A Randomised Controlled Trial Of NMDA Antagonist, Memantine, For The Treatment Of Borderline Personality Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$993,067.00
Summary
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) affects 5.9% of Australians and is a poorly understood mental illness with no clear medication treatment. The key symptoms of BPD all stem from impaired cognitive processes. Our early data shows improvement of symptoms with memantine - a cognitive enhancing drug used in Alzheimer’s disease.We plan to conduct a clinical trial; giving either 20mg memantine or placebo to 150 people with BPD across 2 Victorian sites.
Dopamine-2 Receptor Antibody In Movement And Psychiatric Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,783.00
Summary
Autoimmune movement and psychiatric disorders are a common cause of neurological disability young adults and adolescents. We have identified a subgroup of patients whose disease is associated with an autoimmune reaction. Our study will identify the earliest immune responses against the brain in children with autoimmune movement and psychiatric disorders. Identifying these early immune responses will allow early and directed treatments to prevent disability and death in the future.
Multivariate Whole Genome Estimation And Prediction Analysis Of Genomics Data Applied To Psychiatric Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$639,582.00
Summary
We have made major contributions to the development of statistical methods applied to data from the international Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Major new data sets will soon become available, with immense sample sizes (100,000s) and more extensive clinical and environmental data. We will develop and apply novel statistical analyses of these data, to answer fundamental questions about the genetic basis of psychiatric disorders and the interplay of genetic and environmental risk factors.
Epigenetic Impacts Of Paternal Experience On Offspring Anxiety And Cognition: Molecular Mediators And Therapeutic Targets
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$681,162.00
Summary
Stress and physical activity are two of the major lifestyle factors impacting on human health, including brain disorders. We have recently discovered that stress and exercise in male mice can impact the phenotype of offspring. We will study molecules in the sperm of these fathers, and in the brains of offspring to understand the mechanisms involved. There is evidence that lifestyle factors in men prior to conception impact on their children and this research has major public health implications.
Inflammatory Cytokines As Risk Factors For The Development Of Both Depression And Osteoporosis In Men
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$381,091.00
Summary
Both depression and osteoporosis impose a substantial public health burden on society and there is now research to suggest that these conditions are related. This study will examine a potential common mechanism, systemic inflammation, which may underlie both diseases. It will focus on markers of systemic inflammation, examine their association to both depression and bone fragility and determine what role they play in explaining the relationship between the disorders.
Novel Epidemiological Methods To Infer The Causal Effects Of Risk Factors On Neuropsychiatric And Cardiovascular Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$182,003.00
Summary
Epidemiological studies, which associate risk factors and disease, are central in informing public health policy. Because causality is difficult to ascertain from these associations, public health interventions based on these findings are at some risk of failure. We propose to develop, extend and apply an innovative epidemiological approach, Mendelian randomization (MR) to resolve the causal relationship between risk factors and neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular disorders.
Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) And Osteoporosis: Mechanisms And Clinical Consequences
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$422,964.00
Summary
Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to treat depression. Serotonin is not unique to the brain but is also used by other cells in the body, including bone cells. In this project the influence of SSRIs on human osteoclast and osteoblast formation and function will be investigated in a laboratory. Additionally, the impact of SSRI use on bone loss and fracture risk in a community sample of women and men will be investigated. These studies will determine if exposure to ....Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly used to treat depression. Serotonin is not unique to the brain but is also used by other cells in the body, including bone cells. In this project the influence of SSRIs on human osteoclast and osteoblast formation and function will be investigated in a laboratory. Additionally, the impact of SSRI use on bone loss and fracture risk in a community sample of women and men will be investigated. These studies will determine if exposure to SSRIs adversely impact bone health.Read moreRead less
Statistical Analyses Of Whole Genome Genotype Data To Better Understand Psychiatric Disorders
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$543,755.00
Summary
Until now, determining an overlapping genetic aetiology between disorders, required large study cohorts of family records. Here we will use genome-wide genotypes available on independent case-control samples to estimate a shared genetic aetiology directly from the molecular data. In this way we will explore previously intractable questions, such as the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis in people with schizophrenia, a well-recognised epidemiological puzzle.
It is widely accepted that just under half of all people with bipolar disorder have a chronic physical illness. The one neglected comorbidity is osteoporosis. In this project, the association between bipolar disorder and bone fragility will be examined. Additionally, a potential common mechanism, systemic inflammation, which may underlie both diseases, will be investigated as a potential mediator of the relationship.
N-ACETYL CYSTEINE IN THE ADJUNCTIVE TREATMENT OF OBSESSIVE COMPUSLIVE DISORDER: A 16-week, Double-Blind, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$850,448.00
Summary
The aim of our proposed study, is investigate the efficacy and safety of adjunctive N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), an amino-acid based agent in the treatment of 200 adults with diagnosed OCD. The study proposed is a 16-week, doubled-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial. If NAC is found to be effective in this study, the treatment of OCD will be strongly influenced, resulting in global impact for the potential alleviation of suffering for those with the mental disorder.