Control Of Prosthetic Limbs From Decoded Brain Signals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$895,832.00
Summary
This research will restore mobility to patients who suffer from paralysis. We aim to create a device, known as a brain-machine interface, which is an artificial communication path from the brain that bypasses an injury, such as a damaged spinal cord or stroke. The interface will decode a user’s intent and act upon it. Decoders will use physiological principals and state-of-the-art machine learning methods. We will test a user’s ability to control an artificial limb using decoded brain activity.
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
Identification Of Novel Regulatory Factors In Midbrain Development To Improve Cell Therapies For The Treatment Of Parkinson’s Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$311,860.00
Summary
Cell transplantation is one of the most promising therapeutic strategies for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Cells are transplanted directly into the brain of the patient and can compensate for those lost to the disease. In this project we are identifying new genes that regulate the normal development of the transplanted cells in mice. We hope to use this knowledge to improve the reliability and effectiveness of the approach, bringing the therapy closer to the clinic.
Using Stem Cells And Bioengineered Scaffolds To Promote Regeneration Following Necrotic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$710,857.00
Summary
A number of injuries, including stroke, result in tissue loss. Consequently promoting repair will require restoration of tissue structure, replacement cells and a supportive environment to promote integration of these new cells. This study will engineer and develop novel scaffolds that can replace tissue whilst additionally providing physical and chemical support for newly implanted stem cells. This work will be conducted in an animal model of stroke.
Standardising Protocols For The Differentiation And Integration Of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Neural Transplants In Parkinson's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$987,664.00
Summary
Clinical trials have shown that transplanting dopamine neurons (specific nerve cells) into the brain of Parkinson’s disease patients can improve symptoms. Trials use fetal tissue for implantation, which is unsustainable and highly variable. This proposal will examine stem cells as an alternative. We will establish a reliable protocol to instruct human stem cells to become dopamine neurons, develop methods to select these cells and, examine the integration of these transplanted cells in the brain
Knowledge, Identification And Exploitation Of Dopaminergic Axon Guidance Cues Will Improve Cell Replacement Therapy For ParkinsonÍs Disease.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$481,797.00
Summary
Many obstacles exist for cell transplantation in ParkinsonÍs Disease; namely poor graft survival, restoration of appropriate circuitry and adequate nerve fiber growth from new cells. Using knowledge of how neural circuits are established during fetal development, we will attempt to recapitulate these events following transplantation. Further, we will identify new and novel cues in regulating the connectivity and growth of these nerve fibers.
Enhancement Of Newborn Neuron Survival To Promote Repair Following Adult Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,780.00
Summary
Following brain damage tissue needs to be rebuilt and newborn nerve cells need to survive. Identification of factors that enhance the numbers and promote the survival and appropriate integration of newborn nerve cells is therefore important and over the last few years we have identified two regulatory factors that are prime candidates to enhance numbers and survival of newborn neurons following injury: the Rho pathway and suppressor of cytokine signalling-2, which we will test for effectiveness ....Following brain damage tissue needs to be rebuilt and newborn nerve cells need to survive. Identification of factors that enhance the numbers and promote the survival and appropriate integration of newborn nerve cells is therefore important and over the last few years we have identified two regulatory factors that are prime candidates to enhance numbers and survival of newborn neurons following injury: the Rho pathway and suppressor of cytokine signalling-2, which we will test for effectiveness following brain injury.Read moreRead less
A Novel Treatment For Ischemic Stroke: Preclinical Assessment In The Nonhuman Primate
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$762,246.00
Summary
A major source of repair inhibition after brain injury is debris from dying cells, which contains proteins that hinder repair. This project will examine the expression of these proteins in a clinically-relevant model of ischemic stroke and determine if blocking the effect of these proteins neutralises their repair-inhibiting properties. If successful, there is likelihood that this drug, and method of delivery, could be translated into the human for treatment following an ischemic stroke.
Pre-Clinical Studies Towards Cell-Based Approaches For Cortical Repair.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$739,901.00
Summary
This project seeks to determine whether brain cells that die after stroke can be functionally replaced using cells grown in the laboratory from human stem cells. Current therapies for stroke aim to limit the damage but do not allow for actual recovery of brain function. By growing turning stem cells into specialised cells that match the ones lost after stroke, this project aims to restore motor function by transplanting these cells into the injured brain.
Seizures appear unpredictable and greatly affect the quality of all aspects of life for patients with epilepsy and their carers. New advances in complex systems theory suggest that transitions from normal brain activity to seizures are preceded by measurable changes in the brain’s responses to stimuli, known as critical slowing. Measurement of critical slowing will enable prediction of seizures, providing a warning system, and possibly an opportunity to deliver preventative therapies.