Psychiatric disorders are associated with considerable social and economic burden which could be reduced if we understood mental health outcomes in high risk populations. This fellowship will use advanced brain imaging to understand the development of mental health disorders in those at high risk of bipolar disorder and dementia.
Kava For The Treatment Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A 16-Week Double-Blind RCT
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$680,489.00
Summary
Herbal medicines play a prominent role in traditional medicine to treat affective disorders (mood and anxiety disorders), however scientific studies are needed to truly assess their effectiveness. This clinical trial is examining the anxiolytic efficacy of Kava in treating chronic anxiety. As current response to antidepressant drugs can be inadequate, Kava may offer an additional affordable, safe, and effective option to reduce anxiety.
The Efficacy Of Adjunctive Garcinia Mangostana Linn. Pericarp For Bipolar Depression: A 24-week Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,227,272.00
Summary
Bipolar disorder, especially during episodes of depression, can be highly debilitating. There is scientific evidence now directing research towards new targets to produce new therapies for bipolar depression. The current study aims to utilise an entirely new agent made from the husk of the mangosteen fruit (mangosteen pericarp). Mangosteen pericarp has properties that we believe will assist in reducing symptoms for those with bipolar depression, when taken in addition to usual treatment.
Clinical And Neurobiological Predictors Of Onset Of Major Mental Disorders (mania, Psychosis, Severe Depression), And Associated Functional Impairment, In Adolescent And Young Adult Twins: A Prospective Longitudinal Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,356,103.00
Summary
The Brisbane Twin Study is a prospective twin study tracking the real-time developmental trajectories of the onset of anxiety, mood, psychotic or substance misuse disorders through adolescence and young adulthood. This unique study has now reached the point where reassessment (after 20 years) can be performed. We will now determine the extent to which outcomes are predicted by neurobiological and genetic markers. This information is critical to prevention or early intervention strategies.
Probing Neural Circuits Of Emotion With Ultrafast FMRI And Dynamic Natural Stimuli
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$306,012.00
Summary
Emotion is central to our everyday experience and forms the backbone of our social relationships. Our understanding on emotion, however, mostly relies on strictly controlled task designs, using highly simplified and/or artificial stimuli. In this project, we propose a new platform to study brain activity underlying natural emotional experience. The design and methodology developed in this proposal will provide fundamental outcomes for understanding emotion disturbances in mental disorders.
High-Throughput Screening Of The Genome And Proteome In Postmortem CNS From Subjects With Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$553,190.00
Summary
Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric illness that effects ~1% of the Australia population. The underlying pathology of the illness remains unknown. This application seeks funding to use new technologies to screen approximately 60% of the expressed human genome and proteome to determine which genes are being differentially expressed in two regions thought to be important in generating the symptoms of the illness, the frontal cortex and hippocampus. This project will generate a large amount of d ....Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric illness that effects ~1% of the Australia population. The underlying pathology of the illness remains unknown. This application seeks funding to use new technologies to screen approximately 60% of the expressed human genome and proteome to determine which genes are being differentially expressed in two regions thought to be important in generating the symptoms of the illness, the frontal cortex and hippocampus. This project will generate a large amount of data, however by comparing the data from subjects with schizophrenia to that from control subjects and subjects with bipolar disorder who were psychotic and being treated with antipsychotic drugs close to death will allow us to identify changes that are specific to schizophrenia. Genes that are expressing different levels of mRNA and protein will become prime targets for future investigations as they are likely to be central to the pathology of the illness.Read moreRead less
A Double-blind Placebo Controlled Trial Of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation In The Treatment Of Depression.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$366,775.00
Summary
Depression is a severe and often disabling illness that occurs frequently in the general population. Depression is a treatable illness and the majority of patients will respond to anti-depressant medication, a form of psychotherapy or a combination of these. However, a significant percentage of patients with depression fail to respond to these therapies and currently require electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This entails the complications and costs of multiple anaesthetics, memory impairment and ....Depression is a severe and often disabling illness that occurs frequently in the general population. Depression is a treatable illness and the majority of patients will respond to anti-depressant medication, a form of psychotherapy or a combination of these. However, a significant percentage of patients with depression fail to respond to these therapies and currently require electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This entails the complications and costs of multiple anaesthetics, memory impairment and substantial social stigma. Transcranial magnetic stimulation is being researched as a potential alternative for these patients. It is administered to patients who are awake and alert and appears to have fewer side effects. TMS uses the unique properties of a magnetic field to produce or disrupt electrical activity in superficial areas of the brain, targeted to the areas thought to be involved in the cause of depression. Our research study will compare the two most promising types of TMS with an inactive or placebo condition. This is important to establish that the effects of TMS arise from the actual stimulation and to investigate whether one of two types of TMS administered is superior. We will administer this treatment for between 2 and 4 weeks and assess the response. We anticipate that our research will contribute to the development of TMS as a treatment methodology for this important patient group. It is crucial that a new treatment be thoroughly evaluated prior to wide dissemination of it in clinical practice. We will help define the effectiveness of this treatment and the most appropriate way in which it can be administered.Read moreRead less