The research interests of SANI members span the full range of modern neuroscience, from molecular and genetic studies through to imaging studies of disorders in patients’ brains. Some examples of ongoing projects are shown below and on pages on this site. These are a small sample of the expertise represented by SANI members.
- The drug “ecstacy” alters skin bloodflow.
- Genes controlling development and disease.
- Lessons from insect eyes for computer vision
- A new target for drugs?
- Identifying brain regions involved in memory
- Nerve cells dying after injury
- Artificial neural networks can reflect brain mechanisms
- Schizophrenia drug affects memory
- How we detect when our stomach is full
The drug “ecstacy” alters skin bloodflow.
Photograph of a rabbit’s ears show surface temperature, proportional to blood flow. When MDMA (ecstacy) is given, the ear becomes cooler, revealing reduced blood flow. A similar mechanism may be a cause of the dangerous hyperthermia experienced by some human ecstacy users. The drug, clozapine, reverses the effects of ecstacy, suggesting that it may represent a future therapeutic strategy in extreme cases of human hyperthermia.
Source: Bill Blessing and colleagues, Flinders University, member of SANI
Genes controlling development and disease.
Mutations of the “presenilin 1” gene in humans is associated with
some cases of inherited Alzheimer's disease. Experimental alterations
in presenilin 1 gene expression, in zebrafish embryos, causes
a distinctive, pathological increase in the size of brain ventricles.
This reflects an important role in this gene in normal brain development.
Source: Michael Lardelli and colleagues, University of Adelaide, member of SANI
Lessons from insect eyes for computer vision
Studying neurobiological mechanisms in insect eyes (left) reveals fundamental features of how they detect visual features such as motion (centre). This conceptual understanding (centre) can then help develop artificial, electronic circuits (“microchips”) to achieve the same result (right).
Source: David O’Carroll and colleagues, University of Adelaide, member of SANI
Many drugs act on specific proteins (“receptors”) located on the outside membrane of nerve cells. Recent work has identified a new receptor, corresponding to a truncated form of the “NK1” receptor (gel on right- “NK-1TR”). Two nerve cells in a sympathetic ganglion both responded to a transmitter that acts on the “NK1” receptor, but only #1 expresses the full receptor (shown in red). Cell #2 must use the truncated form (no red staining). This new receptor type may represent a target for a new class of drugs, although their effects are, as yet, hard to predict.
Source: Judy Morris, Flinders University, member of SANI
Identifying brain regions involved in memory
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI - left), areas of the brain involved in short term memory function can be identified by the local increase in blood flow (shown in red/orange), while the human subject performs a simple mental task.
Source: Richard Clark, Flinders University, member of SANI
Nerve cells dying after injury
Staining with a fluorescent dye, FluoroJade, reveals dying nerve cells in the hippocampal region of the brain, following traumatic brain injury. Loss of these cells will eventually result in learning and memory difficulties
Source: Robert Vink, University of Adelaide, member of SANI
Artificial neural networks can reflect brain mechanisms
By studying performance of artificial neural networks (above), members of the discipline of Philosophy at University of Adelaide can determine basic principles of how such circuits may represent the world. In this case, the ability to categorise colours was used as the task for an artificial network.
Source: Gerard O’Brien, University of Adelaide, member of SANI
Schizophrenia drug affects memory
People with schizophrenia often have disordered working memory, which may contribute to cognitive dysfunction and symptoms. The drug clozapine give effective symptom relief in some patients. Using “event related potentials” (averaged EEG signals recorded after a series of sound stimuli), this study showed that clozapine improves, but does not entirely normalise, working memory function in schizophrenic patients (reflected as the change in N1 wave, in the red circle).
Source: Dr Cherrie Galletly and colleagues, University of Adelaide, member of SANI
How we detect when our stomach is full
Stretching the stomach wall activates sensory neurones in the vagus nerve (left). The nerves responsible for detecting gastric distension, which play an important role in signalling when to stop eating, were recently identified for the first time. They make distinctive endings in ganglia in the muscular wall of the stomach (right, in red).
Source: Simon Brookes and colleagues, Flinders University, member of SANI