Dr. Michelle Ciucci's Laboratory – Investigating mechanisms and treatments of neurodegenerative disease – UW–Madison

Welcome to the Ciucci Lab

The Ciucci Lab is dedicated to translational research underlying the mechanisms and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Statistical map showing Pink1-/- whole-brain normalized FDG uptake images compared against wildtype images (two-sample t-test). Red: Pink1-/- > wildtype; blue: Pink1-/- < wildtype (0.05 < |t| < 0.10); 1 mm coronal slices overlaid on MRI template image; gray regions of interest indicated by arrows are anatomically defined noradrenergic (locus coeruleus, thalamus, and prelimbic area) and dopaminergic (substantia nigra, striatum, and prelimbic area) structures.

Upcoming Events

UW Madison UG Symposium

Spatiotemporal plots displaying swallows at each volume from one subject. As bolus volume increased, velopharyngeal pressure (box with solid lines) and upper esophageal sphincter activity time (arrow) increased while tongue base pressure decreased (box with dashed lines).

MDS InternationalCongress

Ultrasonic vocalization call types. Representative images of the three call categories: Simple (A), Frequency-Modulated (B), and Harmonic (C).

ASHA Meeting

Maximum z-projections of confocal image stacks showing examples of (A) an NMJ with no qualitative signs of presynaptic remodeling from an old trained rat, (B) axon withdrawal from two motor endplates from a young trained rat (note axon bundle on top right but no axon extending to either motor endplate), (C) a Schwann cell projection (arrowhead) from an NMJ from an old trained rat, and (D) an axon sprout (arrowhead) from an NMJ from an old control rat (scale bars = 5 µm) (red = motor endplate, green = Schwann cells, blue = axon, and yellow = nerve terminal).

DRS Annual Meeting

Representative spectrograms of frequency modulated trill-type USVs demonstrating the reduced amplitude and bandwidth in unilateral 6-OHDA infusion (dopamine denervation model of Parkinson disease) male rats compared with control. Averages and standard errors of the maximum and minimum peak frequency are represented by the bar graphs. Solid color between the maximum and minimum peak frequency indicates the bandwidth of the call.

AQL 2025

Voice Foundation Sym.

Schematic of tongue force operandum. Image demonstrates tongue exercise followed by a water swallow in the rat. Image highlights activation of the thyroarytenoid muscle (TA) to protect the airway, following licking, during the water swallow. Image adapted by TG.

Alzheimer's Association

High-resolution manometry spatio-temporal plot of a 10 mL thin liquid bolus swallow.

Fall Voice Conference

SfN 2024

Immunofluorescence staining of thyroarytenoid (TA) muscles of Pink1−/− and wild-type (WT) rats. A: TA muscle from a Pink1−/− rat. Arrowheads indicate a region of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)-positive myofibers. B: TA muscle from an age-matched WT rat. TA-V, TA muscle, vocalis division; TA-X, TA muscle, external division; TC, thyroid cartilage. Scale bar, 200 μm.

ESSD 2024

ICVPB

Comparison of two-dimensional and spatiotemporal plots obtained from a control subject (above) and total laryngectomy subject (below). Two-dimensional plots are on the left, with each line representing one pressure tracing from one sensor; pressure (P) is on the y-axis, time (T) is on the x-axis, and more caudal sensors are at the bottom of the image. Spatiotemporal plots are on the right, with sensor position on the y-axis, time on the x-axis, and pressure represented by color. Each image represents 5 seconds of data collection. The vertical dashed line in the upper spatiotemporal plot is an artifact marking a time window from the data collection program. The control subject demonstrates a high resting upper esophageal sphincter (UES) pressure (A), low nadir pressure during bolus passage (B), and variation in shape of the pressure curves generated along the pharynx (C). The total laryngectomy subject demonstrates low resting UES tone (D, dashed white lines), maintenance of positive UES pressure during bolus passage (E, dashed black box), and a common cavity pressure (F, solid white box) which manifests as uniform pressure peaks along the neopharynx (G).

PEVOC

Alzheimer's Disease Research

Parkinson Disease Research

Funding Sources