Successful Ageing In Older Men – Thriving Not Just Surviving In The Health In Men Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$628,810.00
Summary
Despite “Ageing well, ageing productively” being listed as a research priority, we still do not know what factors increase the ability for people to live a healthy old age, particularly as they enter their older years. Studies suggest that factors in late life have quite different effects on both survival and the major causes of illness. This application will use a large group of older men who have already been followed for 15 years to determine what increases the chance of successful ageing.
Modifying Cognitive Trajectories Using Computerised Cognitive Training
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$72,768.00
Summary
The "Use it or lose it" principal is highly applicable in cognition functions, particularly with ageing. This project aims to use an intervention that promotes active brain processes and function to protect and preserve it from deterioration. The effect of this dementia-prevention strategy and results will help fill gaps in the current body of knowledge, and will allow the prescription of individualised treatment by showing the mechanisms by which this intervention works to improve cognition.
Functional Genomics Approach To Extend Lifespan While Preventing Age-related Cognitive Decline
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$772,600.00
Summary
In our ageing population, preventing age-related neurological decline is one of the central medical challenges of the 21st century. Here we use human population data obtained from people who reached 90 years of age free of any disease, or patients who suffer from dementia, combined with functional genomics studies in animals to pinpoint new genes that can be targeted to extend lifespan while preserving neurological function in these extended years of life.
What Can Tau Deposition Tell Us About The Appearance Of Subjective And Objective Cognitive Decline In Older Adults?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$674,077.00
Summary
Subjective memory concerns are common in older adults, but it is uncertain how they relate to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers. Novel neuroimaging techniques have been developed for measuring tau deposition, a hallmark feature of AD. Using this technique, I aim to determine whether tau is sensitive to certain types of subjective concerns. My findings will reveal which concerns are indicative of AD risk, and which arise from unrelated factors, such as inattention or stress.
Ageing And Dementia In Aboriginal Australians: Promoting Vitality, Identifying Decline And Supporting Communities
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$603,411.00
Summary
Dementia is a growing concern and burden on communities for Aboriginal Australians. This fellowship will develop effective, culturally appropriate, and accessible strategies to promote healthy brain ageing and prevent dementia in Aboriginal communities. It will also investigate better ways to assess memory and thinking in this population, in order to identify changes as early as possible for enhanced dementia research and treatment prospects.
TDP-43 In The Population In Relation To Dementia: Relationships With Clinical Symptomatology And Other Key Neuropathologies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$235,002.00
Summary
There are over a quarter of a million people with dementia in Australia, and this figure will rise. We still do not understand what goes wrong within the brain to give rise to dementia. This project will assess a new pathology within the brain in relation to late life dementia and the aging process. Results will improve diagnostic tools for dementia and treatments.
Research To Reduce Cognitive Decline And Optimise Ageing Well
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$753,300.00
Summary
My research program will deliver research outcomes that will improve the quality of life for older Australians, increase the life-span spent in productivity (as opposed to dependency) and reduce health-care costs. I will conduct interventions to improve the skill of older drivers so they can remain independent, and interventions to reduce cognitive decline and risk of dementia. My work will provide information and interventions for middle-aged and older adults, enabling them to age well.
There are currently no drugs available to prevent or slow deterioration in Alzheimer’s disease – which is a major incurable dementia. Our recent findings demonstrate that high brain iron levels worsen brain performance and cause people to develop Alzheimer’s disease at an earlier point in time. We propose a clinical trial of deferiprone, a drug that lowers brain iron levels, to determine if this would slow deterioration in Alzheimer’s disease once it is first detected.
In Vivo Tau Imaging In Alzheimer’s Disease And Other Dementias
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$538,998.00
Summary
Alteration of the normal protein tau leads to its deposition inside the brain cells leading to their death. These deposits have been well characterized and they are associated with cognitive impairment. We propose to study tau deposits in vivo in humans using positron emission tomography (PET) and assess its association with cognition and other signs of neurodegeneration