Information Encoding By Temporal Structure Of Afferent Spike Trains
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$231,175.00
Summary
Our ability to sense, discriminate and interpret touch stimuli underpins some of the most crucial functions of the human hand that relate to object exploration and manipulation. The fundamental mechanism of how nerve impulses generated by tactile receptors are interpreted by the nervous system is not understood. Only by discovering the underlying neural encoding mechanisms can we appreciate the functional impairments in patients and learn to identify them before they become widespread and irreve ....Our ability to sense, discriminate and interpret touch stimuli underpins some of the most crucial functions of the human hand that relate to object exploration and manipulation. The fundamental mechanism of how nerve impulses generated by tactile receptors are interpreted by the nervous system is not understood. Only by discovering the underlying neural encoding mechanisms can we appreciate the functional impairments in patients and learn to identify them before they become widespread and irreversible.Read moreRead less
Understanding The Organisation Of The Medial Parietal Cortex: Sensorimotor Integration For Goal-directed Behaviour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$551,862.00
Summary
Reaching and grasping are of obvious significance for a productive life, and many of the brain areas known to be involved in the direction of arm movements are located in the parietal lobe. Stroke affecting this part of the brain causes disability, as people become unable to reach accurately, or to close their hands around objects with appropriate strength. This project will combine modern physiological and anatomical methods to reveal the brain circuitry responsible for such crucial skills.
Central pathways regulating visceral pain. This project aims to investigate the neural pathways within the spinal cord and brain processing colorectal pain perception. The project aims to identify the spinal cord neurons relaying colorectal signalling into the brain and the influence of descending modulation from the brainstem upon these pathways. The outcomes will greatly benefit fundamental understanding of the central pathways processing visceral pain.
Plasticity of gastrointestinal vagal afferents. The aim of this project is to identify how leptin modulates specific subtypes of vagal afferent within the gut and the plasticity of this system under different dietary conditions. This proposed project will substantially increase understanding of the interactions between leptin, known to influence food intake, and vagal afferent satiety signals. It will also increase understanding of how these interactions alter in obesity and ultimately provide t ....Plasticity of gastrointestinal vagal afferents. The aim of this project is to identify how leptin modulates specific subtypes of vagal afferent within the gut and the plasticity of this system under different dietary conditions. This proposed project will substantially increase understanding of the interactions between leptin, known to influence food intake, and vagal afferent satiety signals. It will also increase understanding of how these interactions alter in obesity and ultimately provide targets and/or concepts for the pharmacotherapy of obesity.Read moreRead less
Assembly of neural circuits during development. This program aims to understand how nerve cells wire up accurately during development. Specifically, the program will determine how neuronal connections are established in the retina to produce a sensory structure essential for vision. The program will also generate innovative tools for watching in live animals, the making and breaking of connections during normal and abnormal development. Discoveries will not only significantly increase our knowle ....Assembly of neural circuits during development. This program aims to understand how nerve cells wire up accurately during development. Specifically, the program will determine how neuronal connections are established in the retina to produce a sensory structure essential for vision. The program will also generate innovative tools for watching in live animals, the making and breaking of connections during normal and abnormal development. Discoveries will not only significantly increase our knowledge base of how the nervous system develops or degenerates, but the results will provide crucial information for future studies based on genetic approaches, drug therapies and bioengineering technology to repair the injured nervous system.Read moreRead less
Microglia and the inflammation spectrum - not just good or bad. Cell-mediated tissue clearance following brain injury is a universal mechanism. However, our understanding of the cells that perform these tasks is very limited. Our project will characterise this inflammatory response at a single-cell level using the zebrafish spinal cord as a versatile experimental model. The project is expected to strongly contribute to the molecular understanding of the mechanisms underlying debris removal and w ....Microglia and the inflammation spectrum - not just good or bad. Cell-mediated tissue clearance following brain injury is a universal mechanism. However, our understanding of the cells that perform these tasks is very limited. Our project will characterise this inflammatory response at a single-cell level using the zebrafish spinal cord as a versatile experimental model. The project is expected to strongly contribute to the molecular understanding of the mechanisms underlying debris removal and will advance innovative technologies that facilitate intellectual progress in neuroscience. It will produce new insights into the process of neuronal degeneration, promote Australia’s growing reputation as a global leader in neuroscience, and provide high quality training for early career researchers.Read moreRead less
