A New Map of the Human Cerebral Cortex to assist the Interpretation of fMRI and PET Studies [ 2008 - 2009 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof George Paxinos (Principal investigator) ,  Prof Charles Watson

Brief description The cortex is the brain structure most intimately involved in cognition, motivation and emotion. It is thought to be the principal area affected in diseases such as schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease. An enormous and costly effort is expended in functional neuroimaging with PET and fMRI to establish the relation between cortical regions and neurologic and psychiatric dysfunction. Unfortunately due to the unavailability of an accurate map of the human cortex, the researcher is left only with crude estimates of the location of normal and abnormal cortical activity. Further, there is limited ability to relate the human data to the wealth of knowledge available on non-human primate brains. Conversely, researchers using animal models of human cortical pathology cannot readily relate their data to humans because the similarities between the brains of experimental animals and humans have not yet been comprehensively established. The present project will establish the similarities between the cortex of humans and rhesus monkeys. By revealing comprehensively the location of cortical areas this project will provide the context within which hypotheses of cortical function and dysfunction can be tested. The applicants were the first to use the distribution of chemical substances in the brain to construct a comprehensive map of the rat brain. This work is the only Australian publication ranked amongst the 50 most cited items in the history of science. They wish to apply similar techniques to study the least understood part of the human brain, the cortex. The research proposed herein will not examine human tissue from individuals who suffered from depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, or Parkinson's disease. However, the outcomes of the proposed research will be of assistance to virtually everyone who studies the relation between these diseases and the brain.

Funding Amount $AUD 264,307.38

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant