Ashley A. Hood
Graduate Student
Ashley is originally from Millbrook, New York, and she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Neuroscience at UTHSC-Houston.
Graduate Student
Ashley is originally from Millbrook, New York, and she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Neuroscience at UTHSC-Houston.
Early in her graduate career, Ashley investigated
changes in impulsive behavior in healthy adults
after pharmacological manipulations. One study
administered 3 different doses of yohimbine (NE α2a
receptor antagonist) and another used amino acid
drinks that contained different amounts of
L-tryptophan (the precursor to serotonin). Each of
these studies investigated a different mechanism
that may prompt maladaptive behavior in an effort
to improve future treatments of disorders including
Conduct Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and Depression.
Ashley then turned her focus to executive function in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although much is known about the motor symptoms of PD, information about the cognitive effects is limited. These studies give further insight to cognitive changes in PD so these symptoms can be treated along with the characteristic motor symptoms.
Recent analyses highlight effects of dopaminergic medication on prosaccade and immediate, delayed, and remembered antisaccade performance. For her dissertation, Ashley designed a study to measure exogenous (reflexive) and endogenous (voluntary) attention in PD and to evaluate the effects of common treatments (medication and surgery) on these functions. In addition to measuring the effects of treatments on cognition, Ashley is quite interested in evaluating cognitive differences among clinically defined PD subtypes: Tremor-Dominant, Akinetic-Rigid, Mixed Presentation.
After obtaining her degree, Ashley plans to continue patient-oriented research either through academia or industry.
Ashley then turned her focus to executive function in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Although much is known about the motor symptoms of PD, information about the cognitive effects is limited. These studies give further insight to cognitive changes in PD so these symptoms can be treated along with the characteristic motor symptoms.
Recent analyses highlight effects of dopaminergic medication on prosaccade and immediate, delayed, and remembered antisaccade performance. For her dissertation, Ashley designed a study to measure exogenous (reflexive) and endogenous (voluntary) attention in PD and to evaluate the effects of common treatments (medication and surgery) on these functions. In addition to measuring the effects of treatments on cognition, Ashley is quite interested in evaluating cognitive differences among clinically defined PD subtypes: Tremor-Dominant, Akinetic-Rigid, Mixed Presentation.
After obtaining her degree, Ashley plans to continue patient-oriented research either through academia or industry.
Contact:
ashley.jagar@uth.tmc.edu
ashley.jagar@uth.tmc.edu
