Improving asthma device use: Innovative models for inter-professional practice. This project falls within the goals of National Priority 2: promoting and maintaining good health. This project has the potential to affect every individual accessing health care in the Australia. Through its approach to and focus on improving the use of asthma medications this project will impact on: the quality use of medicines and health outcomes for patients. Through its focus on health professional relationships ....Improving asthma device use: Innovative models for inter-professional practice. This project falls within the goals of National Priority 2: promoting and maintaining good health. This project has the potential to affect every individual accessing health care in the Australia. Through its approach to and focus on improving the use of asthma medications this project will impact on: the quality use of medicines and health outcomes for patients. Through its focus on health professional relationships and interdisciplinary approach to community health care it will result in: improved interprofessional relationships and a model of collaboration which has the potential to be implemented on a broad scale in the community.Read moreRead less
Common synaptic inputs to human upper airway muscles. Changes in the activity of upper airway muscles at sleep onset contribute to the development of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. The aim of this project is to investigate how the brain controls upper airway muscles during wakefulness and sleep and to identify the pathological processes that lead to the development of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.
The influence of resistance training upon movement control in the elderly. The primary aim of this applied research project is to investigate the impact of resistance training in the elderly. We will assess the responses to training that occur in the elderly, and determine the time course and persistence of adaptation. It is anticipated that the knowledge derived will be applied by clinicians and health practitioners in the design of resistance training programmes for the elderly, and thereby en ....The influence of resistance training upon movement control in the elderly. The primary aim of this applied research project is to investigate the impact of resistance training in the elderly. We will assess the responses to training that occur in the elderly, and determine the time course and persistence of adaptation. It is anticipated that the knowledge derived will be applied by clinicians and health practitioners in the design of resistance training programmes for the elderly, and thereby enhance the performance of tasks encountered in daily living.Read moreRead less
Age and Gender Related Changes in Motor Control of the Upper Airway Muscle Genioglossus During Sleep. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is the repetitive obstruction of the airway during sleep. Obstructions occur because muscles of the upper airway fail to keep the airway open during inspiration. The disorder is associated with cardiovascular disease and cognitive and behavioural impairment. The prevalence of the disorder increases in older adults, contributing to age-related health and behavioural ....Age and Gender Related Changes in Motor Control of the Upper Airway Muscle Genioglossus During Sleep. Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is the repetitive obstruction of the airway during sleep. Obstructions occur because muscles of the upper airway fail to keep the airway open during inspiration. The disorder is associated with cardiovascular disease and cognitive and behavioural impairment. The prevalence of the disorder increases in older adults, contributing to age-related health and behavioural problems. However, age-related changes differ in men and women. We believe the high prevalence of OSA in older adults is due to age and gender related changes in the activity of muscles in the upper airway. We will study the behaviour of the upper airway muscle genioglossus during sleep in young, middle-aged and older men and women.Read moreRead less
Preparatory processes in rapid interceptive action. This project investigates the nature of the processes involved in preparing to act in response to a moving object: actions that elite sportspeople perform with amazing precision: timing to within a few thousandths of a second is routine when hitting a ball in tennis and cricket. The average person can be capable of something similar and it means being ready to make the right movement at the right time. Understanding the preparatory processes in ....Preparatory processes in rapid interceptive action. This project investigates the nature of the processes involved in preparing to act in response to a moving object: actions that elite sportspeople perform with amazing precision: timing to within a few thousandths of a second is routine when hitting a ball in tennis and cricket. The average person can be capable of something similar and it means being ready to make the right movement at the right time. Understanding the preparatory processes involved will be a significant scientific advance and knowledge of their workings and limits can contribute to the development of strategies for improving safety in dynamic environments such as city roads. This project will put an Australian laboratory at the cutting edge in this area of research.Read moreRead less
Experimental and computational assessment of the mechanical, musculo-skeletal and neuromuscular contributions to rhythmic multi-joint arm movements. The human body is a complex mechanical system that is controlled by a vast neural network comprising many millions of connections. To date, realistic descriptions of the interactions between these neuro-mechanical features have proved elusive. This project seeks to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the essential features of the ....Experimental and computational assessment of the mechanical, musculo-skeletal and neuromuscular contributions to rhythmic multi-joint arm movements. The human body is a complex mechanical system that is controlled by a vast neural network comprising many millions of connections. To date, realistic descriptions of the interactions between these neuro-mechanical features have proved elusive. This project seeks to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the essential features of the control system for human movement, and yet is simple enough to inform the design of artificial devices to generate or assist movement. The knowledge derived should improve mechanical and neural prosthetic systems, and guide rehabilitation protocols. The work will ultimately provide a considerable benefit to the community by reducing the social cost of a range of movement disorders.Read moreRead less
An inverse control approach to resolving the neural basis of spatial and muscular dependencies in coordinated multi-limb movements. Each year 48,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will ....An inverse control approach to resolving the neural basis of spatial and muscular dependencies in coordinated multi-limb movements. Each year 48,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced quality of life and functional life-span, as well as significantly reduced costs of health care. In understanding the fundamental principles underlying the stability and adaptability of movement coordination, this research is likely to make a significant contribution to the design of programs for movement rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Cortical Mechanisms Mediating Bilateral Interactions Between the Upper Limbs. Each year 40,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced qual ....Cortical Mechanisms Mediating Bilateral Interactions Between the Upper Limbs. Each year 40,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced quality of life and functional life-span, as well as significantly reduced costs of health care. In understanding the fundamental principles underlying the stability and adaptability of movement coordination, this research is likely to make a significant contribution to the design of programs for rehabilitation of the upper limb.Read moreRead less
The neural basis of interlimb coordination. The aims of the proposed research program are to increase our understanding the control of voluntary movement. It is expected that the outcomes of this research program will have eventual application to a number of acquired movement deficits, in particular those arising from spinal cord and brain injury. This research will also be of diagnostic value in determining the integrity of the motor pathways, in both acquired and developmental movement disorde ....The neural basis of interlimb coordination. The aims of the proposed research program are to increase our understanding the control of voluntary movement. It is expected that the outcomes of this research program will have eventual application to a number of acquired movement deficits, in particular those arising from spinal cord and brain injury. This research will also be of diagnostic value in determining the integrity of the motor pathways, in both acquired and developmental movement disorders.Read moreRead less
Spatio-Temporal Precision of Interceptive Action. Interceptive actions like hitting a moving target require precise, accurate positioning and timing. This project aims to empirically document how spatial and temporal constraints affect performance of interceptions and to quantify the speed-accuracy trade-off for interceptions. The speed-accuracy trade-off for movements aimed at stationary targets has been extensively documented - slower movements are more accurate. There has been no correspondin ....Spatio-Temporal Precision of Interceptive Action. Interceptive actions like hitting a moving target require precise, accurate positioning and timing. This project aims to empirically document how spatial and temporal constraints affect performance of interceptions and to quantify the speed-accuracy trade-off for interceptions. The speed-accuracy trade-off for movements aimed at stationary targets has been extensively documented - slower movements are more accurate. There has been no corresponding documentation for interception. This project will fill the gap and provide a rich data set for developing an understanding of interception through modeling work. An understanding of the factors governing interception has potential applications in road safety, sports and neurological rehabilitation.Read moreRead less