Functional neuroimaging and brain injury
Title: The relationship between traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease in a transgenic mouse model
Supervisors: Dr Fatima Nasrallah and Dr Rodrigo Medeiros
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered as one of the strongest epigenetic risk factors for developing dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s disease (AD). TBI has been shown to fastforward the onset of AD by more than 4 years on average and while it is unclear the mechanism by which TBI leads to early onset of AD symptoms and sever cognitive decline, a history of moderate TBI results in a 2.3 times greater risk of developing AD while a history of severe TBI results in a 4.5 times greater risk. To understand the underlying mechanism and link between TBI and AD, we will investigate molecular and immunohistochemical markers of AD, mainly neurofibrillary tau tangles, amyloid plaques, and neuroinflammatory markers in a ALZ17 transgenic mouse model following a TBI. The study will allow us to determine the role of neuroinflammation in the process following TBI and how much that has an effect on the tau and amyloid buildup in the brain in AD. The candidate for this project will learn various immunohistochemical and molecular wet lab methods and will also have the opportunity to learn data processing of magnetic resonance imaging data that is available for these cohort of mice.
Please email f.nasrallah@uq.edu.au for more information.
Resting state functional connectivity data supports detection of cognition in the rodent brain
Nasrallah, Fatima A., To, Xuan Vinh, Chen, Der-Yow, Routtenberg, Aryeh and Chuang, Kai-Hsiang (2016) Data in Brief, 7 1156-1164. doi:10.1016/j.dib.2016.03.041
Characterisation and evaluation of soft elastomeric actuators for hand assistive and rehabilitation applications
Yap, Hong Kai, Lim, Jeong Hoon, Nasrallah, Fatima, Cho Hong Goh, James and Yeow, Chen-Hua (2016) Journal of Medical Engineering and Technology, 40 4: 199-209. doi:10.3109/03091902.2016.1161853
GABAergic effect on resting-state functional connectivity: Dynamics under pharmacological antagonism.
Nasrallah FA, Singh KK, Yeow LY, Chuang KH. Neuroimage. 2017 Jan 21;149:53-62. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.01.040.
A Magnetic Resonance Compatible Soft Wearable Robotic Glove for Hand Rehabilitation and Brain Imaging.
Yap HK, Kamaldin N, Lim JH, Nasrallah F, Goh JC, Yeow CH. IEEE Trans Neural Syst Rehabil Eng. 2016 Aug 25. doi: 10.1109/TNSRE.2016.2602941.
Toluene inhalation in adolescent rats reduces flexible behaviour in adulthood and alters glutamatergic and GABAergic signalling.
Furlong TM, Duncan JR, Corbit LH, Rae CD, Rowlands BD, Maher AD, Nasrallah FA, Milligan CJ, Petrou S, Lawrence AJ, Balleine BW. J Neurochem. 2016 Dec;139(5):806-822. doi: 10.1111/jnc.13858.
Combining EPI and motion correction for fMRI human brain images with big motion.
Lu Z, Phua KS, Huang W, Hong X, Nasrallah FA, Chuang KH, Guan C. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2015;2015:5449-52. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2015.7319624.
Functional connectivity MRI tracks memory networks after maze learning in rodents.
Nasrallah FA, To XV, Chen DY, Routtenberg A, Chuang KH. Neuroimage. 2016 Feb 15;127:196-202. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.08.013.
Dependence of BOLD signal fluctuation on arterial blood CO2 and O2: Implication for resting-state functional connectivity.
Nasrallah FA, Yeow LY, Biswal B, Chuang KH. Neuroimage. 2015 Aug 15;117:29-39. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.05.035.
Pharmacokinetics of Gd(DO3A-Lys) and MR imaging studies in an orthotopic U87MG glioma Chandrasekharan P, Yang CT, Nasrallah FA, Tay HC, Chuang KH, Robins EG. Contrast Media Mol Imaging. 2015 May-Jun;10(3):237-44. doi: 10.1002/cmmi.1634.tumor model.
Metabolomic Approaches to Defining the Role(s) of GABAρ Receptors in the Brain.
Rae C, Nasrallah FA, Balcar VJ, Rowlands BD, Johnston GA, Hanrahan JR. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2015 Sep;10(3):445-56. doi: 10.1007/s11481-014-9579-4.
Pharmacological insight into neurotransmission origins of resting-state functional connectivity: α2-adrenergic agonist vs antagonist.
