Acquisition And Extinction Of Headache-eliciting Properties Of Trigger Factors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$91,082.00
Summary
Standard advice in the clinical management of headaches is to counsel headache sufferers to avoid any factors that could trigger a headache. There is a compelling logic to this approach but is there a danger that it amounts to being over-protective in the sense that it encourages headache sufferers to 'cocoon' themselves from situations that could give rise to headaches, ultimately resulting in them losing their ability to cope with such situations. Certainly, avoiding situations that elicit anx ....Standard advice in the clinical management of headaches is to counsel headache sufferers to avoid any factors that could trigger a headache. There is a compelling logic to this approach but is there a danger that it amounts to being over-protective in the sense that it encourages headache sufferers to 'cocoon' themselves from situations that could give rise to headaches, ultimately resulting in them losing their ability to cope with such situations. Certainly, avoiding situations that elicit anxiety leads to a sensitisation process whereby the situations elicit greater anxiety. And the converse is true, exposure to anxiety-eliciting situations results in a desensitisation process whereby the situations elicit less anxiety. Whether avoidance or exposure is more appropriate in the management of headache disorders depends on the processes by which sensitivity to trigger factors is gained and lost. Two studies will be completed that test different models of these processes. The expected outcome of these studies is that they will support the theory that stimuli acquire the capacity to elicit headaches as a function of individuals trying to avoid or escape from any factor that they believe could trigger a headache. This sensitisation process can be reversed by prolonged exposure to headache trigger factors. Such results would suggest that the established practice of counselling headache sufferers to avoid triggers is counterproductive as it may lead to a reduction of headaches in the short-term but may also lead to an insidious sensitisation process that ultimately results in an increase in headaches. Given that headaches are so common and associated with such high direct and indirect costs, changes in clinical management arising from these findings could have major benefits to individuals, families and society.Read moreRead less
I am a physiologist investigating the molecular basis of normal function in skeletal muscle and the dysfunctions occurring in various muscle diseases and in fatigue. In addition, I investigate analogous dysfunction of calcium release and excitability occu
Combined Electroacupuncture And Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Tension-type Headache: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$302,068.00
Summary
Tension-type headache (TTH) affects many and the direct and indirect costs are significant. Medications are either not effective long-term or have side-effects. Acupuncture and Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are effective and safe treatments. The combination of acupuncture and CBT could provide a better outcome. We will undertake a rigorous clinical study to evaluate this. This is the first examination of the combination, and will be of significant value to patients and to clinicians.
Establishing STARS As A Therapeutic Target To Reduce Muscle Wasting And Improve Muscle Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$446,189.00
Summary
Muscle wasting occurs rapidly with disuse after injuries occurring at work, during sport, with chronic disease and in road accidents. It is also a consequence of ageing. Muscle wasting and reduced muscle function places considerable financial strain on our health care system. We aim to use gene therapy and pharmacological interventions to increase the levels of a protein called STARS. We hypothesize that STARS will reduce disuse-induced muscle wasting, increase recovery and improve function.
Genetic Basis For Skeletal Muscle Formation And Regeneration In Development And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$876,005.00
Summary
How does muscle grow and repair after injury or disease? This basic question in the focus of the research in this fellowship. Specific cells are put aside during development to generate the growth and provide stem cells required for regeneration. Using the advantages of the zebrafish system I will record the action of different stem cell populations during growth and disease. I will define the genes required for stem cell action and utilize this knowledge to create new therapeutic pathways.
Therapeutic Potential Of Skeletal Muscle Plasticity And Slow Muscle Programming For Muscular Dystrophy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$780,476.00
Summary
There is no cure for DMD, a devastating, life-limiting muscle disease causing progressive muscle wasting in boys and young men. A potential therapy may come from modulating muscle activity patterns to promote a protective slow muscle phenotype through low-frequency stimulation protocols and/or well-described pharmacological ‘exercise mimetics’. This proposal will evaluate their therapeutic merit in mouse models of DMD to answer the key questions to advance this approach to the clinic.