Discovering Deep Sleep Genes And Determining Their Roles For Preserving Cognitive Functions
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$484,901.00
Summary
Our mental well-being is largely tied to our sleep quality, and most cognitive disorders are also associated with poor sleep processes. Yet, we still do not know how sleep quality safeguards cognitive function. We will uncover genes that play a restorative role during deep sleep, and determine how genetic control of these deep sleep genes modulates selective attention in an animal model. Our results will suggest novel therapies for treating sleep disorders and associated diseases of the brain.
Fighting Mental Disorders: Using Mental Imagery To Disarm Symptoms And Enhance Treatment.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,218.00
Summary
This proposal will conduct the first pre-clinical and clinical research utilising mental imagery to disarm symptoms and enhance treatment of multiple mental disorders by controlling the strength of mental imagery. This fellowship represents the first attempt to alleviate symptoms by developing a cognitive-neuroscience method to control the strength of traumatic imagery and to show a causative means of enhancing imagery strength to boost the success rate of cognitive therapy involving imagery.
Investigation Of Comorbid Anxiety And Depression In Older Adults (aged 60 Years And Above).
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$189,874.00
Summary
This project is concerned with improving understanding of anxiety and depression in older adults. The project includes investigation into methods for better assessment and detection, and examination of the effectiveness of psychological treatments for these problems. The project also includes experiments to investigate the factors that cause and maintain anxiety and depression in older adults, and how anxiety and depression might present differently from younger adults.
Enhancing Extinction Of Alcohol-Predicitve Stimuli Through Modulation Of Noradrenergic Signaling
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,508.00
Summary
A major obstacle for alcohol-abuse treatment is the high risk of relapse and stimuli previously paired with alcohol use contribute importantly to this risk. Reducing the ability of such stimuli to trigger alcohol-seeking behaviors could significantly improve treatment outcomes. The experiments in the current proposal will develop both behavioral and pharmacological strategies for improving extinction learning with the long term goal of reducing the ability of stimuli to elicit alcohol-seeking.
Sensory Cortex Processing Changes Underlying Brain And Behaviour Deficits Caused By Traumatic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$576,795.00
Summary
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) from physical head trauma causes behavior and cognitive deficits. The burden for victims, families and the community is enormous: total life-time expenses in moderate-to-severe TBI are estimated to be $8.6 billion in Australia. We aim to elucidate whether changes in how the brain processes sensory information could underlie TBI-induced deficits in complex behaviour and whether these changes will be ameliorated by the three currently-most-promising treatments for TBI.
Epigenetic And Neurobehavioural Changes In A New Mouse Model Of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$949,466.00
Summary
Prenatal alcohol exposure can result in foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) which involves growth restriction, changes to skull morphology, central nervous system defects and intellectual disabilities. At present, diagnosis is difficult and under-reporting is suspected. We are using a mouse model to study the underlying causes of FAS, focussing on changes in brain structure and function. Hopefully we will identify markers that can be used for the early diagnosis of FAS in the future.
One-session Treatment For Specific Phobias In Pre-school Children: Improving Access And Long-term Mental Health Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$567,745.00
Summary
This project aims to conduct the first randomised controlled trial of a modified-one session treatment (OST) for preschoolers with specific phobias (SP). SPs are highly prevalent (~10%), onset very early in life (~3 years) and predict a host of mental illness later in life. OST for SPs is well-established for older children (>7 years), yet is currently untested with pre-school aged children.
Enhancing Treatment Effectiveness For Psychosocial Disorders After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$253,750.00
Summary
Motor vehicle accidents are a major cause of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) leading to lifelong, crippling disability. In NSW alone, there are approximately 770 new cases of severe brain injury each year. These people require extensive inpatient rehabilitation and many go on to rely upon community resources for the rest of their lives. The social and economic cost of such injury is cumulative. TBI is mainly experienced by young adults (18-24 years of age) who have normal life expectancy and ....Motor vehicle accidents are a major cause of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) leading to lifelong, crippling disability. In NSW alone, there are approximately 770 new cases of severe brain injury each year. These people require extensive inpatient rehabilitation and many go on to rely upon community resources for the rest of their lives. The social and economic cost of such injury is cumulative. TBI is mainly experienced by young adults (18-24 years of age) who have normal life expectancy and each year more casualties are added to this social burden. Adults with TBI frequently experience a reduction in social skills. Loss of social skills presents major obstacles to reintegration into the community by making the sufferer more taxing and less rewarding to interact with socially. This loss of social skills limits their ability to maintain pre-injury relationships, and often creates an off-putting first impression on potential new acquaintances that interferes with their ability to establish new relationships. The following project is designed to develop and evaluate a treatment program to enhance the TBI individual's ability to create a good first impression on meeting new acquaintances - e.g., potential employers, work colleagues, customers, and social acquaintances - and to engage in behaviour that is mutually rewarding. The project will inform current theoretical approaches to remediation, providing an examination of the modifiability of social skills deficits that are the result of underlying cognitive impairments. It will provide a systematic, integrated social skills treatment approach for both individuals and groups where there are currently very few. The identification and refinement of successful treatment techniques will increase the efficiency of brain injury rehabilitation in Australia, improve the quality of life for sufferers of TBI and their families, reduce cost of rehabilitation and reduce reliance upon community resources in the long term.Read moreRead less