Publications by authors named "Siew-Ying Mok"

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons is a debilitating disease, posing substantial challenges in both prognosis and daily life assistance. However, with the advancement of machine learning (ML) which is renowned for tackling many real-world settings, it can offer unprecedented opportunities in prognostic studies and facilitate individuals with ALS in motor-imagery tasks. ML models, such as random forests (RF), have emerged as the most common and effective algorithms for predicting disease progression and survival time in ALS.

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Several theories have been proposed to explain the mechanisms of substance use in schizophrenia. Brain neurons pose a potential to provide novel insights into the association between opioid addiction, withdrawal, and schizophrenia. Thus, we exposed zebrafish larvae at 2 days post-fertilization (dpf) to domperidone (DPM) and morphine, followed by morphine withdrawal.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the connection between substance abuse (opioid addiction) and schizophrenia using zebrafish as a model.
  • The researchers exposed zebrafish to drugs affecting dopamine and NMDA receptors and assessed changes in gene expression, biochemical markers, and aggressive behavior.
  • Findings indicate that both short- and long-term drug exposure alters gene expression and behavior, suggesting shared mechanisms in opioid dependence and schizophrenia-like symptoms.
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Ultra-slow cortical oscillatory activity of 1-100 mHz has been recorded in human by electroencephalography and in dissociated cultures of cortical rat neurons, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This study presents a computational model of ultra-slow oscillatory activity based on the interaction between neurons and astrocytes. We predict that the frequency of these oscillations closely depends on activation of astrocytes in the network, which is reflected by oscillations of their intracellular calcium concentrations with periods between tens of seconds and minutes.

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