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Anthony E. Kincaid, Ph.D.
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Associate Professor
Department of Physical Therapy
Creighton University
2500 California Plaza
Omaha, NE 68178
Phone: 402-280-5669
Fax: 402-280-5692
akincaid@creighton.edu |
Research Interests:
Prion diseases are a class of fatal neurodegenerative diseases that
result in characteristic neuropathological changes in multiple brain
and brainstem areas. There is no effective diagnostic test and there
is no treatment for these diseases. A prion-infected animal or human
will present with a wide variety of behavioral deficits including
dementia, weakness, incoordination, tremor and sensory dysfunction
late in the course of the disease. By the time the clinical signs
of the prion disease are observed, the distribution of the prions,
and the corresponding pathology, in the nervous system is widespread.
Therefore, by the time disease is suspected, irreparable damage has
been done to the nervous system. Because of the long incubation period
it has been difficult to study behavioral and cellular changes that
occur early after infection.
My research interests are directed towards identifying and mapping
natural routes for prion entry into the central nervous system and
determining how the agent spreads within the nervous system. By determining
the temporal and spatial parameters of agent movement in the early
stages of infection we can begin to identify the mechanism(s) responsible
for the spread of prions in the nervous system. This includes identifying
how the agent enters cells, how it moves within cells, and how
it moves between cells. In addition, we can identify infected cells
early after inoculation of certain peripheral tissues and begin to
determine the mechanism whereby prions kill neurons.
Selected Publications:
Robinson, B.S. and Kincaid, A.E. (2004) Effects of repetitive motion
on the perception of tactile sensation in the fingers of musicians.
Perceptual and Motor Skills, 99: 1171-1183.
Mulcahy, E.R., Bartz,
J.C., Kincaid, A.E. and Bessen, R.A. (2004) Prion infection of
skeletal muscle cells and papillae in the tongue. Journal of Virology,
78(13): 6792-6798.
Bartz, J.C., Kincaid, A.E. and Bessen, R.A. (2003) Rapid prion neuroinvasion
following tongue infection. Journal of Virology, 77(11): 583-591.
Kincaid, A.E., Duncan, S. and Scott, S.A. (2002) Comparison of fine
motor abilities in musicians and nonmusicians: differences in timing
versus sequence accuracy in a simple bimanual fingering pattern.
Perceptual and Motor Skills, 95: 245-257.
Bartz, J.C., Kincaid, A.E. and Bessen, R.A. (2002) Retrograde transport
of transmissible mink encephalopathy within descending motor spinal
tracts. Journal of Virology, 76(11): 5759-5768.
Kincaid, A. E. (2001) Spontaneous circling behavior and dopamine
neuron loss in a genetically hypothyroid mouse. Neuroscience, 105(4):
891-898.
Kincaid, A.E., Zheng, T. and Wilson, C.J. (1998) Connectivity and
convergence of single corticostriatal axons. Journal of Neuroscience,
18(12): 4722-4731.
Stern, E.A., Kincaid, A.E. and Wilson, C.J. (1997) Spontaneous subthreshold
membrane potential fluctuations and action potential variability
of rat corticostriatal and striatal neurons in vivo. Journal of Neurophysiology,
77:1697-1715.
Kincaid, A.E. and Wilson, C.J. (1996) Corticostriatal innervation
of the patch and matrix
in the rat neostriatum. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 374:578-592.
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