Imaging
Longitudinal Effect of physical activity on cortical thickness in people at risk of dementia - ONLY offered as MBiomedSc
Supervisors: Prof.Patricia Desmond, Prof.Nicola Lautenschlager, Dr.Vijay Venkatraman, Dr.Chris Steward
Project Site: The Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medicine and Radiology, Level 2, 1B building, Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Contact: Prof. Patricia Desmond E: Patricia.Desmond@mh.org.au
Project description: Dementia is a leading cause of death, accounting for 6% of all deaths in 2010. Despite these already high and increasing prevalence rates, there is no curative treatment for dementia. Therefore the identification of individuals who are at increased risk of dementia and the implementation of preventive interventions is necessary until a treatment is found. . More recently a growing body of literature is focusing whether physical activity could also have a positive impact on brain ageing with exploring healthy brain ageing as well as on cognitive impairment and dementia. Increasingly research into underlying mechanisms in relation to physical activity and brain ageing identify biomarker candidates with especially neuroimaging measurements being more used in trials with humans. In this study, we look at one such biomarker of cortical thickness as a measure of brain plasticity and effect of physical activity over 2 years period in participants at risk of dementia.
Development of novel neuroimaging biomarkers in Neurological diseases - also offered as MBiomedSc
Supervisors: Professor Patricia Desmond, Dr.Chris Steward,Dr.Tie-Qiang Li, Dr.Vijay Venkatraman
Project Site: The Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Medicine and Radiology, Level 2, 1B building, Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Contact: Prof. Patricia Desmond E: Patricia.Desmond@mh.org.au
Project description: There is presently a paradigm shift in the way in which patients with neurological diseases (such as Brain Tumours, Stroke and Epilepsy and Dementia) are treated. Old methods are being replaced by individualised patient management protocols using spatially, molecularly and genetically targeted therapies. Similarly, there is also currently a paradigm shift occurring in the field of Neuroimaging. Imaging Biomarkers are being developed to image biological, molecular and functional targets of interest to neuroscientists and clinicians. With this in mind The Brain Imaging Laboratory is currently works closely with clinicians to better understand and predict patient disease and response to treatment. Imaging techniques being studied are : Structural imaging, Functional Diffusion Mapping, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Perfusion MRI, functional MRI.
Neuroimaging
Supervisors: Dr Chris Steward, Professor Patricia Desmond, Dr Brad Moffat
Project Site: The Brain Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Level 2, 1B building, Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Contact: Dr Chris Steward T: 9342 8337 E: csteward@unimelb.edu.au
Project Description: There is presently a paradigm shift in the way in which patients with neurological diseases (such as Brain Tumours, Stroke and Epilepsy and Dementia) are treated. Old methods are being replaced by individualised patient management protocols using spatially, molecularly and genetically targeted therapies. Similarly, there is also currently a paradigm shift occurring in the field of Neuroimaging. Imaging (MI) Biomarkers are being developed to image biological, molecular and functional targets of interest to neuroscientists and clinicians. With this in mind The Brain Imaging Laboratory is currently works closely with clinicans to better understand and predict patient disease and response to treatment. Imaging techniques being studied are : Structural imaging, Functional Diffusion Mapping, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Perfusion MRI, functional MRI. The following are a subset of possible projects:
Project 1: Diffusion tensor MRI techniques for clinical assessment of white matter integrity in mild cognitive impairment and healthy aging.
Project 2: MRI in healthy aging (also available as MBiomedSc)
Network Activity in Brain Tissue Recorded with Combined Calcium and Voltage Sensitive Dye Imaging and Electrophysiology - also offered as MBiomedSc
Supervisor: Dr Chris French
Project Collaborators – Prof T O’Brien, Prof D Williams
Project Site: Department of Medicine (RMH), Royal Melbourne Hospital
Contact: Dr Chris French T: 8344 3276 E: E: frenchc@unimelb.edu.au
Project Description: Understanding the normal function as well as pathophysiological states of neural systems requires sampling information from many points in the network simultaneously. One way to do this is using optical methods that allow the activity of many neurons to be imaged simultaneously. Calcium-senstive fluorescent dyes can be loaded into neurons, so that the “firing” of neurons can be observed as a change in fluorescence in real time across many neurons. Voltage-sensitive dyes have the advantage of better time resolution, but the signal obtained is much smaller than calcium indicators. This project involves imaging groups of neurons in rat hippocampal brain slice in normal and epileptic states, with concomitant elctrophysiological recording to better understand epileptogenesis in this structure. Additionally, the effects of anti-epileptic drugs will be examined at the network level using these techniques. In particular, we will be looking for key parameters that permit the stable network to enter oscillatory modes. Confocal and multi-photon imaging will be used for imaging the neurons loaded with dyes, combined with patch-clamp recording.
