Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354793
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
A Neural Network: Understanding Brain Function. This proposal focuses on the mechanisms that regulate brain function, particularly those underpinning the changes in circuitry (plasticity) caused by altered inputs. As such, its core goal is to create an interface between researchers in the neurosciences, computational modelling, robotics and cognitive sciences in order to facilitate optimum collaborative interactions, identify key research questions and promote training opportunities across a mul ....A Neural Network: Understanding Brain Function. This proposal focuses on the mechanisms that regulate brain function, particularly those underpinning the changes in circuitry (plasticity) caused by altered inputs. As such, its core goal is to create an interface between researchers in the neurosciences, computational modelling, robotics and cognitive sciences in order to facilitate optimum collaborative interactions, identify key research questions and promote training opportunities across a multidisciplinary spectrum. This will drive an integrated and accelerated program of discovery and technological development, enhancing Australia's leadership in this crucial field and helping to highlight new biotechnology opportunities and capture social and economic benefits for the nation. Read moreRead less
Presynaptic mechanisms of general anaesthesia in the fly brain. General anaesthesia is a routine procedure for both human and veterinary surgery and for any experimental paradigms requiring immobilization of animals. By abolishing consciousness, these drugs provide practitioners with an ideal way of manipulating subjects under conditions when responsiveness might be undesirable. Understanding how manipulating synaptic release mechanisms might modulate anaesthetic potency will be valuable for eve ....Presynaptic mechanisms of general anaesthesia in the fly brain. General anaesthesia is a routine procedure for both human and veterinary surgery and for any experimental paradigms requiring immobilization of animals. By abolishing consciousness, these drugs provide practitioners with an ideal way of manipulating subjects under conditions when responsiveness might be undesirable. Understanding how manipulating synaptic release mechanisms might modulate anaesthetic potency will be valuable for eventually being able to better control the anaesthetized state in human and animal subjects. By understanding general anaesthesia across multiple levels of brain function, we will at the same time be answering fundamental questions pertaining to mechanisms of perception and awareness. Read moreRead less
Neural mechanisms underlying interlateral transfer of ballistic motor skill. This project seeks to discover why practicing a task with one limb can improve performance with the corresponding limb (which does no physical work) on the opposite side of the body. Identifying the changes in the brain that cause acquisition of skill without direct training is crucial to determine whether the effect might be exploited to improve rehabilitation outcomes for movement disorders that chiefly affect one sid ....Neural mechanisms underlying interlateral transfer of ballistic motor skill. This project seeks to discover why practicing a task with one limb can improve performance with the corresponding limb (which does no physical work) on the opposite side of the body. Identifying the changes in the brain that cause acquisition of skill without direct training is crucial to determine whether the effect might be exploited to improve rehabilitation outcomes for movement disorders that chiefly affect one side of the body (e.g. after a stroke). The research will provide basic information that might lead to new treatment approaches that help to minimize the social cost of the persistent and severe movement difficulties experienced by many patients after neurological injury.Read moreRead less
Experimental and computational assessment of the mechanical, musculo-skeletal and neuromuscular contributions to rhythmic multi-joint arm movements. The human body is a complex mechanical system that is controlled by a vast neural network comprising many millions of connections. To date, realistic descriptions of the interactions between these neuro-mechanical features have proved elusive. This project seeks to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the essential features of the ....Experimental and computational assessment of the mechanical, musculo-skeletal and neuromuscular contributions to rhythmic multi-joint arm movements. The human body is a complex mechanical system that is controlled by a vast neural network comprising many millions of connections. To date, realistic descriptions of the interactions between these neuro-mechanical features have proved elusive. This project seeks to develop a mathematical model that accurately describes the essential features of the control system for human movement, and yet is simple enough to inform the design of artificial devices to generate or assist movement. The knowledge derived should improve mechanical and neural prosthetic systems, and guide rehabilitation protocols. The work will ultimately provide a considerable benefit to the community by reducing the social cost of a range of movement disorders.Read moreRead less
