Neural Circuits For Active Vision In The Primate Cerebral Cortex
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$632,938.00
Summary
This project will try to understand how we use visual information to identify objects by their shape and motion, in natural situations in which the eyes are moving all the time. This will be accomplished by recording the electrical activity of brain cells while a trained animal is performing different types of tasks, such as tracking a moving object or exploring a scene with its eyes.
The human brain has many subdivisions (�areas�) that are dedicated to vision, but in many cases their functions remain unclear. This project will study an area located deep in the brain, about which very little is known, and which appears to be affected from early stages in conditions such as Alzheimer�s disease. By understanding the patterns of electrical activity of cells in this region, and their connections with other brain areas, we hope to decipher their contribution to sensory cognition.
Novel Approaches To Understanding Peripheral Vision In Patients With Central Vision Loss
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$367,101.00
Summary
The aim of my research is to develop novel interventions that enhance the peripheral vision of patients with central vision loss, and to investigate the neural correlates of visual perception in peripheral vision in typical adults. My research will inform rehabilitation strategies that optimise the visual function of patients with partial blindness, and provide a more thorough understanding of the underlying neural mechanisms that reduce the quality of peripheral vision.
Functional Connectivity Between Visual Cortical Areas In The Non-human Primate
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$387,585.00
Summary
Visual information going from the eyes to the brain is processed in different parts of the brain to extract useful information. However, to be able to select what is important from among the vast number of objects in the scene, top-down signals from higher areas need to act on incoming signals in earlier areas. This project aims to identify what sort of neural pathways are involved in this and how it is done at the cellular level.
Rapid Plasticity In Sensory Systems - Linking Neuronal Adaptation And Perception
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$650,810.00
Summary
The activity of individual sensory neurons in the brain is surprisingly variable and continuously changing. It is unclear how reliable perception of the world can be generated from the activity of “noisy” neurons, and it remains unclear why neuronal sensitivity should change in the first place! This project will give insights into how groups of sensory neurons collectively overcome their intrinsic variability to support reliable visual perception.
Reverse Engineering The Mammalian Retinal Microcircuits Using Biological And Computational Approaches
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$385,814.00
Summary
This research aims to understand how the mammalian retina achieves its sophisticated sensory processing capabilities, using a collection of cutting-edge techniques. The research will: (1) improve our understanding of the operational principles of the brain; (2) link functional properties of retinal neurons to genetic expressions associated with diseases; and (3) refine bioelectronics that could be translated to clinical applications.
Mechanisms And Pathways Leading To Saccadic Suppression In Primate Brain
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$858,086.00
Summary
Only the central few degrees of the visual field are viewed in high resolution. Consequently, the eyes must be pointed at targets of interest using saccadic eye movements. Each saccade generates potentially disturbing image motion but this is never perceived: saccadic suppression. This project aims to characterise the neural basis of saccadic suppression using modern techniques. As a result, a prime question in Neuroscience for over 100 years can now be answered.
Cortical Excitation In Migraine: Using Vision To Understand And Track Brain Excitability
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$521,628.00
Summary
Migraine is a common neurological condition affecting approximately 15% of adults. Therapies are most effective if used early, yet many people are unable to predict their migraines or to recognize early signs. In addition to headache, key symptoms include abnormal visual and auditory experience. We propose that aspects of vision and hearing will vary systematically according to the current brain status. Our translational goal is to develop tests that allow individuals to better manage migraine.
Cortical Interactions Of Parallel Afferent Channels Underlying Visual Perception, Attention And Memory
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$410,250.00
Summary
The visual pathways from the eyes to the brain consist of distinct groups of cells which are specialised to signal different aspects of the visual scene such as colour, contrast and movement. As the information they carry is relayed through and processed in many different regions of the brain these parallel information channels were, until recently, believed to remain completely separate from each other. Furthermore, it had been proposed that as the information reaches the visual neocortex the i ....The visual pathways from the eyes to the brain consist of distinct groups of cells which are specialised to signal different aspects of the visual scene such as colour, contrast and movement. As the information they carry is relayed through and processed in many different regions of the brain these parallel information channels were, until recently, believed to remain completely separate from each other. Furthermore, it had been proposed that as the information reaches the visual neocortex the information is channeled through two main largely parallel information processing streams, a dorsal stream to the parietal cortex (a where system) and a ventral stream to the temporal cortex (a what system). However, our recent functional studies (and anatomical studies from other laboratories) have indicated that the different information channels do interact already at a relatively early level of the visual pathway, namely in the primary visual cortex. We have shown this in two ways: (1) there is convergence of different information channels on individual neurones in the primary visual cortex; (2) signals from the faster where pathway comes back to the primary visual cortex to gate the slower channels going into the ventral what pathway. We have seen this occur in an attention paradigm and in a memory task. We will explore these interactions further to test hypotheses about: (1) how the convergence of different information channels relate to the functional and anatomical architecture of the visual cortex; (2) investigate at length the most poorly understood, the so-called koniocellular pathway from the retina to the cortex. This pathway seems to contain a specialised component which carries information about blue objects; (3) identify the source of the spotlight of attention we have discovered and (4) how and from where early visual structures receive the gating inputs in certain memory tasks.Read moreRead less