How satiation control reward value and cue-induced appetitive behaviours. This proposal aims to identify mechanisms that control environment-driven food-seeking behaviours. It seeks to do so by using modern virally-mediated and basic behavioural as well as histological techniques in a transgenic rat to characterise novel hindbrain circuits that control these feeding behaviours. This is significant as environment-driven overeating is problematic yet underlying mechanisms are unclear. This project ....How satiation control reward value and cue-induced appetitive behaviours. This proposal aims to identify mechanisms that control environment-driven food-seeking behaviours. It seeks to do so by using modern virally-mediated and basic behavioural as well as histological techniques in a transgenic rat to characterise novel hindbrain circuits that control these feeding behaviours. This is significant as environment-driven overeating is problematic yet underlying mechanisms are unclear. This project expects to provide new knowledge on when, where and how hindbrain neurons control environment-driven food-seeking behaviours. This should provide benefits to the advancement of knowledge on the neural mechanisms of food-seeking and provide a basic science platform for future research on the study of feeding behaviours.
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Imaging the human cerebellum during motor learning and timing. The cerebellum has long fascinated scientists for its remarkable anatomy and physiology and the critical role that it plays in motor function, and more recently for its more general functions of cognition and emotion. Developments in non-invasive imaging of cerebellar activity have opened up exiting new opportunities to probe its wider functioning. We aim to further develop these new methods in order to facilitate their availability ....Imaging the human cerebellum during motor learning and timing. The cerebellum has long fascinated scientists for its remarkable anatomy and physiology and the critical role that it plays in motor function, and more recently for its more general functions of cognition and emotion. Developments in non-invasive imaging of cerebellar activity have opened up exiting new opportunities to probe its wider functioning. We aim to further develop these new methods in order to facilitate their availability to the wider research community, and to demonstrate their utility by application to the role of the cerebellum in learning and timing. The outcomes of this work will be of considerable benefit to a wide range of scientists and clinicians who will be able to make use of the new methods for their own research.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101244
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$342,411.00
Summary
Unravelling the relationship between food and the brain. This project aims to investigate how highly palatable foods that are high in fat and sugar, interact with the brain to cause their overconsumption. Highly palatable foods cause plasticity in brain reward circuitry in a manner similar to drugs of abuse. Identifying how these "junk" foods interact with reward areas of the brain will explore the neural mechanisms underlying the hedonic nature of appetite. This project will not only inform our ....Unravelling the relationship between food and the brain. This project aims to investigate how highly palatable foods that are high in fat and sugar, interact with the brain to cause their overconsumption. Highly palatable foods cause plasticity in brain reward circuitry in a manner similar to drugs of abuse. Identifying how these "junk" foods interact with reward areas of the brain will explore the neural mechanisms underlying the hedonic nature of appetite. This project will not only inform our understanding of how exposure to these foods can contribute to overeating and obesity, a huge and growing problem in Australia, but will also provide evidence to inform policy options relevant to advertising and marketing of these foods.Read moreRead less
Brain mechanisms for coordinating with others through sound. Distinguishing between sounds produced by self and others is critical for interpersonal coordination and communication through speech and music. This project employs a novel dual-brain electrophysiological technique with tagged audio signals to elucidate how the human brain achieves this distinction, and when and why it cannot. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the neurophysiological mechanisms that support self-other processi ....Brain mechanisms for coordinating with others through sound. Distinguishing between sounds produced by self and others is critical for interpersonal coordination and communication through speech and music. This project employs a novel dual-brain electrophysiological technique with tagged audio signals to elucidate how the human brain achieves this distinction, and when and why it cannot. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the neurophysiological mechanisms that support self-other processing, and the acoustic conditions and behavioural strategies that facilitate their operation. These outcomes should ultimately have applied benefits for improving interpersonal coordination and social interaction, especially in digital environments and clinical populations with atypical self-other processing.Read moreRead less
The impact of female sex hormones on neurodevelopment. This project aims to characterise the contribution of sex hormones to the development of emotional brain circuits in female adolescents. Puberty is associated with profound changes in emotional behaviours in females, but we know little about the underlying brain mechanisms. In particular, research has neglected to consider the role of the sex hormones for which changes are a defining feature of female puberty (eg, oestradiol). This work will ....The impact of female sex hormones on neurodevelopment. This project aims to characterise the contribution of sex hormones to the development of emotional brain circuits in female adolescents. Puberty is associated with profound changes in emotional behaviours in females, but we know little about the underlying brain mechanisms. In particular, research has neglected to consider the role of the sex hormones for which changes are a defining feature of female puberty (eg, oestradiol). This work will be the first to comprehensively advance our understanding of the unique role of sex hormones in shaping the adolescent female brain. It will provide critical understanding of how individual differences in hormonal factors increase risk for emotional problems in females, and inform treatment strategies.Read moreRead less
Integrative brain imaging technologies. This project aims to develop quantitative metabolic imaging using simultaneous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). The current generation of MR-PET scanners are capable of simultaneously acquiring MRI and PET data to enable quantitative anatomical, physiological and metabolic imaging. The project aims to develop new MRI methods for quantitative anatomical mapping, MR-based motion correction of dynamic PET scan data, and ....Integrative brain imaging technologies. This project aims to develop quantitative metabolic imaging using simultaneous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). The current generation of MR-PET scanners are capable of simultaneously acquiring MRI and PET data to enable quantitative anatomical, physiological and metabolic imaging. The project aims to develop new MRI methods for quantitative anatomical mapping, MR-based motion correction of dynamic PET scan data, and joint estimation of physiological and metabolic organ activity. These advances will create innovative imaging technologies for advanced biomedical imaging research with a particular emphasis in healthy ageing.
