Saccadic Eye Movements And The Neural Basis Of Visual Perception
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$570,828.00
Summary
The eye has a restricted central area that has good vision. We must make very frequent eye movements to build up a high resolution picture of a particular image. The term active vision is used to describe the requirement of coordinating the eye movements with the visual system. The study of active vision at the neural level requires experiments that combine single cell recording with behaviour. This study will explore which parts of the brain are involved in active vision in monkeys.
Cortical Interactions Of Parallel Afferent Channels Underlying Visual Perception, Attention And Memory
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$410,250.00
Summary
The visual pathways from the eyes to the brain consist of distinct groups of cells which are specialised to signal different aspects of the visual scene such as colour, contrast and movement. As the information they carry is relayed through and processed in many different regions of the brain these parallel information channels were, until recently, believed to remain completely separate from each other. Furthermore, it had been proposed that as the information reaches the visual neocortex the i ....The visual pathways from the eyes to the brain consist of distinct groups of cells which are specialised to signal different aspects of the visual scene such as colour, contrast and movement. As the information they carry is relayed through and processed in many different regions of the brain these parallel information channels were, until recently, believed to remain completely separate from each other. Furthermore, it had been proposed that as the information reaches the visual neocortex the information is channeled through two main largely parallel information processing streams, a dorsal stream to the parietal cortex (a where system) and a ventral stream to the temporal cortex (a what system). However, our recent functional studies (and anatomical studies from other laboratories) have indicated that the different information channels do interact already at a relatively early level of the visual pathway, namely in the primary visual cortex. We have shown this in two ways: (1) there is convergence of different information channels on individual neurones in the primary visual cortex; (2) signals from the faster where pathway comes back to the primary visual cortex to gate the slower channels going into the ventral what pathway. We have seen this occur in an attention paradigm and in a memory task. We will explore these interactions further to test hypotheses about: (1) how the convergence of different information channels relate to the functional and anatomical architecture of the visual cortex; (2) investigate at length the most poorly understood, the so-called koniocellular pathway from the retina to the cortex. This pathway seems to contain a specialised component which carries information about blue objects; (3) identify the source of the spotlight of attention we have discovered and (4) how and from where early visual structures receive the gating inputs in certain memory tasks.Read moreRead less
We are able to identify and discriminate objects in the world because of exquisitely detailed and rapid processing of sensory information by neurons in the cortex of the brain. In this project we will examine these operations in neurons in the cortex that receive input from the large face whiskers of the rat. These whiskers are used for fine-grain discrimination and for gauging distance. They are deflected by being actively moved, under muscle control, over objects (active touch) or by being pas ....We are able to identify and discriminate objects in the world because of exquisitely detailed and rapid processing of sensory information by neurons in the cortex of the brain. In this project we will examine these operations in neurons in the cortex that receive input from the large face whiskers of the rat. These whiskers are used for fine-grain discrimination and for gauging distance. They are deflected by being actively moved, under muscle control, over objects (active touch) or by being passively deflected by objects. Deflection results in inputs to the brain that are processed to form the neural basis for very finely detailed perceptual behaviour. In rats, with impoverished visual and auditory senses, the whiskers are the major sensory system for interacting with the world, and are used in navigating the environment and in finding and distinguishing foods. Thus they contribute strongly to the remarkable success of this species. This elegant sensory system has a number of advantages that make it a very good model for the study of brain mechanisms responsible for active fine-grain sensory function. We plan to take advantage of the unique features of this system to define the information processing that occurs in the cortex in this elegantly complex system. This will address an issue relevant to all sensory systems - namely the neural basis of complex fine grain perceptual behaviour. Understanding the mechanisms underlying active tactile perception also has relevance to clinical conditions involving deficits in active touch e.g., in diabetic polyneuropathy (which eventually affects ~50% of diabetics), in leprosy (in which an early sign is damage to active touch). Knowledge of the core brain processes in active touch gained in this study could eventually underpin the ameliorative technologies for such deficits.Read moreRead less
Functional Characterisation Of A New Regulatory Mechanism For CaMKII At Synapses In Vivo
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$547,315.00
Summary
CaMKII is an important regulatory molecule in the brain where it plays an essential role in certain forms of learning and memory and in the appropriate development and maturation of neural pathways and undergoes specific changes in animal models of brain ischaemia and epilepsy. Recent evidence has shown that, in nerve cells, the regulation and role of CaMKII is more complicated than previously thought. This project will investigate the roles of a new control mechanism in regulating the function ....CaMKII is an important regulatory molecule in the brain where it plays an essential role in certain forms of learning and memory and in the appropriate development and maturation of neural pathways and undergoes specific changes in animal models of brain ischaemia and epilepsy. Recent evidence has shown that, in nerve cells, the regulation and role of CaMKII is more complicated than previously thought. This project will investigate the roles of a new control mechanism in regulating the function of CaMKII in nerve cells. The experiments will involve an international team of collaborators using cutting edge techniques at the molecular, cellular and whole animal level. This will provide a more complete understanding of how CaMKII influences brain function and allow an assessment of whether CaMKII regulation might be a suitable target for drugs aimed at protecting against the damaging effects of brain injury following stroke or heart attack.Read moreRead less
Cortical Interactions Between Afferent Channels In Macaque Visual System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,154.00
Summary
There are three distinct groups of cells that carry the visual information from the eyes to the brain, each pathway signaling a different aspect of the visual scene. This project will study in detail the lesser known of these three pathways (koniocellular neurones): what sort of information they carry into the brain, how it is combined with the other pathways to yield our composite picture and where in the brain such combination takes place.
Novel Approaches To Nanomedicines For Future Therapies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,414,215.00
Summary
Nanomedicines have the potential to transform healthcare by targeting significant health issues such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and Parkinson’s diseases that have mainly eluded successful therapeutic solutions. In addition, nanotechnology has the potential to significantly improve the treatment of chronic pain by repurposing analgesic medications for improved effectiveness without significant side effects. I will target these two areas of research during the next five years.
Functional Assessment Of Bioenergetic Defects In Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$113,322.00
Summary
Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a degenerative, hereditary disorder which affects the legs. Currently there are no treatments that target the disease process. We seek to identify the genes responsible for this condition in a group of Australian patients. Cell samples obtained from these patients will be tested for energy defects. We hope to improve our understanding of the underlying disease processes in order to find new ways to prevent, treat and cure this condition.
Decoding the neural representation of objects in the human brain. Humans can effortlessly recognise thousands of objects in a fraction of a second. This essential capacity is an integral part of our daily lives that allows us to recognise our keys, our car, our friends and family. This project will elucidate how humans recognise objects by investigating the neural representation of objects in the brain.
L1 Retrotransposition: The Missing Link Between Genetics And Environmental Factors In Parkinson's Disease ?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$604,644.00
Summary
The study proposed here focuses on understanding the role of specific mobile DNA sequences in the interaction between environmental and genetic risk factors causing Parkinson’s disease (PD) leading to dementia. The project proposes identification of mobile DNA induced mutations in post-mortem human PD patient brain samples. The significance and mechanisms of mobile DNA induced mutations will be then tested in a PD mouse model.