An Investigation Of Cortical Function In Autism Spectrum Disorders Using TMS, FMRI And EEG
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$324,480.00
Summary
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are severe psychiatric conditions, but our neurobiological understanding of these disorders is limited. Using an array of modern neuroscience techniques, this study investigates aspects of brain functioning that may contribute to social and behavioural impairments in ASD. While enhancing our neurobiological knowledge, this research also provides exciting new directions for ASD assessment and treatment.
A Sham-controlled Study Of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) As A Treatment For Depression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$423,154.00
Summary
This study tests the effectiveness and safety of a potential new treatment for depression, which involves mild stimulation of the brain, given through pads placed on the scalp. There is no anaesthetic or seizure and the treatment is painless. The treatment is given on an outpatient basis, three times per week, for 10 sessions, each session taking approximately half an hour. If found to be effective and safe, this new treatment could be an alternative to antidepressant medication.
A TMS Study Of Cortical Plasticity In Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$195,500.00
Summary
The cause of schizophrenia is uncertain. Several lines of evidence implicate abnormalities of functioning in circuits of nerve cells in the outer brain regions. Chemicals involved in these circuits are important for the capacity to learn and process new information and repeated exposure to stimuli. To date, it has been difficult to directly test the function of these circuits in patients with schizophrenia. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive means of stimulating nerve cell ....The cause of schizophrenia is uncertain. Several lines of evidence implicate abnormalities of functioning in circuits of nerve cells in the outer brain regions. Chemicals involved in these circuits are important for the capacity to learn and process new information and repeated exposure to stimuli. To date, it has been difficult to directly test the function of these circuits in patients with schizophrenia. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive means of stimulating nerve cells in superficial areas of the brain. During a TMS procedure, an electrical current passes through a coil placed close to the scalp. This current induces a magnetic field that stimulates electrical activity in nerves below the coil. TMS methods can be used to study the functioning of nerve cells in the brain and the way in which they respond to repeated stimuli. These methods will be used in this way to study the functioning of these circuits in patients with schizophrenia. This is likely to provide important information as to the function of these brain areas and may provide information that will guide the development of therapeutic interventions.Read moreRead less
A Double-blind Placebo Controlled Trial Of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation In The Treatment Of Depression.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$366,775.00
Summary
Depression is a severe and often disabling illness that occurs frequently in the general population. Depression is a treatable illness and the majority of patients will respond to anti-depressant medication, a form of psychotherapy or a combination of these. However, a significant percentage of patients with depression fail to respond to these therapies and currently require electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This entails the complications and costs of multiple anaesthetics, memory impairment and ....Depression is a severe and often disabling illness that occurs frequently in the general population. Depression is a treatable illness and the majority of patients will respond to anti-depressant medication, a form of psychotherapy or a combination of these. However, a significant percentage of patients with depression fail to respond to these therapies and currently require electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This entails the complications and costs of multiple anaesthetics, memory impairment and substantial social stigma. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is being researched as a potential alternative for these patients. It is administered to patients who are awake and alert and appears to have fewer side effects. TMS uses the unique properties of a magnetic field to produce or disrupt electrical activity in superficial areas of the brain, targeted to the areas thought to be involved in the cause of depression. Our research study will compare the two most promising types of TMS with an inactive or placebo condition. This is important to establish that the effects of TMS arise from the actual stimulation and to investigate whether one of two types of TMS administered is superior. We will administer this treatment for between 2 and 4 weeks and assess the response. We anticipate that our research will contribute to the development of TMS as a treatment methodology for this important patient group. It is crucial that a new treatment be thoroughly evaluated prior to wide dissemination of it in clinical practice. We will help define the effectiveness of this treatment and the most appropriate way in which it can be administered.Read moreRead less
THE EFFECTS OF TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION (TMS) ON RAT MODELS OF DEPRESSION
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$204,274.00
Summary
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is the direct stimulation of the brain by using high field magnetic pulses. It is a new technique that has been demonstrated to have some potential as a treatment of depressive illness and possibly other neuropsychiatric disorders. At this early stage of its investigation, the parameters of stimulation that are most likely to be therapeutic, and its mechanisms of action, are not known. Published studies vary in the frequency, duration and exten ....Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is the direct stimulation of the brain by using high field magnetic pulses. It is a new technique that has been demonstrated to have some potential as a treatment of depressive illness and possibly other neuropsychiatric disorders. At this early stage of its investigation, the parameters of stimulation that are most likely to be therapeutic, and its mechanisms of action, are not known. Published studies vary in the frequency, duration and extent of stimulation, with no firm guidelines about optimal parameters. Empirical study of the relative effects of stimulation at different frequencies, at different numbers of stimuli and for different durations is therefore important for the future development of this treatment. Such an investigation is best carried out in an animal model of depression for both ethical and practical reasons, as such studies in patients would possibly take many years and be extremely difficult to conduct. We propose such a study in rat models of depression which have demonstrated validity and utility in drug research. Rat models have a long track record in developing psychiatric treatments and are cost-effective and of proven value. We also plan to investigate the neuroanatomy of the immediate-early genes induced by TMS and compare it with electroconvulsive shock (ECS) and a tricyclic antidepressant, two established treatments of depression. The results will have implications for future human studies in guiding us toward the optimal parameters for therapeutic effects. They will also enhance our understanding of the mechanism of action of TMS in depression.Read moreRead less
A Double-blind Controlled Trial Of RTMS In The Treatment Of Bipolar Depression
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,605.00
Summary
Bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) is a serious mental illness of substantive impact but there has been relatively sparse investigation of treatments for it. One of the only substantially new treatments developed for depression in recent years has been rTMS. Repetitive TMS has been evaluated in over 30 trials conducted, but no substantive trials have explored its use in bipolar depression. We propose to do this, conducting a large scale clinical trial.
Examining The Contribution Of The Mirror Neuron System Toward Social Cognitive Impairment In Autism Spectrum Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$149,154.00
Summary
Despite a rapidly increasing prevalence, our neurobiological understanding of autism and Asperger's disorder remains limited. Using modern neuroscience techniques, this study investigates whether dysfunction within a specific brain cell, the mirror neuron, underlies social and language impairments in these disorders. This research provides exciting new directions for the understanding, diagnosis, and potential treatment of autism and Asperger's disorder.