Allosteric Targeting Of The Dopamine D2 Receptor: A Novel Approach For The Treatment Of Parkinson’s Disease And Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$469,644.00
Summary
The dopamine D2 receptor is a brain protein that is the target for drugs that are used in the treatment of schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease (PD). In both cases the current drugs have significant side effects because they simply act to switch the receptor off or on respectively. We will focus on a new class of drugs that, because they act to tune up or tune down the activity of the D2 receptor, may be a safer more effective approach to treat these disorders.
Establishing The Clinical Spectrum And Pathogenicity Of Antibodies Against Dopamine Receptors In Autoimmune Movement And Psychiatric Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$172,126.00
Summary
Dopamine plays a pivotal role in neurotransmission and the control of movement and behaviour. This project aims to define the clinical spectrum and pathogenicity of anti-dopamine receptor antibody mediated diseases. The identification of these antibodies in atypical presentations of common movement disorders would have widespread diagnostic and therapeutic implications, and suggests that selected patients might be amenable to targeted immunomodulatory therapy, thus improving their outcome.
A New Animal Model Of The Prodrome In Schizophrenia. Enhanced Dopamine In Prodromal Schizophrenia (EDiPs)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$571,990.00
Summary
Psychiatrists now recognize a pre-symptomatic stage is present in people at risk of developing schizophrenia. Using new brain imaging techniques we now know that some of these individuals have changes in a major neurotransmitter, dopamine, prior to being diagnosed. We have developed a new model in animals, which recreates these exact same changes at a comparable age. We want to now understand what are the broader effects in the brain and try and block these changes in dopamine with new drugs.
Dissecting The Role Of Cortico-striatal Circuitry On Habit Formation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
Decisions are made based on actions and outcomes, but over time repeated actions become habits. They are no longer determined by outcomes and are dysfunctional in many disorders such as OCD, addiction and Tourette’s syndrome. How the brain changes during habit formation is not known. I will characterise the role of a specific neural circuit to determine how it influences habit development. This will improve our knowledge of normal learning processes and help us understand habitual dysfunction.
Using Reward-based Biomarkers To Improve The Early Detection Of Bipolar Disorder In Individuals Seeking Treatment For Depression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$366,252.00
Summary
Bipolar disorder is often misdiagnosed as unipolar major depression, which can have disastrous clinical consequences. Emerging evidence indicates that individuals with bipolar disorder show particular dysfunctions within brain regions involved in processing reward. This research will use cutting-edge neuroscience methodologies to investigate reward processing in these two disorders, with the objective of identifying biological markers that help distinguish bipolar from unipolar depression.
Mephedrone (Meow, 4-Methylmethcathinone): Examining The Effects Of A Novel Party Drug On Brain And Behaviour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$399,796.00
Summary
Mephedrone ("Meow") is a novel recreational drug that has rapidly increased in popularity in recent years. Users report that mephedrone has the stimulant-like qualities of cocaine, combined with the prosocial effects of MDMA. Anecdotal and case study reports indicate that mephedrone may have the potential to engender compulsive patterns of use as well as toxicity in overdose. The current project will use animal models to assess how mephedrone affects the brain and behaviour and to assess its add ....Mephedrone ("Meow") is a novel recreational drug that has rapidly increased in popularity in recent years. Users report that mephedrone has the stimulant-like qualities of cocaine, combined with the prosocial effects of MDMA. Anecdotal and case study reports indicate that mephedrone may have the potential to engender compulsive patterns of use as well as toxicity in overdose. The current project will use animal models to assess how mephedrone affects the brain and behaviour and to assess its addictive potential.Read moreRead less