An inverse control approach to resolving the neural basis of spatial and muscular dependencies in coordinated multi-limb movements. Each year 48,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will ....An inverse control approach to resolving the neural basis of spatial and muscular dependencies in coordinated multi-limb movements. Each year 48,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced quality of life and functional life-span, as well as significantly reduced costs of health care. In understanding the fundamental principles underlying the stability and adaptability of movement coordination, this research is likely to make a significant contribution to the design of programs for movement rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Cortical Mechanisms Mediating Bilateral Interactions Between the Upper Limbs. Each year 40,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced qual ....Cortical Mechanisms Mediating Bilateral Interactions Between the Upper Limbs. Each year 40,000 Australians suffer from stroke with many survivors left with problems that limit limb function. With reduced duration of hospital care, the opportunities for retraining in the period immediate following stroke are rapidly diminishing. Effective and efficient strategies of rehabilitation that will maximise the level of recovery following stroke will result in benefits expressed in terms of enhanced quality of life and functional life-span, as well as significantly reduced costs of health care. In understanding the fundamental principles underlying the stability and adaptability of movement coordination, this research is likely to make a significant contribution to the design of programs for rehabilitation of the upper limb.Read moreRead less
The neural basis of interlimb coordination. The aims of the proposed research program are to increase our understanding the control of voluntary movement. It is expected that the outcomes of this research program will have eventual application to a number of acquired movement deficits, in particular those arising from spinal cord and brain injury. This research will also be of diagnostic value in determining the integrity of the motor pathways, in both acquired and developmental movement disorde ....The neural basis of interlimb coordination. The aims of the proposed research program are to increase our understanding the control of voluntary movement. It is expected that the outcomes of this research program will have eventual application to a number of acquired movement deficits, in particular those arising from spinal cord and brain injury. This research will also be of diagnostic value in determining the integrity of the motor pathways, in both acquired and developmental movement disorders.Read moreRead less
Spatio-Temporal Precision of Interceptive Action. Interceptive actions like hitting a moving target require precise, accurate positioning and timing. This project aims to empirically document how spatial and temporal constraints affect performance of interceptions and to quantify the speed-accuracy trade-off for interceptions. The speed-accuracy trade-off for movements aimed at stationary targets has been extensively documented - slower movements are more accurate. There has been no correspondin ....Spatio-Temporal Precision of Interceptive Action. Interceptive actions like hitting a moving target require precise, accurate positioning and timing. This project aims to empirically document how spatial and temporal constraints affect performance of interceptions and to quantify the speed-accuracy trade-off for interceptions. The speed-accuracy trade-off for movements aimed at stationary targets has been extensively documented - slower movements are more accurate. There has been no corresponding documentation for interception. This project will fill the gap and provide a rich data set for developing an understanding of interception through modeling work. An understanding of the factors governing interception has potential applications in road safety, sports and neurological rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Visuomotor Adaptation and Stimulus Response Compatibility: Basic Mechanisms and Safety Implications for Heavy Equipment. This project will explore mechanisms of human visuomotor adaptation using a directional stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) paradigm. The latter refers to the greatly enhanced performance for ?natural? pairings of control movement directions and system output directions. The outcomes are both theoretical (understanding basic processes) and applied (design and training gui ....Visuomotor Adaptation and Stimulus Response Compatibility: Basic Mechanisms and Safety Implications for Heavy Equipment. This project will explore mechanisms of human visuomotor adaptation using a directional stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) paradigm. The latter refers to the greatly enhanced performance for ?natural? pairings of control movement directions and system output directions. The outcomes are both theoretical (understanding basic processes) and applied (design and training guidelines for equipment in construction, mining, transport and aerospace industries). The issue is also significant both theoretically, since models of adaptation and SRC phenomena have not previously been combined, and practically, as serious heavy equipment accidents can result from designs that are not based on sound human performance principles.Read moreRead less
Interceptive Action: Performance, Neuromotor Control and Learning. Natural, everyday environments are dynamic. People, animals and other objects move around and human behaviour must be geared to these motions: people must anticipate where things are going and when they will get there so that undesirable collisions and contacts can be avoided and desirable ones achieved. This project investigates basic modes of interacting with dynamic environments - intercepting and evading objects in motion. T ....Interceptive Action: Performance, Neuromotor Control and Learning. Natural, everyday environments are dynamic. People, animals and other objects move around and human behaviour must be geared to these motions: people must anticipate where things are going and when they will get there so that undesirable collisions and contacts can be avoided and desirable ones achieved. This project investigates basic modes of interacting with dynamic environments - intercepting and evading objects in motion. The aim is to extend our understanding of the principles, control mechanisms and brain structures involved. Such understanding has the potential to contribute to areas such as road safety, autonomous robotics, sports training and neurological rehabilitation.Read moreRead less