Which Treatment Works? New Approaches To Treating Emotion Perception Deficits After Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,937.00
Summary
Many people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) cannot recognise emotions in others. This makes appropriate social behaviour impossible and leads to isolation and unemployment. In this project we compare training that minimises errors (errorless learning) versus training that provides strategies for recognising emotions while allowing errors to occur. Adults with severe TBI will be allocated to one of the two treatments, a social non-therapeutic group or to deferred treatment (waitlist control).
Reinstating Emotion Perception After Brain Damage: An Experimental Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$338,421.00
Summary
Many people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) cannot recognise emotions in others. This disrupts social behaviour leading to isolation and unemployment. In this project we determine whether: (1) selectively attending to a person's expression improves empathy and emotion recognition; (2) whether mimicking an expression improves recognition of the emotion and; (3) whether poor recognition of emotional tone of voice (prosody) and audiovisual displays is improved by focusing on voice or face alone.
Teeth And Faces Of Australian Twins: A Longitudinal Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$647,226.00
Summary
We are seeking support from the NHMRC to complete a longitudinal study of 250 pairs of twins, both identical and non-identical, whom we have examined at around 4-6 years of age when all the baby teeth were present in the mouth, then again at around 8-10 years of age when both primary and permanent teeth were present. We now plan to examine these twins again at around the age of 11-13 years when all the permanent teeth, except the wisdom teeth, are normally present. Records to be obtained from th ....We are seeking support from the NHMRC to complete a longitudinal study of 250 pairs of twins, both identical and non-identical, whom we have examined at around 4-6 years of age when all the baby teeth were present in the mouth, then again at around 8-10 years of age when both primary and permanent teeth were present. We now plan to examine these twins again at around the age of 11-13 years when all the permanent teeth, except the wisdom teeth, are normally present. Records to be obtained from the twins over the next three years will include dental examinations, dental impressions from which casts can be made, shed primary teeth, and intra- and extra-oral photographs. We will apply modern methods of genetic analysis to determine the importance of genetic and environmental influences on observed variation in several dental and facial features. We will also study the fascinating phenomenon of mirror imaging in twins, where one twin mirrors the other for one or more features. Longitudinal studies of twins, in which a large sample of children is studied over several years, provide a powerful means of determining how genes influence growth and development. As far as we are aware, ours is the only large-scale longitudinal study of dental and facial growth in twins being undertaken in the world at present. Once we have collected all the data and carried out analyses, we will gain a much better understanding of the factors that can influence development of the teeth and face, and be in a much better position to be able to predict those children who are most likely to develop malocclusions in later life.Read moreRead less
Opioid Actions On Identified Sensory Neurons In Vitro
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$371,850.00
Summary
Opioids (in particular morphine) are the gold standard drugs for the relief of most types of moderate to severe pain. Despite the effectiveness of opioids and other analgesics, many people still suffer unrelieved pain. There are 2 main reasons for this. Firstly, there are some types of pain that are refractory to currently used analgesics from the outset, and secondly, chronic conditions may require escalating doses of analgesics for adequate pain relief, and these does may increase until side e ....Opioids (in particular morphine) are the gold standard drugs for the relief of most types of moderate to severe pain. Despite the effectiveness of opioids and other analgesics, many people still suffer unrelieved pain. There are 2 main reasons for this. Firstly, there are some types of pain that are refractory to currently used analgesics from the outset, and secondly, chronic conditions may require escalating doses of analgesics for adequate pain relief, and these does may increase until side effects become intolerable. My studies will provide insight into the reasons that underlie the differential effectiveness of opioids in acute pain conditions, as well as the reasons why opioids lose their effectiveness over time. These studies will also identify molecular targets that may be important for developing analgesics for specific pain conditions. Because the head is the source of many familiar painful conditions, including tooth pain, migraine and temporomandibular disorders, I will be using neurons from the trigeminal ganglion, the part of the nervous system which supplies the sensory innervation to the structures involved in these pain states. By using mice as experimental animals, I will be able to investigate the contribution of neurons that innervate specific parts of the head to these pain states, and study how chronic morphine treatment affects the behavior of these cells. I hope that these studies will provide a basis for designing strategies that improve the effectiveness of existing analgesics, and perhaps lead to the identification of new, better pain relievers.Read moreRead less
The Identification Of Genes Involved In Mammalian Craniofacial Development And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,055.00
Summary
Birth defects arising from abnormal development of the embryo are a major cause of infant mortality and childhood disabilities. On average 3-4% of liveborn babies have a major congenital abnormality, and of the 15-20% of pregnancies which spontaneously abort, many are due to chromosomal or other developmental anomalies. A common feature of many developmental disorders is dysmorphology of the face, suggesting that genes important in patterning the face are also important in the development of oth ....Birth defects arising from abnormal development of the embryo are a major cause of infant mortality and childhood disabilities. On average 3-4% of liveborn babies have a major congenital abnormality, and of the 15-20% of pregnancies which spontaneously abort, many are due to chromosomal or other developmental anomalies. A common feature of many developmental disorders is dysmorphology of the face, suggesting that genes important in patterning the face are also important in the development of other organ systems. During development of the embryo many of the features of the face derive from a series of swellings termed the pharyngeal arches. The complex processes which determine how the face develops