Neuronal Substrate Of Choice In The Rat Whisker System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$405,851.00
Summary
Humans and other animals can optimise their goal-directed behaviour by linking stimuli or actions to consequent positive and negative rewards. How does an animal generate such associations, and make decisions in the natural environment where the associations are often uncertain, at times contradictory, and continuously changing? This project uses rat whisker system as an animal model to identify the neuronal basis of perceptual decision making and the role of context.
The Role Of The Orbitofrontal Cortex In Disorders Of Response Inhibition
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$515,488.00
Summary
We will investigate the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in decision-making, particularly the effect of hyperactivity in the medial vs. ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex on decision-making. Hyperactivity in these structures has been linked to obsessive compulsive disorder and, in line with the distinct functions of the different regions of OFC, we develop and test a novel hypothesis as to the psychological and neural bases of the obsessions and compulsions distinctive to that disorder.
Unravelling The Behavioural And Brain Mechanisms Of Compulsive Disorders, And New Ways To Treat Them
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$635,076.00
Summary
Disorders of compulsion, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and substance use disorder, are chronic, debilitating, and present a significant cost to the individual and to society. Together, these disorders affect more than 10% of the population. Moreover, 40-60% of these individuals are resistant to current treatment. The current project is aimed at improving the preclinical research underlying our understanding the behavioural and brain mechanisms of such disorders and how to treat them.
The Role Of Corticothalamic Feedback On The Response Dynamics Of Thalamic Neurons
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$351,852.00
Summary
A fundamental question in neuroscience is how the brain selectively processes sensory information to generate a reliable representation of the world. Positioned in the centre of the brain, the thalamus plays a key role in sensory processing. This project investigates how the interaction between thalamus and cortex shapes the selection and gating of sensory information. This is a fundamental question in basic neuroscience with the potential to increase our knowledge about attentional deficits.
Does Caffeine Affect The Development Of The Very Immature Brain: Dose Response Relationship?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$668,386.00
Summary
Premature birth is a major health problem worldwide. Preterm babies often develop apnoea of prematurity (AOP), which is commonly treated with caffeine. Trials indicate that preterm babies treated with low dose caffeine have less neurodevelopmental disabilities at 18 months. Higher doses of caffeine are often needed to reduce AOP but the risk of this is unknown. We will study the short and long-term effects of increasing doses of caffeine on the developing brain in a long-gestation species.
New And Improved Treatment Strategies For Neonatal Seizures
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$883,209.00
Summary
Around 10% of neonates in Australia are diagnosed with seizures each year. Seizures worsen neurodevelopmental outcome following hypoxic brain injury. Despite evidence of the limited effectiveness and potential neurotoxicity of current anti-seizure medication, treatment has not changed for many decades. The objective of this study is to optimise treatment of neonatal seizures with a compound that is effective and does not cause harm, or indeed provides neuroprotection for the compromised brain.
Contribution Of Disturbed Blood Flow And Cerebral Metabolism To White Matter Damage In The Perinatal Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$369,375.00
Summary
It has been known for some time that the white matter regions of the developing brain are particularly vulnerable to damage. These regions are deep in the brain near the ventricles, and are rich in myelin sheaths wrapped around the nerve fibres running from cell-rich areas in the outer layers of the brain to other regions, and down into the spinal cord. Damage to white matter usually leads to behavioural, learning and motor problems in the newborn infant - in its severest form, seen as cerebral ....It has been known for some time that the white matter regions of the developing brain are particularly vulnerable to damage. These regions are deep in the brain near the ventricles, and are rich in myelin sheaths wrapped around the nerve fibres running from cell-rich areas in the outer layers of the brain to other regions, and down into the spinal cord. Damage to white matter usually leads to behavioural, learning and motor problems in the newborn infant - in its severest form, seen as cerebral palsy. Such outcomes are often associated with the presence of asphyxia and infection during pregnancy, leading to the belief that the damage first arises while the baby is still in utero. In this application we suggest that asphyxia and-or infection during pregnancy cause prolonged disturbances in the regulation of blood flow and integrity of the blood-brain barrier in the developing brain, together with changes in metabolism that result in accumulation of prostaglandins and the toxic hydroxyl radical, leading irreversibly to cell death. If this series of events proves to be true, we have suggested and will test several protocols for protecting the fetal brain, which should be readily translatable to clinical practice.Read moreRead less
Neuroactive Steroids In The Developing Brain: Potential For Preventing Perinatal Brain Damage
