Finding Clinical Predictors For The Underlying Pathology In Different Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) Syndromes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$136,593.00
Summary
Due to the ageing population in Australia it is predicted that the prevalence of dementia will increase four-fold by 2050. Developing disease-modifying therapies for dementia is therefore a priority, however we also need to be able to accurately identify patients for whom these therapies will be beneficial. Here we will develop strategies for identifying patients with particular protein abnormalities in their brain, the substrate of most therapeutic interventions.
Diagnostic And Prognostic Evaluation Of Diffusion Tensor Imaging And Cognitive Function After Traumatic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$874,404.00
Summary
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a common cause of brain damage, leading to a variety of disabling cognitive problems. This study will evaluate the ability of new brain imaging techniques and cognitive tests to detect previously undiagnosed brain damage and to predict patient outcome following TBI in order to improve the health care and treatment of these patients. It will also examine the contribution of other factors (eg. injury type, age, pre-injury cognitive ability) to outcome.
Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic arthritis which causes severe back and joint pain in young men and women. It can be difficult to diagnose as it takes years to show up on x-ray, and by then the joints are already damaged. This study looks at new ways to diagnose people with AS much earlier, which will allow earlier treatment and better outcomes. The study will also look at the role of lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity which might impact on AS.
Does Coeliac Disease Cause Ataxia Or Cognitive Impairment?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$606,013.00
Summary
Coeliac disease (CD) is due to an allergy to a protein (gluten) found in wheat, barley and rye. It classically causes disease of the small bowel, resulting in impaired absorption of important nutrients, and is treated by a restrictive diet eliminating foods containing extracts of these grains. However, it has recently been found that CD is much commoner than previously thought (about 1 in 100-200), and often causes only non-specific symptoms. Two important conditions linked to CD by some, but no ....Coeliac disease (CD) is due to an allergy to a protein (gluten) found in wheat, barley and rye. It classically causes disease of the small bowel, resulting in impaired absorption of important nutrients, and is treated by a restrictive diet eliminating foods containing extracts of these grains. However, it has recently been found that CD is much commoner than previously thought (about 1 in 100-200), and often causes only non-specific symptoms. Two important conditions linked to CD by some, but not all, researchers are ataxia (incoordination) and impairment of thinking and memory. The problem is that many normal people (12% of the population) have antibodies to gluten, so that studies suggesting that sensitivity to gluten, as determined by the presence of antibodies, causes these brain disorders are not conclusive. That is, this could be a chance association. Furthermore, there is some evidence that damage to the coordination part of the brain (the cerebellum) from other causes may also cause antibodies to gluten. It is quite possible that antibodies to the cerebellum can cross-react with gluten, and vice versa. In this case, treating patients with ataxia and antibodies to gluten with the restrictive diet may be treating the result rather than the cause of the disorder. This project will study patients with CD (proven on small bowel biopsy) with sensitive, objective methods, including MRI, electronic measures of coordination, and psychological tests of thinking and memory, to see whether CD really is associated with these two problems. It will also study coordination and brain structure in a mouse model of CD. If the associations are proven, all patients with these disorders will need to be tested for CD, and treated with the restrictive diet if found to be positive. If not, clinicians will be confident that testing for anti-gluten antibodies would be irrelevant and misleading in these two situations.Read moreRead less
Improved Identification Of At-risk Brain Tissue In Patients With Stroke
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$279,044.00
Summary
Stroke is one of the most frequent causes of death and the major cause of adult neurological disability. Diagnostic tools to improve its management are therefore crucial. This project is dedicated to improving the magnetic resonance imaging techniques for measuring blood flow to the brain, and to applying these to patients who have had a stroke. Improved methods will enable better prediction of tissue outcome following stroke, thus enabling optimal early management decisions to be taken.