Nasrallah FA, Low SM, Lew SK, Chen K, Chuang KH. Neuroimage. 2014 Dec;103:364-73. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.09.004.
Ethanol, not detectably metabolized in brain, significantly reduces brain metabolism, probably via action at specific GABA(A) receptors and has measureable metabolic effects at very low concentrations.
Rae CD, Davidson JE, Maher AD, Rowlands BD, Kashem MA, Nasrallah FA, Rallapalli SK, Cook JM, Balcar VJ. J Neurochem. 2014 Apr;129(2):304-14. doi: 10.1111/jnc.12634.
Detection of functional connectivity in the resting mouse brain.
Nasrallah FA, Tay HC, Chuang KH. Neuroimage. 2014 Feb 1;86:417-24. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.10.025.
Neural correlate of resting-state functional connectivity under α2 adrenergic receptor agonist, medetomidine.
Nasrallah FA, Lew SK, Low AS, Chuang KH. Neuroimage. 2014 Jan 1;84:27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.08.004.
Imaging brain deoxyglucose uptake and metabolism by glucoCEST MRI.
Nasrallah FA, Pagès G, Kuchel PW, Golay X, Chuang KH. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2013 Aug;33(8):1270-8. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2013.79.
Metabolism, compartmentation, transport and production of acetate in the cortical brain tissue slice.
Rae C, Fekete AD, Kashem MA, Nasrallah FA, Bröer S. Neurochem Res. 2012 Nov;37(11):2541-53. doi: 10.1007/s11064-012-0847-5. Review.
Optimization of flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery (FAIR) for perfusion functional MRI of rodent brain.
Nasrallah FA, Lee EL, Chuang KH. NMR Biomed. 2012 Nov;25(11):1209-16. doi: 10.1002/nbm.2790.
Pharmacological modulation of functional connectivity: α2-adrenergic receptor agonist alters synchrony but not neural activation.
Nasrallah FA, Tan J, Chuang KH. Neuroimage. 2012 Mar;60(1):436-46. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.12.026.
Activity-dependent γ-aminobutyric acid release controls brain cortical tissue slice metabolism.
Nasrallah FA, Balcar VJ, Rae CD. J Neurosci Res. 2011 Dec;89(12):1935-45. doi: 10.1002/jnr.22649.
γ-Hydroxybutyrate and the GABAergic footprint: a metabolomic approach to unpicking the actions of GHB.
Nasrallah FA, Maher AD, Hanrahan JR, Balcar VJ, Rae CD. J Neurochem. 2010 Oct;115(1):58-67. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06901.x.
Now I know my ABC. A systems neurochemistry and functional metabolomic approach to understanding the GABAergic system.
Rae C, Nasrallah FA, Griffin JL, Balcar VJ. J Neurochem. 2009 May;109 Suppl 1:109-16. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2009.05803.x.
Metabolic effects of blocking lactate transport in brain cortical tissue slices using an inhibitor specific to MCT1 and MCT2.
Rae C, Nasrallah FA, Bröer S. Neurochem Res. 2009 Oct;34(10):1783-91. doi: 10.1007/s11064-009-9973-0.
Understanding your inhibitions: effects of GABA and GABAA receptor modulation on brain cortical metabolism.
Nasrallah FA, Griffin JL, Balcar VJ, Rae C. J Neurochem. 2009 Jan;108(1):57-71. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2008.05742.x.
Modulation of brain metabolism by very low concentrations of the commonly used drug delivery vehicle dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).
Nasrallah FA, Garner B, Ball GE, Rae C. J Neurosci Res. 2008 Jan;86(1):208-14.
Alanine metabolism, transport, and cycling in the brain.
Bröer S, Bröer A, Hansen JT, Bubb WA, Balcar VJ, Nasrallah FA, Garner B, Rae C. J Neurochem. 2007 Sep;102(6):1758-70.
Understanding your inhibitions: modulation of brain cortical metabolism by GABA(B) receptors.
Nasrallah FA, Griffin JL, Balcar VJ, Rae C. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2007 Aug;27(8):1510-20.
Exercise reverses cognitive decline in aged animals by growth hormone stimulation of neurogenesis in the hippocampus
(2017–2019) NHMRC Project Grant
MAIC QBI Senior Research Fellowship
(2015–2020) Motor Accident Insurance Commission