, induced via Poly I:C, on neural oscillations, regional coherence, and spatial coding. Findings reveal that even transient inflammation disrupts network synchronization and information encoding, while chronic inflammation produces more pervasive impairments in neural coordination and spatial memory. By isolating neuroinflammation from other disease mechanisms, these results underscore the direct impact of immune signaling on brain function and highlight that both the HPC and ACC are a sensitive target of inflammatory disruption. This work contributes to a growing understanding of how immune processes shape cognition and may inform early interventions in neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions characterized by inflammatory dysfunction.

Keywords

Alzheimer's Disease; Anterior Cingulate Cortex; Hippocampus; Memory; Network Dynamics; Neuroinflammation

Disciplines

Medical Neurobiology | Neuroscience and Neurobiology | Neurosciences

File Format

PDF

File Size

7000

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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