Developmental Differences In The Role Of The Medial Prefrontal Cortex In Fear Regulation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$354,481.00
Summary
This project explores the neural circuitry involved in fear expression early in life, and how early life experiences can affect this circuitry. A better understanding of the neural circuitry underlying fear regulation across development is essential given that the majority of anxiety disorders first appear in childhood or early adolescence.
Disorder in the circuits that process emotional stimuli are central in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders. In this grant we will study the circuits that are inolved in fear learnng. Our results will provide the background to developing more effective therapies for a range of anxiety related disorders such as generalised anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder.
Preclinical Investigation Into Novel Therapeutics To Treat Drug Abuse During Adolescence And Adulthood
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$713,684.00
Summary
To investigate early life drug abuse and its treatment, drug-consumption and seeking behaviour will be examined in adolescent rats. We expect dopamine immaturity during adolescence to be a critical factor in persistence of drug-seeking in adolescence.
Emotionally traumatic experiences are well remembered and, in some instances, frequent reminders of these events can lead to the development of fear-related anxiety disorders such as phobia or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The experiments outlined in this proposal will examine how a novel epigenetic mechanism of gene regulation contributes to the transition from the retrieval of a fear memory to its inhibition through a process called extinction.
Gene-environment Interactions Modulating Cortical And Cognitive Dysfunction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$618,300.00
Summary
A feature of many major brain disorders, including schizophrenia and dementia, is disruption of cognition. A key brain area impacted in such cognitive disorders is the prefrontal cortex. This project will use clinically translatable touchscreen to understand how this aspect of brain dysfunction causes abnormal cognition. We will investigate the mechanisms involved, using highly innovative approaches, which will contribute to the development of new treatments for such cognitive disorders.
Dopamine, Frontal-subcortical Circuits And Risk For Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$671,684.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental disorder characterized by psychotic experiences and emotional and cognitive difficulties. This project will map how disruptions of specific brain circuits relate to risk for schizophrenia and use genetic modeling techniques to understand how dysregulation of a specific chemical in the brain, dopamine, might cause these changes. This work will have important implications for developing new, more targeted treatments.
A Brain-based Model Of Anxiety Sensitivity In Panic Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$402,214.00
Summary
This project will combine advanced brain imaging and brain network modelling to better understand the neurobiology of panic disorder with relevance to its treatment.
Impaired Anticipation Of Sensory Events In Schizophrenia.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,942.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a mental illness that costs Australia millions of dollars and hundreds of lives every year. To address this we need to understand more about how schizophrenia develops. A brain measure (mismatch negativity) tracks biological brain changes and functional impairments in daily living that emerge in schizophrenia. It is not yet known if this measure can teach us about vulnerability to developing schizophrenia or only the effect of the disease. This study will address this question.
A Combined PET-fMRI Study Of Frontostriatal Dysfunction In First Episode Psychosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$872,873.00
Summary
Psychosis is a debilitating psychiatric syndrome affecting a person’s ability to understand reality. This project will map how disruptions of specific brain circuits give rise to psychosis, and how they relate to changes in the level of a specific brain chemical, dopamine, which is targeted by antipsychotic medications. This work has important implications for developing new, more targeted treatments.
Mechanisms And Pathways Leading To Saccadic Suppression In Primate Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$858,086.00
Summary
Only the central few degrees of the visual field are viewed in high resolution. Consequently, the eyes must be pointed at targets of interest using saccadic eye movements. Each saccade generates potentially disturbing image motion but this is never perceived: saccadic suppression. This project aims to characterise the neural basis of saccadic suppression using modern techniques. As a result, a prime question in Neuroscience for over 100 years can now be answered.