are in a large part controlled by the co-ordinated expression of a large number of genes in the first two of the five pharyngeal arch pairs. While we know some of the genes involved in these processes, the precise mechanisms of craniofacial development are relatively poorly understood. In this project we propose a large scale approach to identifying genes involved in development of the mammalian face and to further delineating their role in development and human disease. This approach takes advantage of state of the art genomic technologies available at the IMB and through existing collaborations overseas. In collaboration with Dr Bento Soares (University of Iowa) we have constructed a library containing all of the genes which are expressed in the first two pairs of pharyngeal arches in the developing mouse embryo. Using an approach designed to eliminate all those genes which are expressed in all or most tissues of the body and play a general role in the body's metabolism, we will select for those genes which play a specific and important role in embryonic development. We will then isolate the human counterparts of these genes and more thoroughly investigate their role in embryonic development and disease.Read moreRead less
Hedgehog Signalling In Limb And Craniofacial Development And Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$494,544.00
Summary
Anomalies of the face and limbs are amongst the most common features of human birth defects, and their frequent association suggests that the same genes are involved in governing the development of the limbs and face during embryogenesis. We have used a genomics-based approach to identify genes involved in limb development based on their alteration in a mouse model which develops extra fingers and toes. Defects in this mouse result from changes in Gli3, a gene which is known to be important in b ....Anomalies of the face and limbs are amongst the most common features of human birth defects, and their frequent association suggests that the same genes are involved in governing the development of the limbs and face during embryogenesis. We have used a genomics-based approach to identify genes involved in limb development based on their alteration in a mouse model which develops extra fingers and toes. Defects in this mouse result from changes in Gli3, a gene which is known to be important in both limb and face development. Based on the organs in which our genes of interest are active, we believe that they will also play key roles in embryonic development of the limbs, face and other organs. We now plan to investigate the regulation of a subset of these genes based on analysis in mouse models of limb and face development. In addition, we have chosen to further analyse the function of a completely novel gene we have identified which our preliminary studies suggest may play a role in the normal development of the lip and palate. These studies have the potential to shed light on the processes governing how organs develop, as well as on the molecular basis of common birth defects such as polydactyly (extra fingers and toes) and cleft palate.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms Of Immune Complex-mediated Inflammation In The Cerebral Microvasculature
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$146,500.00
Summary
Immune complexes are formed when an antibody binds to the molecules it is directed against. Normally, this is important for fighting infection. However in some autoimmune diseases, inappropriate formation of immune complexes can be damaging to our own tissues. This damage occurs because immune complexes attract white blood cells to the areas where they form. Many tissues can be affected by this process. However, we know very little about the effects of immune complexes specifically in the brain. ....Immune complexes are formed when an antibody binds to the molecules it is directed against. Normally, this is important for fighting infection. However in some autoimmune diseases, inappropriate formation of immune complexes can be damaging to our own tissues. This damage occurs because immune complexes attract white blood cells to the areas where they form. Many tissues can be affected by this process. However, we know very little about the effects of immune complexes specifically in the brain. This is important because immune complexes are found in the brain in diseases such as lupus. Therefore the aim of this proposal is to determine how immune complexes induce damaging inflammation in the brain.Read moreRead less
Randomised Controlled Trial Investigation Of A Non-stimulant In Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$588,960.00
Summary
Atomoxetine (ATMX) is a viable non-stimulant alternative to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), however, clinicians require more objective information on its effectiveness. This is the first study to examine the effectiveness of ATMX using objective cognitive and emotion markers in ADHD. The outcomes from this project will be a significant step towards a 'personalised medicine' approach to ADHD, providing clinicians with increased options in the treatment of ADHD. ADHD is cons ....Atomoxetine (ATMX) is a viable non-stimulant alternative to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), however, clinicians require more objective information on its effectiveness. This is the first study to examine the effectiveness of ATMX using objective cognitive and emotion markers in ADHD. The outcomes from this project will be a significant step towards a 'personalised medicine' approach to ADHD, providing clinicians with increased options in the treatment of ADHD. ADHD is considered the most common neurodevelopmental or child psychiatric disorder. ADHD affects approximately 10% of children and adolescents, in other words, 'at least one in every classroom'. ADHD has a significant burden, including treatment costs, family stress, loss of productivity, increased risk of drug abuse and accidents. It is increasingly clear that new medications need to be evaluated to make ADHD treatment more effective and efficient. The vast majority of medicated ADHD individuals are treated with stimulants, which are controlled substances. A large number do not respond to stimulant treatment, and in others the potential for abuse remains. Some ADHD report negative feelings about taking stimulants and there is growing concern about increasing prescription rates. ATMX is a recently approved non-stimulant (therefore, non-controlled) to treat ADHD, with evidence of clinical effectiveness. Yet, the impact of ATMX on objective measures of a range of cognitive and emotional function has not been studied. Several lines of evidence indicate it is effective for these functions. ATMX has been shown to alleviate inhibitory capacity, while stimulants have not. Of the 30% of ADHD who do not respond to stimulants, the least responsive are those categorized as 'internalizing' types who show allied anxiety. Common disturbances may underlie abnormal inhibitory capacity and impaired emotional recognition in ADHD that is best treated with ATMX rather than stimulants.Read moreRead less