How well people perform in everyday situations is often determined by memory function. When required to perform under stress memory performance is often affected. The effect of a psychological stress test on memory function in healthy volunteers and the ability of a dietary supplement, tyrosine, to prevent the effects will be studied. The data may suggest that depletion amino acids is responsible for the decrements in performance that are evident after an acute stressor.
I have discovered particular factors produced by our white blood cells have the ability to shut down or boost protein production in the gut, pancreas and lung. My vision is to harness these to devise new strategies for treatments for infectious and non-infectious diseases (inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes) that have a high burden on our healthcare system.
Central Control Of Stress-induced Changes In Immune Function.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$411,724.00
Summary
LONG-TERM STRESS CAN ALTER OUR BRAIN'S ATTEMPTS TO FIGHT INFECTION Long-term stress is often blamed for causing illness but precisely how this occurs is now only beginning to be realised. It is especially disturbing that long-term stress can increase one's susceptibility to infections. Stress can alter the way our brain can help deal with assaults by bacteria and viruses. Normally, at the start of an infection, we release a hormone called cortisol from our adrenal glands. A low level of cortisol ....LONG-TERM STRESS CAN ALTER OUR BRAIN'S ATTEMPTS TO FIGHT INFECTION Long-term stress is often blamed for causing illness but precisely how this occurs is now only beginning to be realised. It is especially disturbing that long-term stress can increase one's susceptibility to infections. Stress can alter the way our brain can help deal with assaults by bacteria and viruses. Normally, at the start of an infection, we release a hormone called cortisol from our adrenal glands. A low level of cortisol in our body is beneficial because it can prevent the infection from taking hold in our body and spreading. However if we are chronically stressed our brains tell the adrenal glands to secrete excessive amounts of cortisol over long periods of time and this imbalance can actually hinder the ability of one's immune system to fight an infection. The unfortunate consequence is that the infection is more likely to win the battle and spread to cause further havoc. The present study will identify which areas of the brain are important in driving the secretion of cortisol during infection and how long-term stress can influence those areas. Because we might be exposed to long-term psychological stress that is repeated regularly or irregularly we will determine which pattern of stress has the greatest effect. An investigation into how the brain operates during long-term stress and infection will help us develop ways to prevent stress from disrupting our immune systems.Read moreRead less
Chronic or extreme reactions to stress can lead to pathological conditions such as long term anxiety states, depression and panic disorders. Stress related disease also contributes to other major health problems such as heart disease and disorders of the immune system. These disease states include some of the major medical problems of our times. This proposal is to define genes which may be involved in stress responsiveness, to further understand and treat stress related disease.
THE EFFECT OF STRESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT ON DISEASE PROGRESSION IN MESIAL TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$578,201.00
Summary
Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, the most common form of drug-resistant epilepsy in adults, is a progressive neurodegenerative condition for which there is currently no effective disease modifying treatment. This proposal will explore whether co-morbid stress accelerates disease progression in MTLE, and whether targeting stress pathways by medical and environmental manipulations can mitigate against this.
The Phenomenology And Treatment Of Emotion Dysregulation In Traumatized Refugees
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$309,558.00
Summary
Refugee mental health is a crucial public health concern in Australia, however little is known about how to treat psychological disorders in refugees. While difficulty regulating emotions has been strongly linked to mental health problems following trauma, no research has studied this in refugees. This research program uses qualitative, quantitative and experimental methods to test a model of emotion dysregulation in refugees, and evaluates the impact of a treatment designed to improve emotion r ....Refugee mental health is a crucial public health concern in Australia, however little is known about how to treat psychological disorders in refugees. While difficulty regulating emotions has been strongly linked to mental health problems following trauma, no research has studied this in refugees. This research program uses qualitative, quantitative and experimental methods to test a model of emotion dysregulation in refugees, and evaluates the impact of a treatment designed to improve emotion regulation and general mental health in refugees.Read moreRead less
Cardiovascular Responses To Stress And Arousal: Hypothalamic And Brainstem Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$566,468.00
Summary
Stressful episodes in everyday life cause increases in blood pressure, mainly via activation of nerves that constrict blood vessels and increase heart rate. This in turn increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, or other cardiovascular diseases. This project aims to identify the brain mechanisms that cause these stress-evoked effects. This knowledge may lead to much more effective ways of minimising stress-evoked responses, and thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular disorders.
Sex Differences In The Mechanisms By Which Stress Inhibits The Secretion And Actions Of GnRH
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,055.00
Summary
It is well known that stress can impair reproduction in humans and animals but it is not understood how this occurs. Consequently there are no therapies available to overcome the detrimental effects of stress on reproduction. Stress can take many forms, such as psychological stress, surgical trauma, strenuous exercise, undernutrition, all of which may inhibit reproduction. We now know that males and females respond differently to stress and we have shown that stress is also likely to have differ ....It is well known that stress can impair reproduction in humans and animals but it is not understood how this occurs. Consequently there are no therapies available to overcome the detrimental effects of stress on reproduction. Stress can take many forms, such as psychological stress, surgical trauma, strenuous exercise, undernutrition, all of which may inhibit reproduction. We now know that males and females respond differently to stress and we have shown that stress is also likely to have different effects on reproduction in males and females. In this project we aim to determine how stress impairs reproduction in males and females. A major effect of stress appears to be to inhibit the secretion of a substance produced by the brain that is necessary for the regulation of reproduction. This substance is called gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) and it acts on a small gland at the base of the brain to cause the release of hormones that are essential for reproduction in both males and females. It is also possible that stress may inhibit the actions of GnRH. Our research suggests that there may be differences between males and females in the extent to which stress inhibits the secretion of GnRH from the brain and its actions to cause the release of other reproductive hormones. In this project we will determine how stress acts in the brain to affect the secretion and actions of GnRH in males and females. Our research will make a major contribution to our knowledge of the way that stress inhibits reproduction in males and females. This information is essential in order to develop specific remedies to overcome reproductive disorders caused by stress and to improve reproductive health in both sexes.Read moreRead less