Preconception Predictors Of Health, Behaviour And Emotional Adjustment At Seven Years
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,170,830.00
Summary
An understanding of the importance of a healthy start to life has underpinned major health policies including Australia’s National Agenda for Early Childhood. The capacity of parents to provide that healthy start has received little study. The present project investigates the extent to which parental lifestyle, social and emotional adjustment prior to conception predictor emotional problems, disruptive behaviour and health in their children at seven years.
Modulation Of Feeding Through Pharmacological Targeting Of The Relaxin-3 Receptor RXFP3
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$584,955.00
Summary
Relaxin-3 is a neuropeptide that regulates a number of physiological processes, including food intake, suggesting that the relaxin-3 receptor RXFP3 may be a new target for treatment of eating disorders such as obesity. This project will develop new selective and high-affinity ligands for RXFP3, which will be critical pharmacological tools for the preclinical studies and evaluation of this system.
Antipsychotic Medication In First-episode Psychosis: An RCT To Assess The Risk-benefit Ratio
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,141,117.00
Summary
There has been an increasing emphasis on intervening early in psychotic disorders. A fundamental principle in early intervention is “to do no harm” and benefits must outweigh the risks of treatment. While antipsychotic medication is very effective and evidence-based form of treatment for positive symptoms in most first episode psychosis (FEP) patients it has risks. This study has the potential to determine whether antipsychotic medication should be the initial treatment option for FEP.
Structural Studies On Human Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,902.00
Summary
Mental health problems are a global issue and are subject to ongoing medical research. We study glutamic acid decarboxylase, a key enzyme responsible for the synthesis of a prominent and abundant neurotransmitter called GABA. GABA is crucial in controlling neuronal responses and facilitating new interconnections between neurones. Lacking GABA is related to epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and post-traumatic stress. Our study is important for development of new ways to improve the supply of GABA in ....Mental health problems are a global issue and are subject to ongoing medical research. We study glutamic acid decarboxylase, a key enzyme responsible for the synthesis of a prominent and abundant neurotransmitter called GABA. GABA is crucial in controlling neuronal responses and facilitating new interconnections between neurones. Lacking GABA is related to epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and post-traumatic stress. Our study is important for development of new ways to improve the supply of GABA in the brain.Read moreRead less
The Older Australian Twins Study (OATS) Of Healthy Brain Ageing And Age-related Neurocognitive Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$940,960.00
Summary
Ageing is associated with cognitive decline and dementia. It is still not completely understood what relative contributions genes and environment play in these. This project is an extension of the Older Australian Twins Study to examine genetic and environmental factors associated with late life brain changes and dementia, and will establish an internationally significant cohort for novel discovery.
Rates Of Psychosis Onset In A High Risk Population
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$310,359.00
Summary
Older studies of people at risk of schizophrenia found that about 35% of them developed psychosis within 1 year. However the risk has decreased lately to as low as 10%. They may still become psychotic but take longer to do so, or they may not develop psychosis at all. We need to study this so that those not “at risk” are not needlessly treated. We will follow up “at risk” people and determine their 6 year outcome. We will do scans to see if there are any brain changes associated with psychosis.
Tailoring A Brief Sleep Intervention For Autism: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$401,475.00
Summary
Up to 86% of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience behavioural sleep problems which have been shown to be associated with increased core ASD symptoms, increased rates of internalizing and externalizing disorders, and increased parental stress. The “Sleeping Sound” study is a novel behavioural sleep intervention that has shown much promise as a treatment to reduce sleep problems and improve mental health outcomes in children with ASD.
Examining The Impact Of Language Reclamation On Social And Emotional Well Being Among The Barngarla
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,111,633.00
Summary
Indigenous Australians are at high risk of experiencing mental illness. For many, it is the loss of land, culture, and identity that are causes of ill health. The Barngarla people of South Australia seek to reclaim their language due to its potential reinvigorating cultural identity and wellbeing. This offers a unique opportunity to document the links between language reclamation and wellness in Aboriginal people for the first time.
The R2C Program: A Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Telephone-based Intervention For Alcohol Misuse
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$727,611.00
Summary
Despite high rates of problem drinking in Australia, few seek help due to stigma and a range of other barriers. In this project, we will conduct a randomised controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of a standalone telephone-delivered intervention, incorporating low-cost, structured, and integrated psychosocial support, to reduce harmful alcohol use and associated psychological morbidity in non-treatment-seeking problem drinkers.
Does The Treatment Of Anxiety In Children With ADHD Improve Outcomes? A Large-scale Randomised Controlled Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$854,630.00
Summary
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects 5% of Australian children. Up to 64% of children with ADHD experience impairing anxiety, which is associated with higher levels of ADHD symptoms and poorer quality of life. This randomised controlled trial will determine whether treating anxiety in children with ADHD improves outcomes.