Sandstrom, Michael
Biography
Michael I. Sandstrom is a professor in both Psychology and the Neuroscience Program. He joined the faculty of the Central Michigan University Psychology Department in Spring 2004. Before that he held a postdoctoral position at Indiana University, Bloomington campus since receiving his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Ohio State University in 1998.
More about Michael Sandstrom
Publications & Presentations
Recent Publications
Chloé Halfhide, Tommie L. Cammarano, Kevin A. Anderson, Stefani M. Galik, Julien Rossignol, Gary L. Dunbar, Michael I. Sandstrom (2024). Using microdialysis to monitor dopaminergic support of limb-use control following mesencephalic neurosphere transplantation in a rodent model of Parkinson’s Disease, Behavioral Brain Research, 471, 115121. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115121
Anderson, K.A., Whitehead, B.J., Petersen, E.D., Kemme, M.R. Wedster, A., Hochgeschwender, U., and Sandstrom M.I. (2023) Behavioral context improves optogenetic stimulation of transplanted dopaminergic cells in unilateral 6-OHDA rats. Behavioral Brain Research, 441 (early release). DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114279
Sandstrom, M.I., Anderson, K.A., Jayaprakash, N., Bhupal, PK., and Dunbar, G.L. (2018) Plastic Adaptation: A Neuronal Imperative Capable of Confounding the Goals of Stem Cell Replacement Therapy for either Huntington's or Parkinson's Disease. Chapter 2 (pp. 7-46), In Victor V. Chaban (Ed), Neuroplasticity: Insights of Neural Reorganization. IntechOpen, London, UK. ISBN: 978-1-78923-194-6. Chapter. DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.71790.
Bhupal, P.K., Anderson, K. A., Shall, G.P., Lynn, J., Hoolsema, K.S., Rossignol, J., Dunbar, G.L., and Sandstrom, M.I. (2018). Behavioral and neurochemical responses derived from dopaminergic intrastriatal grafts in hemiparkinsonian rats engaged in a novel motor task, Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 307, 149-163; DOI:10.1016/j.neumeth.2018.06.005.
Wolfram, A.M., Altemus, M., Wickwire, J.H., (2014) Presymptomatic Glutamate levels in Prefrontal Cortex in the Hdh(CAG150) Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease, Journal of Huntington's Disease, 3(4), 387-99; DOI: 10.3233/JHD-140114.
Sandstrom, M.I., Steffes, S.K., Jayaprakash, N., Wolfram-Aduan, A., and Dunbar, G.L., Book Chapter: Early Dysfunction of Neural Transmission and Cognitive Processing, in Huntington’s Disease, In Huntington’s Disease - Core Concepts and Current Advances, Nagehan Ersoy Tunali Ed., (February 2012), ISBN:978-953-307-953-0, InTech, Open Source.
Recent Presentations
September 23, 2024, Grand Challenges in Parkinson’s Disease Conference at Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, MI. Presentation by graduate student Tommie Cammarano. One of two abstract-selected talks - Evaluating the long-term behavioral restoration and dopamine release capacity from mesenchymal-derived neuronal stem cell transplantation due to encouraged functional integration with varying levels of complex limb-use and optogenetic stimulation in a 6‑OHDA rat model of Parkinson’s disease.
Research Interests
Dr. Sandstrom's research interests focus on the physiological side of behavioral neuroscience. Specifically, experiments explore mechanisms that underlie plasticity and recovery of the mammalian brain following neuronal deterioration-induced deficits that disrupt behavior. Historically, this has involved Huntington’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. His current research has been focused on Parkinson’s disease, exploring techniques hypothesized to enhance the functional integration of stem cell-derived transplants into the brain using an animal model of Parkinsonism. This research looks at restoring behavioral function in these Parkinsonian rats resulting from transplant-based support, using various techniques that can stimulate the added tissue and promote neuronal connectivity. We use exciting light-generation and stimulation-based cellular techniques (optogenetics & luminopsins) to target the transplant exclusively, activating those cells in the context of vigorous ongoing swimming. We also measure neurotransmitters in real-time from swimming animals using microdialysis and demonstrate how dopamine release correlates with behavioral needs and is likely to be produced by the transplants. Experiments initially demonstrated positive changes in the short term (three weeks), and we have moved on to evaluate this enhancement of transplant therapy effectiveness over much longer (three months) periods. Evaluating the cellular phenotypes, which in the case of Parkinson’s disease therapy are ideally dopamine-producing neurons, is one thing. We have also begun exploring ways to determine the sort of host-to-transplant connectivity that results from the stimulation techniques we employ by looking at host-derived synapses on the transplants after they integrate, showing the improved capacity to support behavior. This research is highly engaging and has attracted many great students. Advanced students help train newer students in learning multiple techniques to manipulate stem cells in-vitro, perform survival surgeries, perform swimming tests, and evaluate brain tissue for cellular changes.