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  Characterizing auditory cortical receptive fields

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Ingrid Johnsrude; Alex Billig; Matthew A. Howard III; David Steven; and Jorge Burneo

  Through this research we have a unique opportunity to explore how auditory cortices respond to naturalistic stimuli and how that response changes with different tasks. This foundational work is critical if we are to understand abnormality in auditory cortices in disorders such as autism, specific language impairment, auditory processing disorders and prolonged auditory deprivation (due to hearing loss).

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  System-wide electrophysiological assessment of hearing

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Ingrid Johnsrude; Björn Herrman; and Chris Allen

  The current work proposes to develop and evaluate an electrophysiological recording setup capable of assessing neural function at all levels of the auditory neural pathway, including hair cells, auditory nerve fibers, brainstem and cortex. We will then test the neural responses across those levels of the auditory pathway in younger and older people.

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  The effect of musical training on speech and sound perception

  BrainsCAN, Western University; Ingrid Johnsrude; Vanessa Irsik; and Stephen Van Hedger

  We are going to carry out such a study, in conjunction with research labs at five other institutions. With six universities involved, we will be able to recruit a sufficiently large number of people in the study and decrease the likelihood of any regional bias influencing the outcomes. We will be trying to validate the following claims:

  • that musicians have an improved ability to understand speech in noisy environments
  • that the responses of a musician's brainstem to speech sounds is enhanced, and
  • that older musicians have reduced symptoms from age-related hearing loss.

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  Developing behavioural testing and MR imaging to evaluate cognitive impairment in models of CNS autoimmunity

  BrainsCAN, Western University; Steven Kerfoot; Sarah Morrow; Ravi Menon; and Flavio Beraldo

  This project will investigate cognition and cognitive fatigue in models of CNS autoimmunity. We will use automated touchscreens and fMRI to measure deficits in higher order brain functions.

  We have two critical milestones in this project:

  • to use touchscreen testing protocols to determine if mouse models demonstrate the same kinds of attention, working memory and cognitive fatigue deficits observed in MS, and
  • to use fMRI to measure higher-order defects in the autoimmune models and identify any changes present that might be associated with cognitive dysfunction and the findings from human studies.

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  Diffusion MRI modelling of the cortex informed by macro- and myelo-architecture

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Ali Khan; and Corey Baron

  The overall goal of this transformative program is to develop novel imaging and analysis techniques for evaluating cortical architecture, providing a means to characterize and quantify structural features that have been invisible to MRI until now.

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  Development of fMRI compatible reversible deactivation to examine cerebral networks

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Stephen Lomber; Blake Butler; Stefan Everling; and Blaine Chronik

  This study will permit us, for the first time, to examine the effects of deactivation of one cortical site on large-scale neural networks. It will permit neural networks to be functionally disassembled and the consequences of 'reversible' lesions, strokes or tumors to be assessed and modeled before they occur.

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  Relating functional and structural signatures of Parkinson’s disease to changes in dopamine signalling: A PET/fMRI study

  BrainsCAN . Western University, Penny MacDonald, Udunna Anazodo, Justin Hicks, Frank Prato, and Alain Dagher

  Cognitive impairments in early Parkinson's disease are known to be linked to complex changes in the dopamine system within the brain. For example, dopamine-producing neurons in one key region of the brain are significantly degenerated, but those in another are spared. Dopamine-replacement therapy (DRT) has been pursued and it has produced significant improvements in certain cognitive functions - unfortunately it also produced significant impairments in others.

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  Investigating VTA, SNc and dopamine projections in the brain using MRI

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Penny MacDonald; Ali Khan; Adrian Owen; and Ravi Menon

  By using a multi-modal imaging approach - combining a number of different imaging techniques - we will seek to understand the dopaminergic pathways of the brain. While all neurons depend on neurotransmitters such as dopamine to communicate (since neurotransmitters are responsible for transmitting signals between neurons in the brain), very few neurons actually produce dopamine.

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  The role of the basolateral amygdala in gaze avoidance behaviour

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Julio Martinez-Trujillo; Lena Palaniyappan; and Robert Nicolson

  We are researching the neural circuits involved in human social interactions and how they are affected during mental disease, in particular the circuits involved in the pattern of eye movements (known as gaze behaviour) in social settings.

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  Protecting against hemodialysis induced neuro-cognitive injury

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Chris McIntyre; and Adrian Owen 6612111

  Patients requiring dialysis for kidney failure have poorer survival rates than many kinds of cancer and they suffer very high rates of cardiovascular mortality. One of the near-universal symptoms of hemodialysis (HD), where a patient's blood is filtered externally with a dialysis machine, is cognitive impairment. We have already demonstrated that cooling the washing fluid in the dialysis machine, known as dialysate, can help maintain blood pressure during dialysis and protect against further brain injury.

