Synaptic Integration And Plasticity In The Rat Piriform Cortex
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,500.00
Summary
The human cerebral cortex is the pinnacle of evolution. It is the most complex structure known, responsible for all of those skills - like language and reasoning - that make our species so remarkable. It is also a major site of many brain diseases, like schizophrenia and epilepsy. An understanding of how the cerebral cortex works would be a remarkable achievement, of immeasurable benefit to human health. How can one go about studying such a complex structure? The strategy taken in this project i ....The human cerebral cortex is the pinnacle of evolution. It is the most complex structure known, responsible for all of those skills - like language and reasoning - that make our species so remarkable. It is also a major site of many brain diseases, like schizophrenia and epilepsy. An understanding of how the cerebral cortex works would be a remarkable achievement, of immeasurable benefit to human health. How can one go about studying such a complex structure? The strategy taken in this project is to begin by studying one of the simplest regions of the cerebral cortex, the olfactory (or piriform) cortex. The olfactory cortex is an evolutionarily ancient region of cortex, with a simpler architecture than other cortical regions. Its task is to process the sense of smell, a primitive sense that is more elaborated in lower animals than in humans. The broad goal of our research is to understand, by studying the olfactory cortex of rats, how olfactory processing occurs at the level of nerve cells (neurons). We will use a number of powerful techniques - including microelectrode recording and laser microscopy - to measure the electrical properties of individual neurons. We will also study the synaptic connections between neurons, and how these connections change following memory-inducing stimuli. It is hoped that this work will shed light on how the healthy cortex is able to process and store information, and how brain diseases cause these functions to deteriorate.Read moreRead less
Cognitive Inflexibility And The Development Of Pathological Habits In Brain Diseases
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$883,946.00
Summary
Pathological habits are observed in severe mental health conditions including dementia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, depression and addiction. This application aims to provide the mechanistic detail required for therapeutic targeting to restore flexible decision making in these conditions.
Role Of Calcium-activated Potassium Channels In Neuronal Excitability, Synaptic Plasticity And Sensory Processing
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$612,272.00
Summary
Disturbances in brain function, as occur in diseases such as epilepsy and schizophrenia, are associated with abnormal electrical activity. This electrical activity leads to increases in calcium inside nerve cells. In this project we plan to investigate how changes in calcium inside nerve cells regulates electrical activity, and how this impacts on the capacity of the brain to process and learn new information.
Protecting Synaptic Connectivity In Alzheimer's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$573,573.00
Summary
In Alzheimer’s disease, connections between neurons (synapses) are progressively damaged. The BACE inhibitor class of drugs entering Phase III clinical trials may slow the pace of neurodegeneration in patients with dementia. However, these drugs may simultaneously have negative effects on synapse function, learning and memory. This study will assess the effect of BACE inhibition on synapse properties and cognition and identify the contribution of key proteins affected by this treatment.
Targeting The Synaptic Actin Cytoskeleton In Alzheimer's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$840,741.00
Summary
Dementias have become one of the fastest growing sources of major disease burdens in developed countries with about one in fifteen Australians older than 65 being affected. We will study how pathological stimuli disrupt nerve cell connections in the brain by impacting on the cellular architecture at these connections. Findings from our study will provide profound new insights in how nerve cells communicate with each other and how this communication is breaking down in disease.
A Potential Analgesic Target In A Novel Clinically-relevant Neuropathic Pain Pathway.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$685,811.00
Summary
Persistent pain arising from tissue damage, to nerves, muscles or joints for example, is devastating for patients and a huge social and economic burden. This work will investigate one of the pathways that goes awry after sensory nerves are damaged. These experiments will also test whether a drug being developed to treat Alzheimer's disease is effective at blocking the persistent nerve hypersensitivity that sometimes develops after injury.
Neurexin And Neuroligin: A Code For Synaptic Development
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$349,590.00
Summary
As soon as we are born, we interpret our world through our senses, learn new information and lay down memory. These processes require molecules that connect neurons together. Mutations in genes encoding these molecules result in incorrect wiring of the brain and lead to mental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. Using simple insect models, our project aims to unravel the fundamental mechanisms of how these molecules function in the brain and how their interaction controls behaviour.