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$481,500.00
Summary
Complications during pregnancy, birth asphyxia or premature birth can lead to serious neurological impairment in the newborn. Despite excellent neonatal care many of these babies go on to have serious handicaps. Neuroactive steroids are a group of neuromodulators that are derived from the hormone progesterone. These steroids fall into two groups, those that appear to protect brain cells from damage caused by an inadequate supply of oxygen and those that may increase cell death. We have shown tha ....Complications during pregnancy, birth asphyxia or premature birth can lead to serious neurological impairment in the newborn. Despite excellent neonatal care many of these babies go on to have serious handicaps. Neuroactive steroids are a group of neuromodulators that are derived from the hormone progesterone. These steroids fall into two groups, those that appear to protect brain cells from damage caused by an inadequate supply of oxygen and those that may increase cell death. We have shown that protective neuroactive steroids are present in very large amounts in the fetal brain. Steroids produced by the placenta are converted to these neuroactive products by enzymes in the brain leading to the high levels that are seen during fetal life. Certain adverse conditions during pregnancy as well as preterm birth may cause marked changes in the balance of steroids that could increase susceptibility to brain injury. We have found that areas of the brain, where damage most often occurs, normally contain the highest amount of protective steroids, but only in late pregnancy. This suggests that disturbances that lower steroid production in these areas could contribute to the death of cells, particularly in mid-pregnancy and after premature birth. In the proposed studies, we will examine whether a toxic balance of steroids develops following adverse events in pregnancy as well as the areas of the brain where this is most pronounced. We will examine the changes in the expression of enzymes that can potentially cause the accumulation of protective steroids in the brain. We will then examine treatments that can raise the concentration of steroids and determine which combination of steroids best reduces cell death and brain injury following complications during pregnancy. The findings of this work will indicate the best therapeutic approach that may be adopted to modify the concentration of certain steroids so as to reduce the risk of brain damage in the fetus and neonate.Read moreRead less
Centre For Translational Neuroscience: A Modular Platform For Translating Discovery Into Health Outcomes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,623,735.00
Summary
Clinical Centre of Research Excellence in Translational Neuroscience will provide people, pathways and resources to create a novel platform to take the outputs of Neuroscience Discovery programs though to improved patient outcomes for common brain diseases. A critical role will be to train and equip the best and brightest of the next generation of researchers to undertake internationally competitive translational neuroscience research that makes a difference to the health of our community.
Neurosteroid Mediated Protection After Birth: Approaches For Maximising Protective Steroid Levels In The Neonatal Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,703.00
Summary
Complications during pregnancy, birth asphyxia or premature birth can lead to neurological impairment in the newborn. Despite excellent neonatal care many of these babies go on to have serious handicaps. Neurosteroids are a group of steroids that regulate brain activity. These steroids protect brain cells from damage caused by an inadequate supply of oxygen by suppressing toxicity caused by excessive activity. We have shown that the levels of these protective steroids are remarkably high in the ....Complications during pregnancy, birth asphyxia or premature birth can lead to neurological impairment in the newborn. Despite excellent neonatal care many of these babies go on to have serious handicaps. Neurosteroids are a group of steroids that regulate brain activity. These steroids protect brain cells from damage caused by an inadequate supply of oxygen by suppressing toxicity caused by excessive activity. We have shown that the levels of these protective steroids are remarkably high in the fetal brain and levels rise further in response to fetal stress. The placenta contributes steroid precursors that help maintain these high neurosteroid levels. This placenta-fetal brain interaction comprises an internal mechanism that protects the fetal brain from adverse events during pregnancy. At birth, however, there is a dramatic decline in neurosteroid concentrations in the brain after the loss of the placental precursor supply. The fall in concentrations is even greater in animals that are born growth restricted. This suggests that newborns, particularly those from compromised pregnancies, are at increased risk of brain damage due to low neurosteroid levels. We believe that certain commonly used steroid therapies may also lower steroid levels in the brain and result in increased vulnerability to brain damage during birth or in the early neonatal period. Alternatively, we propose that replacement of neurosteroid precursors in the newborn may raise brain neurosteroid levels and protect against brain damage. In the proposed studies we will evaluate treatments that can raise the concentration of steroids and determine the best strategy for reducing brain injury following complications during pregnancy, at birth and during the early newborn period. This work will determine the best therapeutic approaches for maximising neurosteroid-induced brain protection and for reducing the risk of brain damage.Read moreRead less