The Role Of Presynaptic Inhibition In Neuropathic Pain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$466,045.00
Summary
Inhibitory nerve cells in the spinal cord are thought to play an important role in governing the interaction between painful and non-painful stimuli. Defects in this process underlie allodynia, an important symptom of neuropathic pain. We will use recent advances in genetic techniques (optogenetics) to manipulate and study how inhibitory nerve cells separate touch and pain signalling in the spinal cord of normal and neuropathic animals.
Does IRAP Contribute To Alzheimer's Disease Pathology?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$743,042.00
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease which is results in memory loss and cell death. All currently prescribed drugs treat the memory loss but are unable to stop the deterioration of brain cells. We have developed a class of drugs that reverse memory loss. These drugs target a protein called insulin-regulated aminopeptidase, IRAP. We recently found that these drugs also reduce the disease pathology. This research proposal aims to investigate the role of IRAP in the initiation or pro ....Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease which is results in memory loss and cell death. All currently prescribed drugs treat the memory loss but are unable to stop the deterioration of brain cells. We have developed a class of drugs that reverse memory loss. These drugs target a protein called insulin-regulated aminopeptidase, IRAP. We recently found that these drugs also reduce the disease pathology. This research proposal aims to investigate the role of IRAP in the initiation or progression of Alzheimer’s disease pathology.Read moreRead less
Standardisation Of Prepulse Inhibition Of The Startle Reflex For Pharmacological And Interspecies Comparisons
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$252,761.00
Summary
People and other animals startle when they here a sudden loud sound. How much one startles depends in part on how loud the sound is. The relationship between the loudness of the sound and the size of the startle resembles a ski slope. Each individual has a ski slope that differs from others; the beginning of the ski slope (threshold) occurs at a different loudness, the slope is a different steepness, and the height of the ski slope where the plateau occurs is different. There are genetic differe ....People and other animals startle when they here a sudden loud sound. How much one startles depends in part on how loud the sound is. The relationship between the loudness of the sound and the size of the startle resembles a ski slope. Each individual has a ski slope that differs from others; the beginning of the ski slope (threshold) occurs at a different loudness, the slope is a different steepness, and the height of the ski slope where the plateau occurs is different. There are genetic differences in ski slopes as well. The size of the startle reflex can also be reduced by preceding the startling sound with a quiet stimulus a few tens of milliseconds before the startling stimulus. This is known as prepulse inhibition of the startle reflex or PPI for short. There is much interest in PPI, because it differs in people with certain mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or post-traumatic stress disorder, and certain neurological illnesses, such as Huntington's chorea. It is also affected by drugs, including stimulants, stress hormones, and cannabis. In almost all the hundreds of experiments on PPI the effect of the prepulse on the response to a startling stimulus is measured at only one startling stimulus loudness. This loudness can be at very different parts of the ski slope for different people or other animals: it may be in the steep slope for one person, well into the plateau for another, or even at the bottom of the ski slope below the threshold in others. The effect of PPI is very different depending on what part of the ski slope the loudness represents. A lack of consistent effects in the literature on PPI by drugs and genetics is explained by this difference. Experiments are planned that will investigate the effect of drugs that are similar to those that treat schizophrenia, stress hormones and cannabis on the effect of prepulses on the whole ski slope. This procedure will provide the consistency in results so far absent.Read moreRead less
Enzymes that generate or degrade peptides serve important roles - alterations in their activity can impact on a diverse range of physiological processes in healthy and diseased states. Angiotensin is a peptide that plays a critical role in regulating blood pressure and fluid balance - drugs that block the activity of its processing enzymes forms an important class of medication used to treat hypertension and heart disease. My research interest is in discovering novel roles for these enzymes.
Bilateral Movement Therapy In Post-stroke Hemiparesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$265,993.00
Summary
Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in adults in Australia, accounting for approximately 25% of all disability. A common motor disability resulting from stroke is hemiparesis, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body. This disability severely impairs an individual's capacity to perform activities of daily living, making them dependent on relatives and health professionals for daily care. By developing effective interventions to treat stroke-induced hemiparesis both the disab ....Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in adults in Australia, accounting for approximately 25% of all disability. A common motor disability resulting from stroke is hemiparesis, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body. This disability severely impairs an individual's capacity to perform activities of daily living, making them dependent on relatives and health professionals for daily care. By developing effective interventions to treat stroke-induced hemiparesis both the disability caused by stroke and the associated personal and financial costs will be lessened. A number of interventions focusing on the affected side (unilateral), including active movements and muscle stimulation are being investigated as possible treatments for stroke-induced hemiparesis. Recent evidence suggests that involving the unaffected side simultaneously (bilateral therapies) could be effective, and may provide addtional benefits over unilateral therapies. The aim of this research is to thoroughly examine the effectiveness of bilateral therapies by incorporating them into established interventions. The findings from these studies will aid in the development and refinement of movement therapies aimed at promoting recovery from stroke-induced hemiparesis.Read moreRead less