THE AUTONOMIC, SOMATIC AND CENTRAL NEURAL RESPONSES TO DEEP AND SUPERFICIAL PAIN IN HUMAN SUBJECTS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,750.00
Summary
Pain is a subjective experience, the intensity of which can be readily influenced by personal experience. Despite this, pain originating from a particular part of the body will usually be described by all individuals as having similar character. For example, pain arising from the skin is commonly described as being sharp or burning and is usually easy to localise, whereas pain arising from muscle is commonly dull, throbbing and diffuse. In addition to producing sensory changes, pain also evokes ....Pain is a subjective experience, the intensity of which can be readily influenced by personal experience. Despite this, pain originating from a particular part of the body will usually be described by all individuals as having similar character. For example, pain arising from the skin is commonly described as being sharp or burning and is usually easy to localise, whereas pain arising from muscle is commonly dull, throbbing and diffuse. In addition to producing sensory changes, pain also evokes changes in blood pressure, heart rate and motor activity (often in an attempt to remove the source of the pain). The proposed research aims to characterise the cardiovascular and motor patterns associated with pain originating in skin and in muscle and to examine the brain regions that produce these changes. More specifically, microelectrodes will be used to investigate changes in peripheral nerve activity during transient painful skin and muscle events in awake human subjects. In a separate investigation functional magnetic resonance imaging will be used to determine brain sites that are activated by skin or muscle pain.Read moreRead less
Operation of nerve cell networks in the neocortex. In humans, intellectual disabilities occur when nerve cells in the neocortex, the most complicated area of the brain, fail to function correctly. The goal of this project is to understand how neocortical areas communicate and how changes in the structure of neurons disturb their function; work that will lead to a better understanding of the operation of the neocortex.
Coding of olfactory information in the piriform cortex. This project aims to understand how electrical activity in the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex enables mice to recognise and remember odours. By using optical recording techniques together with genetic tools, the project expects to generate new knowledge about how the mammalian brain builds internal representations of the external world. Specific outcomes of the project include new insights into the functional architecture of the pirifo ....Coding of olfactory information in the piriform cortex. This project aims to understand how electrical activity in the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex enables mice to recognise and remember odours. By using optical recording techniques together with genetic tools, the project expects to generate new knowledge about how the mammalian brain builds internal representations of the external world. Specific outcomes of the project include new insights into the functional architecture of the piriform cortex and fresh understanding of how olfactory information is encoded and stored in neural circuits. More broadly, the project aims to advance our understanding of how the brain works, with benefits for future improvements in artificial intelligence and brain-machine interfaces.Read moreRead less
Listen and learn - statistical learning and the adapting auditory brain. This project aims to explore the link between rapid neural adaptation - a form of learning referred to as statistical learning - and human listening performance in noisy environments. The project aims to generate a new understanding of mechanisms that contribute to listeners' abilities to understand speech in noise, and to complex communication disorders such as dyslexia. Expected outcomes will include increased capacity to ....Listen and learn - statistical learning and the adapting auditory brain. This project aims to explore the link between rapid neural adaptation - a form of learning referred to as statistical learning - and human listening performance in noisy environments. The project aims to generate a new understanding of mechanisms that contribute to listeners' abilities to understand speech in noise, and to complex communication disorders such as dyslexia. Expected outcomes will include increased capacity to investigate a broad range of cognitive and communication functions. Benefits will include potential technologies and algorithms to assist listening (in devices such as hearing aids), language development and reading.Read moreRead less