Morphological Determinants Of Neurotransmission In Autonomic Ganglia.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$450,111.00
Summary
The nervous system consists of billions of nerve cells that are connected together in special ways to process information about the outside world and our internal state and then generate the appropriate responses of our body to this information. To understand the complex working of the brain and its nerves, we have to understand how all these nerves are connected to each other. We are interested in the nerves that control the functions of the internal organs, such as arteries, glands and the gut ....The nervous system consists of billions of nerve cells that are connected together in special ways to process information about the outside world and our internal state and then generate the appropriate responses of our body to this information. To understand the complex working of the brain and its nerves, we have to understand how all these nerves are connected to each other. We are interested in the nerves that control the functions of the internal organs, such as arteries, glands and the gut. The brain controls these functions automatically, so we usually are not directly aware of their activity. The instructions to change the activity of the internal organs are sent from the brain down the spinal cord. The information is then sent from the spinal cord to the organs via a special set of nerves. However, instead of going directly to their targets, these nerves make connections with yet another set of nerves, which then go on to make the final connections with the appropriate target organs. We know a lot about these final nerve cells, including how big they are, how complicated they look, and what kinds of chemicals they use to send messages to the organs that they control. However, we still do not very much about how all these nerves are connected to each other. In this project we will use different types of modern microscopes that use either lasers or electron beams to look directly at the nerves and their connections. We then will use computerised models to construct a detailed map of the pathways taken by the nerves on their way to their target organs. By knowing how the nerves are connected to each other in these pathways, we will be able to understand how the instructions of the brain are modified depending on what other things are going on in the body at the same time. This information will be vital to help us appreciate how the nerves work when we get sick or injured.Read moreRead less
Pain associated with bone cancer, fractures, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, osteomyelitis (and other bone infections) often presents the clinician with a difficult problem of treatment as the pain can be debilitating and intractable. Most current treatments for bone pain are based on the assumption that the neural mechanisms underlying pain from different sources, whether it be visceral, cutaneous, muscular or bony, are the same, and can therefore be targeted with similar therapies. However, litt ....Pain associated with bone cancer, fractures, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, osteomyelitis (and other bone infections) often presents the clinician with a difficult problem of treatment as the pain can be debilitating and intractable. Most current treatments for bone pain are based on the assumption that the neural mechanisms underlying pain from different sources, whether it be visceral, cutaneous, muscular or bony, are the same, and can therefore be targeted with similar therapies. However, little is known of the response properties, structure and organization of receptors and neurones responding to, and relaying information about painful stimuli, from bone to the brain. The objectives of this project are to reveal the fundamental neural mechanisms that account for the perception of bone pain. The project will test a series of specific hypotheses in order to explain why bone pain is often poorly controlled by standard pharmacological or surgical approaches. It is expected that this study will reveal the neural mechanisms responsible for relaying sensory information, in particular, that regarding painful stimuli, from bone to the brain. It will lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of bone pain and form the template for future studies of its treatment.Read moreRead less
Validating And Optimising The Analysis Of Magnetic Resonance Physiology Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$91,725.00
Summary
Combined electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is used to detect the anatomical areas in the brain that show electrical activity. Several centres worldwide use this technique to localise the seizure focus in patients with epilepsy. However, there is a lack of validation of the currently applied techniques. Current analysis methods have been developed and validated for other fMRI paradigms, such as motor tasks. It is not known whether the same principles ar ....Combined electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is used to detect the anatomical areas in the brain that show electrical activity. Several centres worldwide use this technique to localise the seizure focus in patients with epilepsy. However, there is a lack of validation of the currently applied techniques. Current analysis methods have been developed and validated for other fMRI paradigms, such as motor tasks. It is not known whether the same principles are applicable and optimal for fMRI-EEG data. The proposed project aims at validating and optimising the analysis strategies for fMRI-EEG data.Read moreRead less
Dynamics of eigenvalue/eigenspace algorithms with applications to signal processing. Many problems in signal and systems lead naturally to an eigenvalue/eigenspace determination and tracking problem; for example (acoustic) echo-cancellation, crosstalk suppression in ADSL modems, direction of arrival determination with an array of sensors, linear system identification etc. Exploiting methods from global analysis and dynamical systems theory we will study the available algorithms for eigenspace de ....Dynamics of eigenvalue/eigenspace algorithms with applications to signal processing. Many problems in signal and systems lead naturally to an eigenvalue/eigenspace determination and tracking problem; for example (acoustic) echo-cancellation, crosstalk suppression in ADSL modems, direction of arrival determination with an array of sensors, linear system identification etc. Exploiting methods from global analysis and dynamical systems theory we will study the available algorithms for eigenspace determination to characterise their computational efficiency, accuracy and effectiveness in various data scenarios. The analysis will lead to improved designs for eigenvalue/eigenspace algorithms, as well as design tools to engineer algorithms to specific situations.Read moreRead less
Sparse grid approximations and fitting using generalised combination techniques. Sparse grid techniques provide an effective tool to deal with the
computational curse of dimensionality which is a constant challenge in
modelling complex data. The proposed research is aimed at the
development and analysis of algorithms for data fitting with sparse
grids using variants of the combination technique. The outcome of the
research is a theory which will provide insights in the applicability,
limit ....Sparse grid approximations and fitting using generalised combination techniques. Sparse grid techniques provide an effective tool to deal with the
computational curse of dimensionality which is a constant challenge in
modelling complex data. The proposed research is aimed at the
development and analysis of algorithms for data fitting with sparse
grids using variants of the combination technique. The outcome of the
research is a theory which will provide insights in the applicability,
limitations and the convergence properties of the proposed
algorithms. The outcomes will be widely applicable in modelling of
large scale and complex data as is encountered in areas of
bioinformatics, physics and experimental studies of complex systems.
Read moreRead less
Quality Of Life, Associated Psychological And Economic Family Impacts, And Trajectory Of Recovery In Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Paediatric Burns Patients.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$86,117.00
Summary
Over a third of burns injuries in Australia are paediatric, with over representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Burns are a major injury, having devastating long term consequences, connected to psychological distress, trauma, cost and disability. This research focusses on quality of life measures, economic impacts and psychological distress, investigating enabling and inhibitory factors to burns recovery in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their family.