Dual routes to fear and aversive motivation. Why do we experience frustration when the pleasant things we expect fail to appear and why is this frustration so aversive? This project shows how frustration is similar to fear and anxiety at the level of behaviour and brain function.
The sociopath amongst us: the neural basis of empathy disorders. Empathy is fundamental to human relations. Despite this, little is known about its underlying mechanisms. This project tests whether empathy relies upon us simulating the emotion of others in ourselves, and if so, at which stage this occurs. It is significant because it tests several competing theories to advance a coherent model of empathy that can be used to understand human social behaviour. It is innovative because it focuses o ....The sociopath amongst us: the neural basis of empathy disorders. Empathy is fundamental to human relations. Despite this, little is known about its underlying mechanisms. This project tests whether empathy relies upon us simulating the emotion of others in ourselves, and if so, at which stage this occurs. It is significant because it tests several competing theories to advance a coherent model of empathy that can be used to understand human social behaviour. It is innovative because it focuses on adults with brain lesions. This is a powerful means to examine brain mechanisms underpinning empathy, yielding insights not available from observation of healthy adults. It is expected to provide a leap forward in understanding the neuroscience of social behaviour.Read moreRead less
Noradrenaline in learning produced by negative prediction error. This project aims to examine the role of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline in error-driven learning. While dopamine may be involved in initial learning about events, updating this learning, notably when reward is omitted, involves noradrenaline. Predictive learning is adaptive; it allows animals to use information in the environment to anticipate and prepare for events. Animals can also update learned associations when confronted ....Noradrenaline in learning produced by negative prediction error. This project aims to examine the role of the neurotransmitter noradrenaline in error-driven learning. While dopamine may be involved in initial learning about events, updating this learning, notably when reward is omitted, involves noradrenaline. Predictive learning is adaptive; it allows animals to use information in the environment to anticipate and prepare for events. Animals can also update learned associations when confronted with new information and environmental contingencies. This project expects to provide information about how noradrenaline signals reward prediction errors and how predictive information is detected, encoded and modified using cutting edge behavioural and neuroscience tools.Read moreRead less
Mapping and manipulating fear prediction errors. This project plans to use Pavlovian conditioning to map and then manipulate the brain architecture of fear prediction errors. It asks fundamental questions about how Pavlovian conditioning and associative learning enable us to learn to fear, to reduce fear, and to respond appropriately to danger. It aims to answer these questions with behavioural sophistication and previously unobtainable cell-type, temporal, and circuit-level precision. It aims t ....Mapping and manipulating fear prediction errors. This project plans to use Pavlovian conditioning to map and then manipulate the brain architecture of fear prediction errors. It asks fundamental questions about how Pavlovian conditioning and associative learning enable us to learn to fear, to reduce fear, and to respond appropriately to danger. It aims to answer these questions with behavioural sophistication and previously unobtainable cell-type, temporal, and circuit-level precision. It aims to provide new insights into the mechanisms of Pavlovian conditioning, associative learning, and emotion: insights that are necessary to shape the next generation of theoretical accounts and practical applications.Read moreRead less
How the brain parses danger signals. This project aims to use Pavlovian conditioning to map and manipulate the brain circuitry for attentional selection of danger signals. It will investigate how we attend to and learn about sources of danger in the world with behavioural sophistication and previously unobtainable cell-type, temporal and circuit level precision. It aims to provide insights into the mechanisms of Pavlovian conditioning, associative learning, and emotion: insights that are necessa ....How the brain parses danger signals. This project aims to use Pavlovian conditioning to map and manipulate the brain circuitry for attentional selection of danger signals. It will investigate how we attend to and learn about sources of danger in the world with behavioural sophistication and previously unobtainable cell-type, temporal and circuit level precision. It aims to provide insights into the mechanisms of Pavlovian conditioning, associative learning, and emotion: insights that are necessary to shape the next generation of theoretical accounts and practical applications.Read moreRead less
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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A comprehensive framework for modelling the human connectome. The human brain is an extraordinarily complex network of interconnected cells. This project aims to use mathematical modelling and brain imaging to uncover key principles of network wiring in the human brain. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines elements of neuroscience, genetics, physics, and psychology, the project will result in a new, rigorous framework for testing competing theories of brain development, the identifi ....A comprehensive framework for modelling the human connectome. The human brain is an extraordinarily complex network of interconnected cells. This project aims to use mathematical modelling and brain imaging to uncover key principles of network wiring in the human brain. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines elements of neuroscience, genetics, physics, and psychology, the project will result in a new, rigorous framework for testing competing theories of brain development, the identification of key wiring principles for developing brains, and an understanding of how these principles shape behaviour. This work will shed new light on the developmental processes that underlie human behaviour and disease.Read moreRead less
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
PET imaging of learning-related plasticity in awake behaving rats. The objective of the project is to combine an investigation of basic learning paradigms with functional Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in rats in order to answer critical questions about the neurobiological basis of learning and decision-making in the brain. MicroPET technology provides PET images without the confounds induced by anaesthesia. Using this technology, the project intends to observe whole-brain changes in ....PET imaging of learning-related plasticity in awake behaving rats. The objective of the project is to combine an investigation of basic learning paradigms with functional Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in rats in order to answer critical questions about the neurobiological basis of learning and decision-making in the brain. MicroPET technology provides PET images without the confounds induced by anaesthesia. Using this technology, the project intends to observe whole-brain changes in dopamine neurotransmission in awake, behaving rats while they learn to predict motivationally relevant outcomes based on environmental cues and on their own actions (ie during Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning, respectively). The outcomes of this research may improve our understanding of the neural changes responsible for debilitating disorders of the brain and mind.Read moreRead less
Investigating differences in decision-making ability in older adults. This project aims to investigate how healthy ageing impacts decision making and its associated neural circuits using computation modelling and neurogenetic methods. Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive ability, allowing us to choose the best course of action. This project will investigate the relationship between genes and decision-making performance across the adult lifespan. Expected outcomes include a deeper understan ....Investigating differences in decision-making ability in older adults. This project aims to investigate how healthy ageing impacts decision making and its associated neural circuits using computation modelling and neurogenetic methods. Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive ability, allowing us to choose the best course of action. This project will investigate the relationship between genes and decision-making performance across the adult lifespan. Expected outcomes include a deeper understanding of how decision-making evolves in healthy ageing, and a tool based on genetic scores and computational modelling to predict an individual's trajectory of cognitive function. This could help identify individuals who are at risk for cognitive decline, which could then inform better interventions.Read moreRead less