High resolution connectivity mapping to examine epileptogenic tuber structure in Tuber Sclerosis Complex - also offered as MBiomedSc
Supervisors: Kay Richards and Steve Petrou.
Project Site: Melbourne Brain Centre, Kenneth Myer Building
Contact: Kay Richards kay.richards@florey.edu.au
Project description: Tuber Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a genetic disease where pathogenesis includes development of multiple benign cortical tubers in the developing brain and throughout the whole body. The focus of this study is to examine the epileptogenic tuber in the context of the whole brain connectivity; the working hypothesis is cortical tuber connectivity forms the basis of seizure generation. The project will involve analysis of anatomical and diffusion weighted MRI data from several TSC patients before and after removal of epileptogenic tubers. In addition, utilizing high-resolution MRI data of the resected tissue obtained using a 16T MRI system; detailed analysis of tuber circuitry will also be explored. In addition, there is scope to further analyze details about cellular architecture of the tuber, including neuronal sub-types, their population density and morphology obtained using immunohistochemistry methods. Overall, the project is an important step in determining the mechanism of seizure genesis from tuber focus to whole brain dysfunction and will guide future therapeutic strategies including surgical approach
Morphometric analysis of a Dravet Syndrome mouse model - also offered as MBiomedSc
Supervisors: Kay Richards, David Raffelt, Alan Connelly and Steven Petrou
Project Site: Melbourne Brain Centre, Kenneth Myer Building
Contact: Kay Richards kay.richards@florey.edu.au
Project description: Dravet Syndrome is a devastating neurological disease with early onset at approximately 6 months of age. In Dravet Syndrome patients, seizures predominate and are difficult to treat; patients also have severe learning disabilities and a reduced lifespan. This project will examine disease mechanisms using a genetic epilepsy mouse model that has the Scn1a gene mutation, which has been found in over 85% of Dravet Syndrome patients. The purpose of the current project is to provide evidence of the structural mechansism/s causing seizures and possible therapeutic strategies by examining whole brain anatomy and connectivity by utilising high resolution diffusion MRI and glass brain imaging. In addition, microcircuitry will be explored using immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy techniques.
Early detection of age associated diseases using imaging - ONLY offered as MBiomedSc
Supervisor: Professor Patricia Desmond, A/Professor Cassandra Szoeke
Project Site: Healthy Ageing Program, Dept of Medicine, Centre for Medical Research, Royal Melbourne Hospital, UoM, Parkville, Vic 3052.
Contact: A/Professor Cassandra Szoeke 61 3 8344 1835;
cszoeke@unimelb.edu.au / cassandra.szoeke@mh.org.au
Project description: Australia’s population is ageing at a dramatic rate with about two million people aged over 70 years at present. As populations age, the disabilities of the oldest age groups become increasingly important. Studies have identified cardiovascular diseases to be the most prevalent chronic disease in the elderly, followed by cognitive impairment. Identifying the at‐risk population for these illnesses is an important step towards developing treatment and prevention strategies. An aim of this study is to examine emerging measures for identifying early at risk populations in an epidemiologically sampled cohort of women. These measures include the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) neuroimaging quantifying the accrual of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) as a measure of cerebrovascular disease (CVD). It has been found that white matter hyperintensity volume could predict 1‐year cognitive decline, and therefore should be considered as a variable of interest in AD trials.
Major benefits from this study are:‐
The study has data over 20 years already collected
There is opportunity for a publication
This project will suit a candidate with an interest in neuroimaging.