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Investigating the role of Zona Incerta RXFP3+ cells in learning and memory. Learning and memory are fundamental to human and animal behaviour. We identified a specific population of cells in the zona incerta of the brain, where activation inhibits expression of memory, and facilitates the acquisition of new learning. Aside from our observations, nothing is currently known about the anatomy and function of these cells. This project aims to map how they connect to the rest of the brain, to observe ....Investigating the role of Zona Incerta RXFP3+ cells in learning and memory. Learning and memory are fundamental to human and animal behaviour. We identified a specific population of cells in the zona incerta of the brain, where activation inhibits expression of memory, and facilitates the acquisition of new learning. Aside from our observations, nothing is currently known about the anatomy and function of these cells. This project aims to map how they connect to the rest of the brain, to observe how these connections are recruited during learning and memory, and then to test their function experimentally. The outcomes will extend the known neural circuitry that controls learning by defining how and where these unexplored pathways fit within it; thus advancing knowledge regarding neural regulation of behaviour.
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Hippocampal regulation of goal-directed decision-making. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is central to learning and memory yet little is known about its role in decision-making. It is the aim of this application to provide the first detailed, causal evidence of hippocampal regulation of decision-making. This is significant because many mental health disorders and dementias that involve decision-making deficits are characterised by hippocampal dysfunction, but any direct link between ....Hippocampal regulation of goal-directed decision-making. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is central to learning and memory yet little is known about its role in decision-making. It is the aim of this application to provide the first detailed, causal evidence of hippocampal regulation of decision-making. This is significant because many mental health disorders and dementias that involve decision-making deficits are characterised by hippocampal dysfunction, but any direct link between these factors is unknown. The outcomes of the current grant will provide the first evidence of that link, thus providing deeper understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms of these disorders, which could eventuate in the creation of more beneficial treatments. Read moreRead less
Novel dopamine pathways underlying motivated behaviours. Rewards such as food, sex and social media are seeked on daily basis. Neurological and psychological basis of learning and memory of reward processing behaviour. This project maps real time neural activity during reward processing in two novel brain regions. It has the potential to revolutionize the understanding of the brain mechanisms in reward processing. The biological data obtained can be directly integrated into computational modelli ....Novel dopamine pathways underlying motivated behaviours. Rewards such as food, sex and social media are seeked on daily basis. Neurological and psychological basis of learning and memory of reward processing behaviour. This project maps real time neural activity during reward processing in two novel brain regions. It has the potential to revolutionize the understanding of the brain mechanisms in reward processing. The biological data obtained can be directly integrated into computational modelling approaches to benefit reward processing algorithms for learning behaviours in humans or artificial intelligence. This project will fuel the understanding of algorithms driving social media platforms and consumer consumption, hence driving economic and technological progress in Australia.Read moreRead less
Hunger flexibly modifies hypothalamic neural circuits responding to threat. Animal and human behaviour frequently involves a choice between actions or goals with conflicting positive and negative outcomes. However, the appropriate action or goal in conflicting situations often depends on physiological pressures like hunger, stress and mating opportunities. For example, the need for resources within an environment, such as food, drives approach behaviour, whereas threats to survival, such as pred ....Hunger flexibly modifies hypothalamic neural circuits responding to threat. Animal and human behaviour frequently involves a choice between actions or goals with conflicting positive and negative outcomes. However, the appropriate action or goal in conflicting situations often depends on physiological pressures like hunger, stress and mating opportunities. For example, the need for resources within an environment, such as food, drives approach behaviour, whereas threats to survival, such as predator cues, enhance avoidance behaviour. This project will uncover the neural circuitry and endocrine mechanisms through which hunger influences hypothalamic threat-detecting circuits that suppress food intake. These studies provide a new hypothalamic model to understand risk/reward decision in the brain.Read moreRead less