An investigation of respiration in stuttering. Australia leads the world in stuttering research, and this project will maintain that profile. The research aims to establish if breathing has a causal role in stuttering. The new knowledge produced will support or weaken current theories of the cause of stuttering and will contribute to understanding the nature of the disorder. In particular, it will be applied to develop more effective and efficient treatments for chronic stuttering.
Establishing the relationship between anxiety and stuttering. The present project will establish basic knowledge about the disorder of stuttering, which will contribute to offsetting the personal and community costs of the disorder by guiding empirical investigations into its nature and the development of future treatments. Further benefits at the population level will occur by provision to the public of basic information about the disorder assembled from this project. By conveying information f ....Establishing the relationship between anxiety and stuttering. The present project will establish basic knowledge about the disorder of stuttering, which will contribute to offsetting the personal and community costs of the disorder by guiding empirical investigations into its nature and the development of future treatments. Further benefits at the population level will occur by provision to the public of basic information about the disorder assembled from this project. By conveying information from the present project to clinicians who treat stuttering patients, the project will benefit Australians who stutter.Read moreRead less
Gene therapy to enhance auditory prosthesis performance for cochlear implants. The cochlear implant is the most effective neural prosthesis, restoring hearing to the deaf. The research aims to develop a new type of implant compatible with delivery of therapeutic genes to the cells lining the cochlea. Gene therapy DNA constructs will be developed that will enhance neural survival and growth, improving cochlear implant performance. The research will provide advances in understanding how to tran ....Gene therapy to enhance auditory prosthesis performance for cochlear implants. The cochlear implant is the most effective neural prosthesis, restoring hearing to the deaf. The research aims to develop a new type of implant compatible with delivery of therapeutic genes to the cells lining the cochlea. Gene therapy DNA constructs will be developed that will enhance neural survival and growth, improving cochlear implant performance. The research will provide advances in understanding how to transfer genes into cochlear tissue, as well as development of gene cassettes for effective neural repair. The work will advance the field of bionics, an area where Australia is establishing international preeminence.Read moreRead less
Listen and learn - statistical learning and the adapting auditory brain. This project aims to explore the link between rapid neural adaptation - a form of learning referred to as statistical learning - and human listening performance in noisy environments. The project aims to generate a new understanding of mechanisms that contribute to listeners' abilities to understand speech in noise, and to complex communication disorders such as dyslexia. Expected outcomes will include increased capacity to ....Listen and learn - statistical learning and the adapting auditory brain. This project aims to explore the link between rapid neural adaptation - a form of learning referred to as statistical learning - and human listening performance in noisy environments. The project aims to generate a new understanding of mechanisms that contribute to listeners' abilities to understand speech in noise, and to complex communication disorders such as dyslexia. Expected outcomes will include increased capacity to investigate a broad range of cognitive and communication functions. Benefits will include potential technologies and algorithms to assist listening (in devices such as hearing aids), language development and reading.Read moreRead less
Identifying the basis for perceptual stability and perceptual omission during saccadic eye movements. The ability to explore the world via eye movements is an important feature of visual capabilities. This project will establish how the brain maintains the perception of a stable and stationary world despite the several eye movements made each second. This knowledge will fill a conspicuous gap in the understanding of the human visual system.
Functional Electronic Stimulation of Muscles - Development of a Model for Sensory Feedback to Amputees and Vision for the Blind. Electrical stimulation of nerve fibres is an emerging physiological technique with great promise towards rehabilitation. The field lacks techniques for detailed, focal application of stimuli to recruit specific fibres for fine muscle control or conveying useful neurosensory information. The investigator has developed microtechnology for delivering stimuli to 100 sites, ....Functional Electronic Stimulation of Muscles - Development of a Model for Sensory Feedback to Amputees and Vision for the Blind. Electrical stimulation of nerve fibres is an emerging physiological technique with great promise towards rehabilitation. The field lacks techniques for detailed, focal application of stimuli to recruit specific fibres for fine muscle control or conveying useful neurosensory information. The investigator has developed microtechnology for delivering stimuli to 100 sites, conceivably facilitating recruitment of specific fibres within a given bundle. Effects of muscle stimulation are readily measured and shall be used to model and refine techniques for generic high-resolution fibre recruitment. Benefits include, improved muscle control in functional electrical stimulation, sensory perception for amputees and patterned vision from optic nerve stimulation.Read moreRead less
Relationship of retinal directionality to human retinal anatomy variations. This project aims to improve measurement of retinal directionality, which is the reduction in brightness when a light beam’s entry into the human eye is shifted from the centre to the edge of the pupil. This influences retinal image quality and can be used to measure changes in shape of the peripheral eye. This project will apply advanced technologies in holography, and heads-up displays to explore how retinal directiona ....Relationship of retinal directionality to human retinal anatomy variations. This project aims to improve measurement of retinal directionality, which is the reduction in brightness when a light beam’s entry into the human eye is shifted from the centre to the edge of the pupil. This influences retinal image quality and can be used to measure changes in shape of the peripheral eye. This project will apply advanced technologies in holography, and heads-up displays to explore how retinal directionality changes during accommodation (focusing). The expected outcome is improved understanding of retinal stretching changes during focusing. The benefit is that the project will lead to advancements in retinal imaging.Read moreRead less
Cochlear Implants: Identifying Current Paths through Computational Modelling of MRI Data. The Cochlear implant is an Australian invention (first prototype 1978), leading to the formation of Cochlear Ltd. to commercialise it. Cochlear Ltd. has now delivered implants to over 60,000 people in 70 nations across the world. Copycat companies have arisen overseas, but Cochlear Ltd. remains the market leader, due to their commitment to ongoing R&D. The present project involves magnetic resonance imaging ....Cochlear Implants: Identifying Current Paths through Computational Modelling of MRI Data. The Cochlear implant is an Australian invention (first prototype 1978), leading to the formation of Cochlear Ltd. to commercialise it. Cochlear Ltd. has now delivered implants to over 60,000 people in 70 nations across the world. Copycat companies have arisen overseas, but Cochlear Ltd. remains the market leader, due to their commitment to ongoing R&D. The present project involves magnetic resonance imaging and finite element analysis to study the current leakage pathways in the cranial cavity for the purpose of optimizing the design and placement of the return electrode. The obvious benefit of this is longer battery life. Better understanding of current leakage over other intracranial nerves is the other anticipated benefit.Read moreRead less
Removing the blinkers: a wider study of the human eye. Peripheral aberrations, wide-field retinal imaging and optical parameters. This project will study peripheral (side vision) optics of the human eye and its role in the limits of visual performance. This will improve ocular measurements and contribute towards improved diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases and short-sightedness.
Advanced methods for intraocular imaging. The ability to image the retina of the human eye at high resolution is fundamental to improving understanding of ocular physiology, ocular optics and disease diagnosis. This project applies the relatively new application of active optics to vision science. This project will investigate the advantages of using new beam shaping techniques for characterising the optics of the eye, improving retinal imagery and improving fixation stability. This project will ....Advanced methods for intraocular imaging. The ability to image the retina of the human eye at high resolution is fundamental to improving understanding of ocular physiology, ocular optics and disease diagnosis. This project applies the relatively new application of active optics to vision science. This project will investigate the advantages of using new beam shaping techniques for characterising the optics of the eye, improving retinal imagery and improving fixation stability. This project will achieve three-dimensional holography of human eyes and develop holography plates for correcting the aberrations of eyes. Expected outcomes are not-before experienced resolution images of the retina and better understanding of the optical characteristics of the refractive surfaces and media in the eye.Read moreRead less