Control Of Prosthetic Limbs From Decoded Brain Signals
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$895,832.00
Summary
This research will restore mobility to patients who suffer from paralysis. We aim to create a device, known as a brain-machine interface, which is an artificial communication path from the brain that bypasses an injury, such as a damaged spinal cord or stroke. The interface will decode a user’s intent and act upon it. Decoders will use physiological principals and state-of-the-art machine learning methods. We will test a user’s ability to control an artificial limb using decoded brain activity.
Pain has a detrimental impact on ones quality of life and a significant financial impact on the community. It has recently been revealed that chronic pain is associated with altered brain anatomy and function. Using human brain imaging, we aim to determine the underlying reason for these changes by following individuals during the development of pain. Defining the mechanism underlying pain will aid in the development of better treatment regimens.
A Brain-based Model Of Anxiety Sensitivity In Panic Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$402,214.00
Summary
This project will combine advanced brain imaging and brain network modelling to better understand the neurobiology of panic disorder with relevance to its treatment.
Functional Assessment Of CD40 In The Development Of Multiple Sclerosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$521,910.00
Summary
Many of the genes which affect susceptibility to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have recently been identified. Two of these genes were first discovered in an Australian study published in Nature Genetics in 2009. One of these is CD40, which controls immune cell activation. In this project we aim to establish how the genetic variant identified affects the function of the CD40 gene in MS. CD40 may prove to be a good therapeutic target, with agents available to modulate CD40 available already.
Optimising And Applying Ocular Vestibulat Evoked Myogenic Potentials (oVEMPs)
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$228,931.00
Summary
This project seeks to optimise techniques for a new method of assessing the balance organs (vestibular organs) and then apply these techniques. Three conditions will be studied: vestibular neuritis - a condition causing acute and severe dizziness; Parkinson's disease, in which disorders of balance are common and superior canal dehiscence (SCD) in which there is a hole in the bone overlying one of the semicircular canals, leading to sensitivity to sound.
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.
Pathologies Of Action Control: Amygdala-striatal Interactions And The Development Of Habits.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,867.00
Summary
Changes in basal ganglia function, whether produced by neurodegenerative disorders, stroke, injury or disease, can produce pathological changes in action control. This proposal will assess the role of amygdala afferents on basal ganglia structures, most notably the dorsal striatum, in this process. Using an animal model we will compare the role of central and basolateral amygdala inputs to striatum in decision-making, choice and the transition of actions to reflexive, habitual responses.
Identification And Characterisation Of A Novel Parkinson's Disease Gene
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$556,313.00
Summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex neurological condition affecting 100,000 Australians. The primary clinical features of PD result from the selective loss of a specific type of neuron. These neurons make up less than 1% of the over 50 million neurons within the brain, and it is currently unclear why they are preferentially lost during disease development. We have identified a novel gene that causes early onset parkinsonism. This study will characterise the gene and determine what role it pla ....Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex neurological condition affecting 100,000 Australians. The primary clinical features of PD result from the selective loss of a specific type of neuron. These neurons make up less than 1% of the over 50 million neurons within the brain, and it is currently unclear why they are preferentially lost during disease development. We have identified a novel gene that causes early onset parkinsonism. This study will characterise the gene and determine what role it plays in the development of PD.Read moreRead less
Viral-mediated Modulation Of BDNF Expression In Motor Neurons To Promote The Recovery Of Hand/digits Function In A Rat Model Of Spinal Cord Injury That Impairs Normal Grasping Action.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$341,427.00
Summary
This project seeks to lure injured axons towards motor neurons, a process that is essential for the recovery of motor function. BDNF gradients will be created along the injured axons path. Axons will have to elongate to reach the first source of BDNF. They will need to elongate even more to get to the next source of BDNF, hence bringing them each time closer to their lost targets. This gene therapy scenario has the potential to bring gene therapy a step closer for human spinal cord injury.