Neuroscience

The relationship between experimental cold-pain and cognitive processing

Primary Supervisor: Dr Peter Micalos
Co-Supervisor:
Location: Port Macquarie
Keywords: physiology, neuroscience, pain, cognition
Type of Project: Quantitative
Project availability:

Introduction A bi-directional relationship exists between cognition and pain. The cold pressor test is a procedure that elicits pain while the hand is submerged in a cold-water bath. Modifications of the cold-pressor test can be applied in experimental pain research to investigate the effects on cognition.

Aim The hypothesis is that the application of a cognitive task (basic mathematics test) will affect the pain responses during the cold-pressure test. A secondary hypothesis is that the experimental pain will inhibit cognitive processing during the cold-pressor test.

https://nuighealthpsychology.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/cold-pressor.png

Research design This Honours research will be required to be conducted at the Port Macquarie campus. The study involves recruitment, assessment, and testing of healthy participants during the performance of a cognitive task while undergoing a cold pressure test procedure. Human research ethics application and approval will be necessary for this study. Variations to this research include the application of virtual reality and the effects of listening to music while undergoing the cold-pressor test.

Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting Dr Peter Micalos

MRI neural imaging: From early neural-development to late neural-degeneration

Primary Supervisor: Dr Xiaoming Zheng
Location: Wagga Wagga
Keywords: MRI Neuroimaging; Neural development; Alzheimer’s disease; Early AD detection; AD diagnosis.

Synopsis:

This project consists of two parts: Part 1 is focused on early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease employing MRI structural images. FreeSurfer software is used for image processing and segmentation. Clinical evidence is used for feature selection. Signal detection theory, artificial neural network and Bayesian network are all being employed for network training and disease causal prediction. An imaging biomarker is currently being on clinical trial for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Part 2 is on early neural development upon nutritional intervention in collaboration with Prof Bing Wang of Gulbali Institute using animal model. Study focus is on changes of brain’s morphology, metabolites and neural transmitters concentrations using T1, T2, DTI images and MR spectroscopy.

URL link to relevant journal articles or website:

1. Zheng, X. (2024). Detection of Alzheimer’s disease using hybrid meta-ROI of MRI structural images. Diagnostics, 14, 2203.

2. Zheng, X., Cawood, J., Hayre, C., Wang, S. (2023). Computer assisted diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease using statistical likelihood-ratio test. PLOS ONE, 18(2), e0279574.

Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting Dr Xiaoming Zheng

Nutraceuticals for protection against neurodegenerative diseases

Primary Supervisor: Dr Doaa Hanafy
Location: Wagga Wagga
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease, aging, cell culture, gene expression, neuroprotective, neurodegeneration, protein expression
Research Group: Food as Medicine Research Group

Synopsis:
Neurodegeneration is a major pathological feature of many disorders collectively known as neurodegenerative disorders that include, but not limited to, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease. Millions of people are affected by neurodegenerative disorders worldwide. AD is a multifactorial progressive disease characterised by cholinergic neuronal apoptotic death in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex in the brain responsible for memory, learning and cognition. Hence, a declining capacity to recall new information is one of the early signs of AD. Current pharmacotherapeutics are only palliative.

Plants and their secondary metabolites are a promising source for drug discovery for improving memory and cognitive performance. Hence, the search for natural neuroprotective agents targeting the factors that lead to AD development, such as oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, accumulation of abnormal proteins, is essential. A number of cell-free and enzyme inhibition assays along with cell culture-based assays are utilised. In addition, real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis are carried out to determine the effect on the gene and protein expressions of the signalling pathways implicated in the disease.

Relevant publications

Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting Dr Doaa Hanafy

Early detection and intervention of neurodegenerative disorders

Primary Supervisor: Dr Shaoyu (Shaun) Wang
Location: Orange/Flexible
Keywords: neuroscience, neurodegenerative disorders, early detection, intervention
Research Group: Ageing Well Research Group

Synopsis:
A major interest of my research group is to detect the earliest possible changes from normal ageing processes towards the neurodegenerative diseases. My group developed a precursor hypothesis: In the progression of the (brain) ageing to neurodegenerative disorders, there exists a precursor state/window. The pathological changes occurring in this window is reversible, thus providing an opportunity to intervene or stop this pathological progression. The diminishing cognitive reserve is seen as a basic property of the precursor state.

Aims: to assess the cognitive reserves of rural populations residing in regional and rural NSW. We hypothesise that there is a wide range of cognitive reserves across different age groups and between individuals of the same age group. We will use tools/instruments to measure cognitive reserves in a cross-sectional design. We anticipate that the findings of the project will shed light on how the modifiable factors and demographic characteristics of the population are associated with cognitive reserves.

Interested? Start the conversation here by contacting Dr Shaoyu (Shaun) Wang