Localising Epileptic Discharges In The Brain Using Non-invasive Electro-magnetic Signal Analysis In Patients With Difficult-to-control Epilepsy
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$179,782.00
Summary
Epilepsy is a leading cause of chronic morbidity in Australia. A fundamental problem in clinical practice is the accurate identification of the 'hotspot' zone in the brain that is generating epileptic discharges. These discharges can be detected non-invasively (over the scalp) and analysed with electro-encephalographic and magneto-encephalographic source localisation (EMSL) techniques. EMSL is not used in routine clinical practice because we await a large scale prospective study (the aim of this ....Epilepsy is a leading cause of chronic morbidity in Australia. A fundamental problem in clinical practice is the accurate identification of the 'hotspot' zone in the brain that is generating epileptic discharges. These discharges can be detected non-invasively (over the scalp) and analysed with electro-encephalographic and magneto-encephalographic source localisation (EMSL) techniques. EMSL is not used in routine clinical practice because we await a large scale prospective study (the aim of this proposal).Read moreRead less
The research will investigate the mechanisms by which our brains are able to listen selectively to sounds of interest in competing background noise. This will be investigated in normal hearing subjects, those with partial deafness and in profoundly deaf patients who use a cochlear implant. If deaf patients can learn to use cues to enhance detection of sounds of interest this could have an impact on the effectiveness of hearing aids and cochlear implants in noisy listening situations
Development Of Novel Biomarkers For Closed Loop Deep Brain Stimulation In The Management Of Parkinson’s Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$124,676.00
Summary
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) is established therapy in advanced Parkinson’s disease, when medications are less efficient. We aim to identify biomarkers that correlate with symptom state, allowing tailoring of DBS to individual patient’s needs. This will potentially improve symptom control, device efficiency and quality of life, increasing the pool of patients suitable for DBS. Novel DBS systems will build technical expertise and expand Australia’s role in the medical device industry.
Epilepsy is a debilitating neurological disorder characterised by spontaneous seizures. For a third of epilepsy patients, drugs cannot prevent epileptic seizures from occurring without causing severe side effects. Therefore alternative treatments are needed. This work will develop epileptic seizure warning methods. This will alleviate the stress of randomly occurring seizures by giving patients the chance to move to safety before a seizure occurs, therefore enhancing their quality of life.
I-Medic (Intelligent Monitoring And Early Diagnosis In Communities)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$307,946.00
Summary
Falls cost $500 million annually and are increasing as our population ages. Dr Brodie has developed i-Medic, Intelligent Monitoring and Early Diagnosis In Communities. He is answering the questions: Why do people fall? How can we predict falls? And how do we prevent falls? His software, which may be incorporated into all future mobile phones, is capable of detecting, predicting and therefore preventing falls. In the event of a fall the software also activates an emergency response.
Next Generation Brain-Machine Interface: Minimally-Invasive Endovascular Stent-Electrode Array For Robotic Limb Control
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,735,574.00
Summary
Persons affected by quadriplegia and hemiplegia from stroke and spinal cord injury have few treatment options. Brain Machine Interfaces (BMIs) reconnect brain to a prosthetic limb, bypassing damaged nervous system. Our group has developed a BMI that can be implanted minimally-invasively, inside a blood vessel within the brain. We propose to evaluate this device in animal studies, and continue on to a human clinical trial pilot study. The aim is to restore mechanical control over the physical env ....Persons affected by quadriplegia and hemiplegia from stroke and spinal cord injury have few treatment options. Brain Machine Interfaces (BMIs) reconnect brain to a prosthetic limb, bypassing damaged nervous system. Our group has developed a BMI that can be implanted minimally-invasively, inside a blood vessel within the brain. We propose to evaluate this device in animal studies, and continue on to a human clinical trial pilot study. The aim is to restore mechanical control over the physical environment for a paralysed patient.Read moreRead less
The Role Of Dopamine And Other Neuromodulators As Light Signals In The Inner Retina: A Link To Night Blindness Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,250.00
Summary
