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
Australian Centre For Electromagnetic Bioeffects Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,499,672.00
Summary
Addressing the WHO Radiofrequency (RF) Research Agenda, this CRE brings together Australia’s strongest RF-health researchers to safeguard the Australian community within its ever-burgeoning RF exposure environment. It will determine the potential for RF-induced harm in the community and how best to communicate this knowledge to the community, translate this knowledge to the community via focused strategies, and develop Australia’s RF-health research and communication capability for the future.
Uncovering a novel memory process mediating stimulus-based decisions. The project aims to describe how environmental stimuli influence choice between actions. The goal is to demonstrate that this influence recruits a novel form of memory characterised by a durable change in the expression of an opioid receptor. It will combine sophisticated behavioural tasks with modern genetic tools in rodents to identify the molecular, cellular and neural interactions underlying the acquisition, maintenance an ....Uncovering a novel memory process mediating stimulus-based decisions. The project aims to describe how environmental stimuli influence choice between actions. The goal is to demonstrate that this influence recruits a novel form of memory characterised by a durable change in the expression of an opioid receptor. It will combine sophisticated behavioural tasks with modern genetic tools in rodents to identify the molecular, cellular and neural interactions underlying the acquisition, maintenance and retrieval of this memory. The project expects to provide new insights into the brain machinery promoting motivated behaviours and adaptive decision-making, and to extend knowledge about the physiological underpinnings of our memories. Read moreRead less
Gut-brain control of cue-induced feeding behaviours. This proposal aims to determine how food cues (e.g., advertisements) trigger our desire to eat. Using modern virally-mediated strategies, behavioural and histological techniques in a transgenic rat, this proposal seeks to characterise novel gut-brain circuits that mediate cue-induced feeding behaviours. This is significant as food cues can cause overeating, which is problematic in the current obesogenic society, yet the mechanisms are unclear. ....Gut-brain control of cue-induced feeding behaviours. This proposal aims to determine how food cues (e.g., advertisements) trigger our desire to eat. Using modern virally-mediated strategies, behavioural and histological techniques in a transgenic rat, this proposal seeks to characterise novel gut-brain circuits that mediate cue-induced feeding behaviours. This is significant as food cues can cause overeating, which is problematic in the current obesogenic society, yet the mechanisms are unclear. This project expects to provide new knowledge on how the gut communicates with multiple brain regions to control cue-induced eating. This work should benefit the advancement of knowledge and establish a framework for future research on gut-brain mechanisms in cue-induced feeding.Read moreRead less
Neuroimaging Of Human Visual Cortex Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Improving Multivariate Techniques For Decoding Brain Activity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,449.00
Summary
This research will investigate how the brain processes visual information using non-invasive functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The aims of this project are to advance techniques for "decoding" human brain activity from fMRI and to increase our understanding of how the brain uses visual information. Improvements in fMRI analysis will allow this cutting-edge technique to be applied more readily in clinical settings for improved treatment and diagnosis of neurological disorders.
Imaging Atlases Of The Brain Of Humans And Experimental Animals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$808,375.00
Summary
This project uses imaging techniques and molecular genetics to produce the next generation of brain maps. It will advance our understanding of the organisation and structure of the brain and spinal cord of humans and experimental animals – paving the way for the development of psychotherapeutic drugs and more accurate interventions on the human brain. The new maps will help those who study the brain of patients with diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s or animal models of these diseases.
Neuronal Activity And Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$367,561.00
Summary
How does brain activity relate to perception and behaviour? How does functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain, which measures changes in blood oxygen, relate to the activity of single cells? I will address these questions, comparing electrical measurements of single cells and functional images, and advance our understanding of the brain in health and disease.
Teaching An Old Brain New Tricks: Optimising Cognitive Training Through Neuroplasticity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,562,250.00
Summary
People with early dementia have the most to gain from brain training programs aimed at delaying deterioration. Yet, its power is under-realised, with improvements not generalising to everyday living. This research program will harness the power of neuroplasticity to optimise brain training so that the effects transfer to everyday life. The knowledge gained will transform the way that we design and deliver brain training programs and revolutionise our understanding of why and how people respond.
Decoding the brain network of memory formation. This project aims to uncover how the brain network supports the formation of long-lasting memory using cutting-edge imaging, intervention and computational modelling. The project is anticipated to generate new knowledge of the neural activity and circuitry that facilitate memory formation, and targets for modulating network activity and behaviour. This will have significant benefits for neuroscience, engineering and imaging, as well as future appli ....Decoding the brain network of memory formation. This project aims to uncover how the brain network supports the formation of long-lasting memory using cutting-edge imaging, intervention and computational modelling. The project is anticipated to generate new knowledge of the neural activity and circuitry that facilitate memory formation, and targets for modulating network activity and behaviour. This will have significant benefits for neuroscience, engineering and imaging, as well as future applications in humans with technology for detecting, predicting and modulating cognitive performance.Read moreRead less
PREMOTOR SYMPATHETIC CONTROL OF BLOOD PRESSURE DURING PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS: HYPOTHALAMUS VERSUS MEDULLA.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$153,616.00
Summary
Health and well being depend in large part on a strong and efficient autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls blood pressure, heart rate, gastrointestinal function, immune responses and certain forms of pain. Negative emotions can have a strong impact on autonomic function. We have all experienced the sweaty hands, pounding heart and intestinal discomfort when the mail arrives and bad news is expected or when we face a deadline for which we are not prepared. This is known ....Health and well being depend in large part on a strong and efficient autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls blood pressure, heart rate, gastrointestinal function, immune responses and certain forms of pain. Negative emotions can have a strong impact on autonomic function. We have all experienced the sweaty hands, pounding heart and intestinal discomfort when the mail arrives and bad news is expected or when we face a deadline for which we are not prepared. This is known as psychological stress and it is usually associated with anxiety. Unfortunately, it is also the most common form of stress in modern urban life. There are clear indications that when these autonomic changes become chronic they can lead to hypertension, weak immune responses and gastric ulcers. In people already suffering from cardiovascular diseases they can also precipitate cardiac and cerebrovascular accidents. Clearly, the link between psychological stress and the autonomic nervous system needs to be explored in more detail. This project looks at the organization of the neural network in the brain and spinal cord that controls these responses. It uses a simple model of psychological stress in the conscious rat and recent non invasive techniques to record blood pressure and look at neuronal activity. We think that we have identified a group of neurons that may be controlling very specifically this response. It is located in the hypothalamus. The aim of this project is to further test the role of these neurons and find out what is controlling them. They will also be compared to another group of neurons that also controls blood pressure but apparently not in relation to psychological stress. The possibility that the cardiovascular response to psychological stress might be mediated by a specific group of neurons in the brain is a very exciting finding. It could lead to new therapeutic applications for acting against the short and long term effects of stress.Read moreRead less