Central pathways regulating visceral pain. This project aims to investigate the neural pathways within the spinal cord and brain processing colorectal pain perception. The project aims to identify the spinal cord neurons relaying colorectal signalling into the brain and the influence of descending modulation from the brainstem upon these pathways. The outcomes will greatly benefit fundamental understanding of the central pathways processing visceral pain.
Plasticity of gastrointestinal vagal afferents. The aim of this project is to identify how leptin modulates specific subtypes of vagal afferent within the gut and the plasticity of this system under different dietary conditions. This proposed project will substantially increase understanding of the interactions between leptin, known to influence food intake, and vagal afferent satiety signals. It will also increase understanding of how these interactions alter in obesity and ultimately provide t ....Plasticity of gastrointestinal vagal afferents. The aim of this project is to identify how leptin modulates specific subtypes of vagal afferent within the gut and the plasticity of this system under different dietary conditions. This proposed project will substantially increase understanding of the interactions between leptin, known to influence food intake, and vagal afferent satiety signals. It will also increase understanding of how these interactions alter in obesity and ultimately provide targets and/or concepts for the pharmacotherapy of obesity.Read moreRead less
How Intestinal Motility Activates Sensory Pathways
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$555,875.00
Summary
Pain and discomfort from the gut are common and unpleasant. We understand how gut sensory nerve cells work, at the cellular, molecular and genetic level. However, movement of the gut wall and contents are the major cause of activation of sensory neurons. We know little about which particular patterns of movement cause pain. This is crucial information for accurately diagnosing human gut disorders, for monitoring effectiveness of treatments and for identifying potential new drug targets.
Left of centre: Attentional distortions in the mental representation of space in healthy and clinical populations. Stroke patients cost the Australian economy $1.3bn pa in addition to their social burden, but effective diagnosis and rehabilitation is impeded by a lack of fundamental research into the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie attentional disorders. Our research will provide significant new insights into how the brain deploys attention in external and imagined space and will l ....Left of centre: Attentional distortions in the mental representation of space in healthy and clinical populations. Stroke patients cost the Australian economy $1.3bn pa in addition to their social burden, but effective diagnosis and rehabilitation is impeded by a lack of fundamental research into the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie attentional disorders. Our research will provide significant new insights into how the brain deploys attention in external and imagined space and will lead to more effective management and treatment of stroke victims. Our new test of attentional disorders is independent of a patient's inability to see or move and will enable more effective diagnosis. Our research provides the fundamental knowledge base for our discipline and is vital for developing the next generation of Australia's cognitive neuroscientists. Read moreRead less
Cellular bases of enteric neural circuitry underlying gut propulsion. This project aims to investigate the neural bases of behaviour in the mammalian gut. The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) plays a critical role in the propulsion of intestinal contents. This project expects to establish how specific functional classes of enteric neurons control propulsion along the gut. By recording the simultaneous neural activity from hundreds of different functional classes of enteric nerve cells simultaneously ....Cellular bases of enteric neural circuitry underlying gut propulsion. This project aims to investigate the neural bases of behaviour in the mammalian gut. The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) plays a critical role in the propulsion of intestinal contents. This project expects to establish how specific functional classes of enteric neurons control propulsion along the gut. By recording the simultaneous neural activity from hundreds of different functional classes of enteric nerve cells simultaneously, whilst recording intestinal muscle electrical activity and the movements of the gut wall, the project expects to identify which enteric neurochemical classes of neurons generate specific motor patterns along the intestine.Read moreRead less
Ultradian rhythms in basal metabolism; relationship to thermoregulation, cardiovascular function and behavioural arousal. Results from this project will be of basic theoretical biological importance, and may well provide a foundation for understanding basal metabolic regulation and its link with cardiovascular function. Our findings may provide a new foundation for discovering strategies that alter basal metabolic rate in a manner that improves health and reduces the incidence of obesity related ....Ultradian rhythms in basal metabolism; relationship to thermoregulation, cardiovascular function and behavioural arousal. Results from this project will be of basic theoretical biological importance, and may well provide a foundation for understanding basal metabolic regulation and its link with cardiovascular function. Our findings may provide a new foundation for discovering strategies that alter basal metabolic rate in a manner that improves health and reduces the incidence of obesity related disease such as heart attack and stroke. Thus this research proposal is of special relevance to National Research Priority 2: Promoting and Maintaining Good Health. Obesity and obesity-related medical conditions particularly affect older people, so that our research is also highly relevant to National Research Priority 2 sub-areas: Ageing well, Ageing productively.Read moreRead less
Mapping sites of visceral convergence connecting the colon and bladder. This project aims to develop multiple neuroanatomical approaches to identify where in the central nervous system the sensory signalling from the colon and bladder merge. The combination of such technologies is novel to the study of the central circuits relaying colon/bladder convergence into the brain and will generate new and detailed knowledge of the central pathways in which pelvic organ sensory (discomfort) and motor (de ....Mapping sites of visceral convergence connecting the colon and bladder. This project aims to develop multiple neuroanatomical approaches to identify where in the central nervous system the sensory signalling from the colon and bladder merge. The combination of such technologies is novel to the study of the central circuits relaying colon/bladder convergence into the brain and will generate new and detailed knowledge of the central pathways in which pelvic organ sensory (discomfort) and motor (defecation/urination) functions are coordinated. The expected outcomes are predicted to aid future discovery of mechanisms of cross-organ sensitisation and are anticipated to provide significant benefit to therapy development for chronic visceral pain syndromes associated with bowel and bladder dysfunction.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120100907
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The brain, maths and space: their interaction in health and disease. This project investigates how thinking about numbers affects how we think about the space that surrounds us - and vice versa. Investigations of commonalities in the neural and cognitive processing of space and numbers may lead to the development of innovative therapies for people suffering from attentional disorders after brain damage.
Toll Like Receptor signalling as a mediator of sex differences in pain, opioid and alcohol action. Brain immunology will be examined in this project to see if the signalling of a receptor called Toll Like Receptor 4 can explain sex differences in pain, and the action of pain killers and alcohol. These findings will have significant implications on the understanding of male and female brains, and will assist in the design of new drugs to treat brain and spinal cord diseases.