Stevens, DaleAlba Suarez, Vicente Alejandro2022-12-142022-12-142022-08-242022-12-14http://hdl.handle.net/10315/40743Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is an important neurotrophin enabling synaptogenesis at the dendrites of neurons. Several studies have implicated the Val66Met single nucleotide polymorphism of the BDNF gene as a factor affecting cortical thickness and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the human brain. In this thesis, I investigated the effects of Val66Met on cortical thickness and RSFC among individual cortical regions and at the level of large-scale functional networks in all genotype groups (Val/Val, Val/Met, Met/Met, and Met carriers). Cutting-edge techniques were used to individually localize anatomical and functional brain regions in a large sample of healthy young adults from the Human Connectome Project. A comprehensive series of analyses revealed no significant group differences in cortical thickness or RSFC across the brain. These results suggest that, contrary to previous reports, the Met allele does not confer differences in structural or functional integrity of the healthy young adult brain.Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.NeurosciencesGeneticsElectronic Thesis or Dissertation2022-12-14Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)Resting-stateFunctional connectivityCortical thicknessfMRIGeneHealthy young adults