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    Jan 2016

    Posner CV 2015

     

    I last posted in September so there is quite a bit to update.  We are now working on two ONR grants.  The first involves the test of theta stimulation in mice to determine whether frontal theta can produce a change in white matter.  Our preliminary report was posted in Sept. as ONR final.  It is still a good summary of where we are on the theta project. We believe that the definitive study will require use of electron microscopy (EM).  To this end we currently are testing mice exposed to various rhythms or controls with EM. I will attach a preliminary EM  below which clearly shows the axon and surrounding myelin. We hope to have results using the EM in several months.

    EM_image

    Our second ONR grant involves understanding the basis of human skill learning.  In this category we have conducted a child and adult study of the role of an epigenetic factors (methylation) in the learning and or performance of various skills.  In Sept. I posted a preliminary version of the child study which has now been updated.  We also have written the adult study which I have attached below.

    Adult

    Child Nov 15 rev.

    In my view our two papers and the theta grant provide an important perspective in how changes in cognition might occur with training of skills.  Our view is heavily influenced by the idea that low frequency stimulation might aid in improving white matter tracts and the extent of that improvement might depend upon in part on the efficiency of methylation.  Our group has written a discussion paper outlining these ideas.  It is attached below.

    Tng and Cognition

    A basic idea we have about our work is that individual differences in an epigenetic factor such as methylation might be involved in the extent of improvement in skill learning on an individual basis.  We recognize that there is much still speculative about this idea, but we have begun to develop a strategy for further testing of the idea. This strategy will be the topic of future posts in the coming months.

     

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