Decoding Dysfunctional Spinal Cord Circuitry In Chronic Pain.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$516,101.00
Summary
Chronic pain is common, with one in five Australians having long-term pain that is serious enough to cause disability. Unfortunately this type of pain is difficult to treat, and current medicines are ineffective in many people, with unwanted side-effects. The aim of this project is to understand how signalling in the spinal cord changes following the development of chronic pain so we can find better strategies to reverse the symptoms and treat pain more effectively.
Optimising Combinations Of Calcium Channel Inhibitors For Treatment Of Secondary Degeneration After Neurotrauma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$679,772.00
Summary
Traumatic injury to the central nervous system is made worse by damage that spreads away from the initial point of impact. Excess calcium entering cells is a key contributor to spreading damage but treatment with single calcium channel inhibitors has been disappointing. We will use combinations of calcium channel inhibitors to block multiple calcium channels and ensure the optimised combination is effective in clinically relevant models of neurotrauma.
Neuron To Glia Signalling: Learning How Synaptic Signalling Can Promote CNS Remyelination
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$609,650.00
Summary
An immature cell type in the brain, known as the oligodendrocytes progenitor cell (OPC), receives direct electrical communication from neurons. This communication regulates the behavior of the OPC, affecting its ability to divide and generate new brain cells. This project will identify the signaling molecules that guide the OPC to for this specialized contact with the nerve cell. Understanding this communication has important implications for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.
Targeted Nanoparticles To Deliver Combinations Of Calcium Channel Inhibitors To Prevent Myelin Damage During Secondary Degeneration After Neurotrauma
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$895,244.00
Summary
Following injury to the central nervous system the damage spreads into nearby areas, leading to worse outcomes for the patient. We will generate nanoparticle systems to deliver effective therapies directly to the most vulnerable cells, critical for function. We will modify the nanoparticles so that they can get to the injury site, both early after injury, and after longer periods of time have elapsed. We will then test the nanoparticle systems to see if they are effective at preserving function
Advances in positron emission tomography now allow specific pathological features of many brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease to be measured with a brain scan during life. This Fellowship will assist Professor Rowe and his team in their world leading work on new PET scanning techniques to improve diagnosis and assist the development of treatment for Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases of the brain.
We have previously made the most widely used animal brain atlas in the world. This atlas based on stained histological sections of the rat brain. In recent years, advances in MRI have made it possible to generate images of the rat brain at very high resolution. We have obtained a very high quality MRI image set from colleagues in Duke University in the USA, and we have begun to map these images in great detail, using our histological atlas as a guide.
Imaging Of Acute Ischemic Stroke – Improving Patient Selection For Thrombolysis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$367,946.00
Summary
Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in our community and is most often due to a blocked blood vessel. Powerful treatments are available to open blocked blood vessels but there are restrictions on eligibility and some risks. This research aims to improve doctors' understanding of stroke in the individual patient to aid treatment decisions by identifying those with potentially salvageable brain tissue and avoiding those with high risk of bleeding complications.
Brainstem And Hypothalamic Function And Anatomy In Migraine
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$652,828.00
Summary
Migraine is a disabling condition characterized by mostly unilateral throbbing head pain and a range of associated neurological symptoms. The underlying mechanisms responsible for the initiation of migraine remains unknown. We aim to determine brain anatomy and activity patterns in migraineurs throughout the migraine cycle. An understanding of the mechanisms responsible for migraine will aid in better treatment development.
EXTEND-IA Randomized Trial Of Intra-arterial Clot Retrieval In Ischemic Stroke
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$764,534.00
Summary
Most strokes are caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain. Current treatments to dissolve the blockage improve recovery for many patients but often fail to unblock larger brain arteries. The EXTEND-IA trial will use advanced brain imaging to identify patients who have the most to gain if the blocked artery can be re-opened. The trial will test whether a new minimally invasive clot removal procedure performed after standard clot-dissolving treatment improves recovery after stroke.
High-resolution Brain Imaging Of Basal Ganglia Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$589,083.00
Summary
This project will develop new methods for high resolution MRI imaging of the human brain. We will assess functions of deep brain areas known as the basal ganglia that play a critical role in movement planning and co-ordination. Dysfunction within the basal ganglia is responsible for the motor impairments seen in people with Parkinson’s disease. In this project, we will examine changes in basal ganglia function and structure that lead to individual differences in movement control and learning.