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Optimising Exercise Prescription For Brain Health In Older Adults At Risk Of Dementia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$594,123.00
Summary
To reduce dementia burdens in the community, cost effective and targeted early regenerative strategies are critical. Engaging in frequent aerobic exercise is one strategy that can delay the onset and slow the progression of dementia. However, prescription is limited by an incomplete understanding of how exercise positively influences brain health. Here I will investigate the influence of current exercise levels, intensity and exercise environment on brain health in adults at risk of dementia.
IRAP inhibitors are currently being developed as a new class of drugs for treating dementia and other forms of memory deficits. However, there are still gaps in our knowledge about how these drugs act to improve memory. The experiments outlined in this proposal will provide important insights into the drug action in different mouse models of memory deficit.
Microglia As Primary Drivers Of Stress-induced Changes In Neuronal Connectivity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$475,781.00
Summary
Persistent exposure to stressful events can produce serious and lasting disturbances in cognitive function. Our research group has recently identified that microglia may play a very significant role in these disturbances. The studies to be undertaken in this proposal will provide fundamental knowledge on how microglia contribute to neuronal plasticity, and how microglia via their effects on neurons regulate complex cognitive behaviour.
Novel Approaches To Improve Cognitive Recovery Following Stroke And Traumatic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$344,724.00
Summary
Stroke and traumatic brain injury costs the Australian economy over $13 billion, annually. Both disorders result in impaired cognition that impedes individuals’ return to the community. Current rehabilitation strategies, however, fail to adequately rehabilitate cognitive deficits following these disorders. My fellowship will develop new strategies to improve rehabilitation of cognitive functions by using cutting-edge neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques.
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.
Investigating The ‘Silent Epidemic’ Of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A TMS-EEG Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is common following an impact to the head. These injuries can affect brain function for many years after the initial incident, are associated with the development of serious conditions such as depression or Alzheimer’s disease, and increase the risk of suicide. This project will use cutting edge neurophysiological techniques to better understand how mTBI affects the brain, and to identify new strategies for restoring brain function following injury.
Humans, like all animals, receive similar, although not identical, visual input via the eyes. This information is combined in the brain to form a single view of the outside world. In this proposal we aim to understand how single neurons in the brain process the combined information received from both eyes. This work will increase our understanding of the underlying cellular mechanisms responsible for sight, and determine what changes occur when visual input is impaired through blindness.
The Missing Link: MGluR5 As A Therapeutic Target For Cognitive Decline In Dementia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$563,622.00
Summary
Cognitive decline is a core feature of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), yet there is no cure or treatment. Recent evidence suggests that a protein called mGluR5 could cause brain cells to lose function, leading to memory loss. This project will investigate whether disrupting mGluR5 function can improve cognition in mice with genetic AD. Memory will be assessed in mice using innovative touchscreen tests that closely mimic the tests used in humans.
Brain Connectivity Biomarkers Predict Specific Memory Consolidation Deficits Across Dementia Subtypes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$83,149.00
Summary
With the increasing ageing population there is expected to be a significant increase in the number of dementia cases in the near future. This project aims to improve the accuracy of existing diagnostic protocols for dementia by combining recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging with traditional cognitive assessments. We expect the outcome to improve detection in the early stages of disease onset so that patients may receive immediate medical treatment.
The Rane And Spain Routes In The Brain: Functional Studies And Remediation In Dyslexia Subtypes.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,426.00
Summary
According to a recent DEST report a disturbingly high number of Australian school children are failing to meet a minimum acceptable standard in literacy . Failure to reach these standards is associated with poorer outcomes in mental health and socioeconomic status, greater representation among the prison population and with failure to achieve to true ability. Further, failure to correct these problems may well result in transmission of the problems associated with failed literacy into the next g ....According to a recent DEST report a disturbingly high number of Australian school children are failing to meet a minimum acceptable standard in literacy . Failure to reach these standards is associated with poorer outcomes in mental health and socioeconomic status, greater representation among the prison population and with failure to achieve to true ability. Further, failure to correct these problems may well result in transmission of the problems associated with failed literacy into the next generation. Despite the obvious immense social and personal ramifications and cost, literacy instruction for adults continues to lack a theoretical and research based approach . It is plain that improving population literacy would have significant benefits and it is also plain that early detection, intervention and remediation is desirable. This project brings to bear on these important aims current expertise in the nature of reading, how children learn to read and why some have so much difficulty in doing so, and techniques for determining the neural substrates of the mechanisms involved in reading and learning to read. We will subdivide child readers on the basis of their ability to read words using the letter to sound route or dictionary look-up route. We will use magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy to examine which parts of the brain are disrupted and-or disconnected when ability to read in either of these two routes is poor. We will then remediate these poor readers using targetted remediation therapy and re-image them to see whether remediation has altered the way the brain reads.Read moreRead less