Although most human activities can be performed at night as efficiently as during daytime due to the use of artificial light, normal function of the circuits underlying night vision is critical. For example, when driving at night in a poorly illuminated road where the region illuminated by the headlights is processed by the cone circuit that serves daylight in the retina whilst the peripheral areas are processed by the rod driven nighttime circuit. Impairment of night vision and of the dark-ligh ....Although most human activities can be performed at night as efficiently as during daytime due to the use of artificial light, normal function of the circuits underlying night vision is critical. For example, when driving at night in a poorly illuminated road where the region illuminated by the headlights is processed by the cone circuit that serves daylight in the retina whilst the peripheral areas are processed by the rod driven nighttime circuit. Impairment of night vision and of the dark-light switch can have fatal consequences. Night blindness is a symptom characterised by reduced vision in the dark and slow adaptation to dim light. Some congenital night blindness disorders are caused by mutations in the photoreceptor calcium channels which mediate signal transmission. Additionally, patients treated with neuroleptics, a group of drugs which affect the dopaminergic system, suffer night vision disorders. Dopamine acts as a light signal in the retina. AII amacrine cells are pivotal neurones for night vision segregating two channels (ON and OFF) which convey visual information. AII cells are modulated by dopamine and thus, represent interesting targets to study the role of dopamine in the dark-light switch. Much is know about the action of dopamine on transmission of ON signals channelled by AII cells. However, its action on the OFF channel is largely unknown. We believe that some night vision disorders originate by imbalance in the dopaminergic system in the retina and its effects on AII cells. We will test our hypothesis by studying the modulatory effect of dopamine on calcium dependent signal transmission between AII cells and their partners in the OFF channel. Our hypothesis will be further tested by using animal models in which dopamine receptor function is altered. The results of these studies will provide us with an invaluable model to understand the physiological basis of the dark-light switch and of the role of dopamine in night vision disorders.Read moreRead less
Opening Windows To The Listening Brain: Developing Objective Measures Of Hearing Acuity In The Human Brain.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$319,329.00
Summary
Up to 160,000 Australians are un-employed due to hearing impairment, costing an estimated $12 billion per year. I will undertake systematic research which will result in EEG-based clinical tools designed to measure the reliability and acuity with which brainstem and brain structures are able to encode fine details in sounds. These tools will improve diagnostic and prognostic tests, especially for clinicians and parents of infants diagnosed with auditory neuropathies.
Epileptic convulsions are common, disrupt social life and may occasionally cause death. They can occur spontaneously in individuals whose brains appear to be physically normal. Apart from the fact that epilepsy may run in families, the processes leading to spontaneous convulsions are not known. We measure the brain's electrical rhythms (EEG) to find out which rhythms are disturbed in people with epilepsy and whether these rhythms disrupt the brain to cause attacks. In preliminary studies in pati ....Epileptic convulsions are common, disrupt social life and may occasionally cause death. They can occur spontaneously in individuals whose brains appear to be physically normal. Apart from the fact that epilepsy may run in families, the processes leading to spontaneous convulsions are not known. We measure the brain's electrical rhythms (EEG) to find out which rhythms are disturbed in people with epilepsy and whether these rhythms disrupt the brain to cause attacks. In preliminary studies in patients with generalised epilepsy, we have identified abnormally strong rhythms that are almost certainly related to epilepsy causation and our studies are in part aimed at making our findings into a diagnostic test. Our findings may even enable individuals with epilepsy to test themselves for their immediate risk of seizure. Both of these outcomes should enable improved treatment for epilepsy. In addition to benefits in epilepsy, there are potential benefits in the diagnosis of cerebral degenerative disorders if changes in the rhythms also occur in these conditions.Read moreRead less
Proof Of Principle For Minimally-Invasive Intravascular Brain-Computer Interface
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$110,068.00
Summary
Severe injury to limb or spinal cord leads to significant disability. Despite advances in many areas of modern medicine, prosthetic limbs have changed little over decades. A new field of medicine seeks to create a "brain-computer interface" that is capable of controlling a robotic limb, or any electronic device just by thinking. Brain-computer interfaces are currently implanted in an open brain operation. This project aims to demonstrate that a brain-computer interface can be be implanted in a m ....Severe injury to limb or spinal cord leads to significant disability. Despite advances in many areas of modern medicine, prosthetic limbs have changed little over decades. A new field of medicine seeks to create a "brain-computer interface" that is capable of controlling a robotic limb, or any electronic device just by thinking. Brain-computer interfaces are currently implanted in an open brain operation. This project aims to demonstrate that a brain-computer interface can be be implanted in a minimally invasive procedure.Read moreRead less