Ghrelin Receptor Signaling In The Brain Links Hunger To Mood And Motivation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$721,909.00
Summary
Cells in the brain that respond to hunger may also promote obsessive compulsive behaviours often associated with mental illness, such as anorexia nervosa. This grant examines how the signals from the body inform the brain of hunger. Specially we examine if overactivity of hunger cells, in the absence of appropriate food intake can increase behaviours associated with mental illness.
While we need to consume salt, too much can be harmful and is in fact directly linked to ~5% of deaths annually in Australia. We have identified a system in the brain that regulates salt intake. Going forwards we will fully elucidate the pathway(s) implicated in regulation of salt intake, thereby identifying strategies to reduce excessive salt consumption.
The Effect Of Oxytocin On The Formation, Expression And Inhibition Of Fear Memories
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,243.00
Summary
Oxytocin is a hormone peptide which reduces amygdala activation to threatening stimuli and reduces anxiety in people and laboratory rodents. These results suggest that oxytocin could be a valuable pharmacological adjunct to exposure-based therapy for anxiety disorders. However, several questions must be answered before its therapeutic potential can be determined. As such, this project examines the effects of oxytocin on fear-related behaviours in rats, and neural fear circuits in the amygdala.
Motivational drive and reward are survival processes that underpin the maintenance of homeostasis. In humans, dysregulation of these brain circuits manifests in disorders such as depression and addictions. Our projects is focused on a key subgroup of neurons in the hypothalamus that modulates reward and motivation. We aim to understand how potent reward experience (e.g. drugs) or stress modifies these circuits and to identify potential entry points for therapeutic interventions.
Motivation For Starvation: Understanding The Neurobiology Of Anorexia Nervosa
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$773,142.00
Summary
Anorexia nervosa is a debilitating psychiatric disorder which is currently untreatable. It is characterised by disrupted reward and cognitive processing. This project, which will ultimately inform treatment strategies, utilises the activity-based anorexia rat model combined with innovative behavioural paradigms and sophisticated techniques to manipulate and record from neural circuits. This will furnish a comprehensive understanding of the neurobiology involved in pathological weight loss.
A New, Low-cost E-health Treatment For Alcohol Use Disorder Using Mental Imagery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$895,032.00
Summary
This project offers the first large-scale test of phone-based Functional Imagery Training (FIT), a new, low-cost way to help people change behaviours using mental imagery, regardless of where they live. The trial addresses Alcohol Use Disorder—a common problem with substantial health and social impacts, comparing FIT with verbal motivational treatments, and testing effects on alcohol use and quality of life over 12 months. Cost-effectiveness and predictions of outcome are also examined.
Drug addiction is a major health and societal problem in Australia. Relapse is among the most fundamental problems for addicts. This project studies the behavioural and brain mechanisms for relapse to drug seeking. It studies why relapse is more likely in some places than others; the brain mechanisms for this contextual control over relapse; and how relapse to seeking drug rewards is similar to and different from relapse to seeking non-drug rewards.
Drug addiction imposes significant burdens on individual drug users, their families, and communities. This project uses an animal model to identify the brain regions and pathways which mediate extinction of drug seeking and therefore contribute to long-term abstinence from drug-seeking. The work will show how the brain inhibits drug-seeking and will contribute to the important goal of identifying new approaches to preventing relapse to drug-seeking.
Ringing Pavlov’s Bell – Using Conditioning Tasks To Enhance Physical Activity And Reduce Cardiovascular Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,644.00
Summary
The aim of this project is examine an innovative technique to increase the effectiveness of web-based physical activity interventions that can reduce cardiovascular disease risk across large populations at a low cost. Using games and puzzles, we want to influence people’s feelings about being active by connecting it with something they feel positively about (e.g., vacation spots, cute animals). This technique is often used in advertising, but has never been applied to increase physical activity.
Efficacy Of A Group Block Versus Individualised Distributed Upper Limb Rehabilitation In Congenital Hemiplegia: Motivation And Mastery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$85,027.00
Summary
I am an occupational therapist investigating the contribution of motivation on activity and participation outcomes with children with congenital hemiplegia. This study will compare an intensive block of group based upper limb rehabilitation delivered in such a way as to enhance self-determination with an individualised distributed model of standard care. My research aims to help improve rehabilitation programs for children with hemiplegia, and facilitate effective allocation of resources.