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  The impact of violent gaming on the brain as a function of individual differences in trait empathy

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Derek Mitchell; Elizabeth Finger; and Richard Neufeld

  In this project, we will uncover any existing interaction between violent media and the capacity for empathic reactions (known as trait empathy) at a neural level, as the foundational milestone for the kind of large-scale study discussed above.

  The level of trait empathy varies by individual - we will explore whether exposure to violent media exacerbates the difficulties that those with low trait empathy already show in relating to the emotions of others

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  Recording neuronal activity using miniscopes

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Marco Prado; Sylvian Williams; Vania Prado; and Salah El Mestikawy

  Our overarching goal is to understand how the striatum can select between competing options to favor goal-directed behaviors or the establishment of habitual control. This will provide fundamental and transformational insights into the regulation of cognitive functions by co-transmission.

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  Role of microglia signaling in brain circuit development and cognition

  BrainsCAN, Western University; Vania Prado; Marco Prado; and Wataru Inoue

  We have generated two mouse models in which we can control the Gq and Gisignalling in microglia during specific periods of brain development so we can explore the mechanisms behind abnormal microglial function.

  Using our mouse models, we can stimulate these signalling pathways during the critical period of postnatal brain development to understand whether they impact adult cognition by influencing normal synaptic pruning. Mouse models of autism show issues with social memory, attention, sociability and hyperactivity. We will therefore assess those behaviors in our mouse models to determine if any autism-like behaviours are present.

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  Somatosensory microcircuits for real-world hand function

  BrainsCAN, Western University; Andrew Pruszynski; Julio Martinez-Trujillo; Stefan Everling; Brian Corneil; Vaishnavi Sukumar; and Adam Hantman

  Two-photon calcium imaging is already well-established in flies, fish and rodents, and is providing truly revolutionary insight into the neural basis of animal behaviour. Our critical foundational milestone is applying two-photon microscopy to NHP subjects while performing hand function tasks, given their higher brain complexity and translation potential to the human brain.

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  Growing new dendritic spines to correct cognitive deficits of schizophrenia

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Nagalingam Rajakumar; Brian Allman; and Wataru Inoue

  In this project, we will attempt to re-grow functional dendritic spines in an animal model of schizophrenia for the first time. By re-growing dendritic spines, we intend to restore glutamatergic neurotransmission and improve cognition.

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  The impact of maternal immune activation on fetal brain development

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Stephen Renaud; and Susanne Schmid

  We will be studying the contribution of two distinct immune cell subtypes to fetal brain development: the mother's main immune cells present in the uterus (known as uterine natural killer cells), and the fetal brain's main immune cells (fetal microglial cells).

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  Establishing a translational platform for studying sensory processing in neurodevelopmental disorders

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Susanne Schmid; Brian Allman; Ryan Stevenson; and Janis Cardy

  The causes for ASD and DLD are many, complex and largely unknown. One specific cause already identified is mutation of a single gene essential for neuronal development. A useful transgenic rat model has been developed with this mutation that exhibits disabilities very reminiscient of children with ASD or DLD. We will use it to demonstrate that the same tests can show the same disruptions to the auditory system between children with ASD/DLD and this rat model. This model can then be used to undertake further exploration of the impact of ASD/DLD on the auditory system and evaluation of possible behavioural and pharmacological interventions.

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  Communicating with patients with disorders of consciousness by translating thoughts into light

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Keith St. Lawrence; Adrian Owen; Derek Debicki; Teneille Gofton; and Daniel Milej

  we intend to show, for the first time, that fNIRS can be used to reliably communicate with disorders of consciousness patients. There are many practical challenges to resolve (which are common to both fNIRS and EEG) such as involuntary movements by the patient, variability in consciousness itself, physical distortion in the head (such as from trauma) and a person's limited ability to perform repetitive mental tasks.

  We will focus on patients who have already demonstrated by fMRI that they can perform motor imagery activation and plan to study up to 20 such patients over the course of a year.

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  PET and MRI measurements of neuroinflammation and brain plasticity after a stroke

  BrainsCAN , Western University; Jonathan Thiessen; Shawn Whitehead; Justin Hicks; and Matthew Fox

  We are going to assess brain structure and function using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) to study white matter inflammation and the density of synapses over time, alongside a behavioural assessment of motor and executive function. This kind of comprehensive assessment, especially using PET to measure synaptic density, has not been done before.