We have previously made the most widely used animal brain atlas in the world. This atlas based on stained histological sections of the rat brain. In recent years, advances in MRI have made it possible to generate images of the rat brain at very high resolution. We have obtained a very high quality MRI image set from colleagues in Duke University in the USA, and we have begun to map these images in great detail, using our histological atlas as a guide.
Imaging Of Acute Ischemic Stroke – Improving Patient Selection For Thrombolysis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$367,946.00
Summary
Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in our community and is most often due to a blocked blood vessel. Powerful treatments are available to open blocked blood vessels but there are restrictions on eligibility and some risks. This research aims to improve doctors' understanding of stroke in the individual patient to aid treatment decisions by identifying those with potentially salvageable brain tissue and avoiding those with high risk of bleeding complications.
Brain Iron Imaging For Alzheimer’s Disease (AIBL-ADIRON Study)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,227,885.00
Summary
Iron accumulation in the brain is linked to Alzheimer's disease. New Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans allow us to painlessly image the brain and measure its size and iron concentration. In this project more than 330 volunteers over 60 will be scanned every 18 months over 3 years. We will determine if those subjects with higher iron concentration in their brain have a smaller brain and worse performance in this period. This will confirm a role for iron in Alzheimer's as a new treatment target.
A 3D Cross-Modality Atlas Of The Human Brainstem For Scientists And Clinicians
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$363,455.00
Summary
Recent technical advances dramatically improved imaging of the human brainstem. However, there are limited frameworks for interpreting the images. The project will address this by acquiring high quality MRI anatomical and MR microscopy data from postmortem brains and registering these with structures in Atlas of the Human Brainstem (Paxinos and Huang, 1995) where almost 500 brain areas are delineated. Our work will assist with the diagnosis of brain disorders and facilitate clinical research.
Novel Methods To Study Structural-functional Connectivity In Epilepsy And Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$697,605.00
Summary
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a non-invasive method that has revolutionised our understanding of clinical neuroscience. MRI provides not only high-contrast anatomical images, but also information on brain physiology and function. My primary goal is to develop and optimise novel MRI methods for a more accurate measure of brain structure and function. My research program will focus on the application of these methods to the investigation of epilepsy and schizophrenia.
Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in adult across the world. Understanding how exactly brain cells are affected in stroke and how they are injured, and how they response to treatment is important in order to develop new treatment to maximize recovery and minimize brain injury after stroke. This project uses advanced MRI being performed at several time points after a stroke to study how the brain tissues recovers or dies after a stroke.
Caress The Detail: A Comprehensive MRI Atlas Of The In Vivo Human Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$461,978.00
Summary
This project will construct a detailed MRI atlas of the living human brain. The atlas will be online and compatible with tablet computers to provide a convenient, powerful reference tool for researchers and clinicians. It is a collaboration between George Paxinos, a leader in brain cartography, and Mark Schira, an emerging scientist in MRI technology. They will use high resolution in vivo MR images obtained at the University of Queensland Centre for Advanced Imaging.
EXTEND-IA Randomized Trial Of Intra-arterial Clot Retrieval In Ischemic Stroke
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$764,534.00
Summary
Most strokes are caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain. Current treatments to dissolve the blockage improve recovery for many patients but often fail to unblock larger brain arteries. The EXTEND-IA trial will use advanced brain imaging to identify patients who have the most to gain if the blocked artery can be re-opened. The trial will test whether a new minimally invasive clot removal procedure performed after standard clot-dissolving treatment improves recovery after stroke.
Selective Modulation Of Corticostriatal Functional Circuitry Using TMS-fMRI
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$757,546.00
Summary
This project will validate a novel brain imaging-based method for targeted and non-invasive stimulation of specific brain circuits that play an important role in diverse cognitive, emotional and motor functions. The ability to selectively up-regulate or down-regulate activity in these circuits will have far-reaching treatment implications for a wide range of brain disorders.