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Improving Neurobehavioural Development In Preterm Infants: A Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Neonatal Intervention
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$680,920.00
Summary
Up to 50% of preterm infants will have one or more developmental difficulties. While medical complications are implicated in these problems, recent evidence points to the added effect of the infant's early environment. Hospitalised premature infants experience stress from necessary but painful hospital procedures, overstimulation and maternal deprivation. Evidence, largely from animal studies, suggests stressful early experience negatively affects brain development. We also know that premature i ....Up to 50% of preterm infants will have one or more developmental difficulties. While medical complications are implicated in these problems, recent evidence points to the added effect of the infant's early environment. Hospitalised premature infants experience stress from necessary but painful hospital procedures, overstimulation and maternal deprivation. Evidence, largely from animal studies, suggests stressful early experience negatively affects brain development. We also know that premature infants find it difficult to handle stress as they are highly disorganised neurobehaviourally. The primary aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a parent-based intervention in enhancing neurobehavioural development at two years of age in very premature infants. It is predicted that this stress-reduction intervention will also enhance medical stability,normal brain development, parent-child interaction and parental mental health. The intervention to be trialled involves intensive training of parents of very premature infants, and in the 12 weeks following birth the parents will be the change agents. A randomised controlled trial comparing intervention and control groups will be undertaken to assess the effectiveness of this intervention. Assessments of early brain and 2 year intellectual, emotional and behavioural development will provide important outcome measures. A major strength of this study is the inclusion of advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology as it enables differences in brain development between the intervention and control group to be assessed, the association between brain and neurobehavioural development to be explored, and the impact of stress on early brain development to be investigated. This intervention is relatively simple and inexpensive, and would be a valuable contribution to neonatal care if found to be effective in enhancing brain and neurobehavioural development.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100235
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
A novel approach to modelling nicotine dependence in the rat. With repeated exposure, tobacco smoking can rapidly develop into a habit. How this happens is poorly understood. This project will model the changes to the brain and behaviour of rats during the development of nicotine-seeking habits with a view to better understanding how to reduce tobacco dependence.
Neural origins of conscious perception in no-report paradigms. This project aims to test two highly influential theories of consciousness. The project will be the first to test critical experimental conditions, where neural activities are recorded in humans and novel measures of causality are computed, which allows us to distinguish the two theories. The intended outcomes will provide significant benefits by bringing us closer to solve the mind-body problem. These outcomes can contribute to the ....Neural origins of conscious perception in no-report paradigms. This project aims to test two highly influential theories of consciousness. The project will be the first to test critical experimental conditions, where neural activities are recorded in humans and novel measures of causality are computed, which allows us to distinguish the two theories. The intended outcomes will provide significant benefits by bringing us closer to solve the mind-body problem. These outcomes can contribute to the development of engineering and clinical devices that utilise objective measures of consciousness.Read moreRead less
Neural substrates of higher-order conditioned fear. Higher-order conditioning processes are thought to contribute to the maintenance of maladaptive behaviours such as clinical anxiety, however, little is known about the psychological and neural processes by which this conditioning occurs. Accordingly, this project uses an animal model to investigate these substrates.
State-trace analysis: theory and application. A fundamental question for the science of psychology is: how can we identify the functional components of the human mind from observed behaviour and bodily states? This project explores this question through a new methodology called state-trace analysis and apply it to a basic cognitive ability - the capacity to learn to classify different objects.
Neuronal and behavioural correlates of sensory adaptation. Sensory systems adapt to the statistics of their environment, and the consequences of this adaptation are evident in neuronal activity and in animal’s behaviour. This project will employ a novel paradigm to characterise how adaptation changes the response properties of individual sensory neurons to improve efficiency of information transmission.
Pattern recognition in animals and machines: using machine learning to reveal cues central to the identification of individuals. The power to recognise individuals of a species requires significant image and pattern discrimination abilities. Yet, individual recognition has been found in a huge range of species, from humans to invertebrates demonstrating its importance for social interactions. The project will investigate this ability in lower vertebrates (fish, with no visual cortex), so as to u ....Pattern recognition in animals and machines: using machine learning to reveal cues central to the identification of individuals. The power to recognise individuals of a species requires significant image and pattern discrimination abilities. Yet, individual recognition has been found in a huge range of species, from humans to invertebrates demonstrating its importance for social interactions. The project will investigate this ability in lower vertebrates (fish, with no visual cortex), so as to understand the underlying mechanisms of pattern discrimination. The project will also test how robust this ability is during changes in water quality (elevated carbon dioxide levels and increased turbidity). The outcomes will further our knowledge base in lower vertebrate vision and evolution, and also have implications for human vision, image analysis, and artificial vision.Read moreRead less
Melanopsin function in humans. This project aims to understand melanopsin signalling in humans. A newly discovered retinal ganglion cell class expresses the melanopsin photopigment. Melanopsin signalling controls neural functions for light dependent image formation and non-image forming processes. Many of these are unknown in humans. This project will use a 5-primary photostimulator to define how melanopsin controls these processes in humans. The outcomes are expected to advance understanding of ....Melanopsin function in humans. This project aims to understand melanopsin signalling in humans. A newly discovered retinal ganglion cell class expresses the melanopsin photopigment. Melanopsin signalling controls neural functions for light dependent image formation and non-image forming processes. Many of these are unknown in humans. This project will use a 5-primary photostimulator to define how melanopsin controls these processes in humans. The outcomes are expected to advance understanding of human vision. This could provide avenues for using light to increase active participation in society and improve health and well-being, and strategies to assess human vision and the body’s internal clock.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100741
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$342,996.00
Summary
Harnessing neural plasticity with brain stimulation. This project aims to investigate the links between the molecular mechanisms underlying brain plasticity and the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation. It will use a novel approach that integrates genetics, electrophysiology and biological modelling. Plasticity underpins all learning, memory and aging. Brain stimulation can drive plasticity in humans, but these effects are extremely difficult to harness and vary widely between people. Expec ....Harnessing neural plasticity with brain stimulation. This project aims to investigate the links between the molecular mechanisms underlying brain plasticity and the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation. It will use a novel approach that integrates genetics, electrophysiology and biological modelling. Plasticity underpins all learning, memory and aging. Brain stimulation can drive plasticity in humans, but these effects are extremely difficult to harness and vary widely between people. Expected outcomes include a critical understanding of the fundamental mechanisms governing plasticity. This will provide significant benefits such as the development of individually optimised brain stimulation protocols, enabling tailored, reliable approaches to address brain function and cognition.Read moreRead less