Neuronal Activity And Variability Underlying Perception And Action
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$349,802.00
Summary
Perception and behaviour are often unpredictable. We do not identically perceive repeated stimuli, and even professional athletes cannot precisely replicate their actions. This project compares variations in the activity of motion-sensitive neurons in the brain with variability in motion perception and eye movements. This should give insights into how neuronal activity underlies conscious perception and eye movements and may ultimately help treat conditions with impaired control of movement.
Understanding The Organisation Of The Medial Parietal Cortex: Sensorimotor Integration For Goal-directed Behaviour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$551,862.00
Summary
Reaching and grasping are of obvious significance for a productive life, and many of the brain areas known to be involved in the direction of arm movements are located in the parietal lobe. Stroke affecting this part of the brain causes disability, as people become unable to reach accurately, or to close their hands around objects with appropriate strength. This project will combine modern physiological and anatomical methods to reveal the brain circuitry responsible for such crucial skills.
A Role For The Pulvinar Nucleus In Visual Cortical Development And Plasticity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$844,435.00
Summary
This project will investigate a part of the brain responsible for processing visual information, the pulvinar. This area has received little attention but has more recently been associated with the capacity for infants to recover vision following injuries such as stroke, as well as in mental health conditions such as schizophrenia. We will take a cell-to-system approach to uncover how this area develops and modulates the processing of visual information.
Development Of Human Sensory Receptors Of The Inner Ear
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$418,281.00
Summary
Normal development of our special sense organs is crucial for sight, taste, hearing, and balance. The balance system mediates important postural and eye reflexes that are essential for movement and vision. Abnormal development of the balance system results in dizziness, vertigo, gait deficits, and impaired learning and reading ability in children. This study will investigate how the organs of balance mature and connect with nerve fibres of the inner ear during human development.
The Pulvinar Is Instrumental In The Development Of Visual Cortical Networks
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,192,911.00
Summary
This Project will elucidate the mechanisms and brain structures involved in visual system development and how their perturbation in early life can lead to neurodevelopmental and cognitive brain disorders, such as Williams and fragile-X syndromes as well as dyslexia. Furthermore, it will demonstrate how the visual brain has a greater capacity to compensate and achieve preservation of vision following an injury in early life.
While there has been recent excitement about possible treatments for the symptoms of Autism, advances in understanding the underlying neuroscience of abnormal brain function that underlies autistic tendency are still painfully slow. This application aims to establish fully a physiological mechanism for altered autistic perception, to see if it can be applied to early diagnosis in infants and young children and to establish whether in such plastic young brains it is possible to guide perceptual l ....While there has been recent excitement about possible treatments for the symptoms of Autism, advances in understanding the underlying neuroscience of abnormal brain function that underlies autistic tendency are still painfully slow. This application aims to establish fully a physiological mechanism for altered autistic perception, to see if it can be applied to early diagnosis in infants and young children and to establish whether in such plastic young brains it is possible to guide perceptual learning to permanent improvement.Read moreRead less
Development Of Peripheral Sensory Pathways In Humans
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$477,504.00
Summary
To receive the appropriate information about the state of our muscles, joints, organs, and skin we need a properly 'connected' sensory system. Recent evidence suggests traumatic events during early development can alter sensory connections within the spinal cord. This can lead to debilitating movement disorders, digestive diseases, and increased pain. In this study we will examine how peripheral sensory fibres connect with the appropriate nerve cells in the human spinal cord during development.