Digital Commons Network^™

Developing A Mechanistic Understanding Of Crossmodal Reorganization Following Sensory Loss, Brainscan, Western University, Blake E. Butler, Brian Allman, Ravi Menon

Project Summaries

Our long-term goal is to understand how plasticity reshapes circuits in the brain in response to atypical early experiences. This will allow us to better understand how the Deaf brain processes the world around us, and will make clear the challenges that must be overcome to optimize the function of cochlear implants and prostheses designed to restore sensory functions more broadly.

Imaging Fetal Brain Connectivity In High Risk Pregnancy, Brainscan, Western University, Sandrine De Ribaupierre, Barbara De Vrijer, Charles Mckenzie, Roy Eagleson, Simon Levin, Jacqueline Olgivie

Project Summaries

Our hypothesis is that differences in the regional connectivity within the fetal brain (the structural and functional connections between regions of the brain) can be observed with fetal fMRI as early as in the second trimester of pregnancy.

If we can detect differences in an at-risk fetal brain and associate that with plancental and maternal data, we could recommend interventions, such as diet or medication changes, and then monitor the impact of treatment on the fetal brain.

Imaging Visually-Evoked Cortical Activity, Brainscan, Western University, Blake E. Butler, Stephen Lomber, Kyle Gilbert, Mathias Dietz

Project Summaries

This work will significantly inform our understanding of 'neural plasticity', the ability of the brain to respond and reorganize to environmental changes or following an injury or disorder. It is also our hope that the results of this program will inform the design of devices to restore hearing - it might enable tuning of those devices to restore sensory representations in the brain in a patient-specific manner. We believe this will significantly reduce the impact of cognitive disorders that arise as a result of abnormal perception both in children and in older adults.

Pet And Mri Measurements Of Neuroinflammation And Brain Plasticity After A Stroke, Brainscan , Western University, Jonathan Thiessen, Shawn Whitehead, Justin Hicks, Matthew Fox

Project Summaries

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.

Uncovering The Neural Basis Of Cognitive Impairment Following Hearing Loss: An All-Optical Electrophysiology Approach, Brainscan, Western University, Brian Allman, Wataru Inoue

Project Summaries

We have access to state-of-the-art equipment that will enable us to visualize specific neuron types in animal models. This is a new approach that combines several recent advances in the field of 'optogenetics', a technique that uses light to control neurons. This approach will allow us to explore how hearing loss induced by loud noise exposure leads to abnormal neural activity in areas of the brain that control learning, memory and higher cognitive function.

Somatosensory Microcircuits For Real-World Hand Function, Brainscan, Western University, Andrew Pruszynski, Julio Martinez-Trujillo, Stefan Everling, Brian Corneil, Vaishnavi Sukumar, Adam Hantman

Project Summaries

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.