Fighting Mental Disorders: Using Mental Imagery To Disarm Symptoms And Enhance Treatment.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,218.00
Summary
This proposal will conduct the first pre-clinical and clinical research utilising mental imagery to disarm symptoms and enhance treatment of multiple mental disorders by controlling the strength of mental imagery. This fellowship represents the first attempt to alleviate symptoms by developing a cognitive-neuroscience method to control the strength of traumatic imagery and to show a causative means of enhancing imagery strength to boost the success rate of cognitive therapy involving imagery.
Improving Diagnosis Of Early Frontotemporal Dementia Syndromes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$451,716.00
Summary
Frontotemporal dementia is difficult to identify and diagnose accurately, although it is almost as common as Alzheimer’s disease before the age of 65. Improving its detection and diagnostic accuracy is the focus of my fellowship for the next 4 years. As a neuropsychologist with over 15 years clinical experience in dementia, I will combine clinical, neuroimaging and neuropathological approaches to identify early presentations of frontotemporal dementia and other dementia syndromes.
Trauma And Recovery: Understanding And Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Refugees
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,000.00
Summary
Refugees report high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however, a lack of understanding of the processes underlying refugee mental health has limited the effective treatment of this disabling disorder. My research program will overcome these barriers by uncovering core mechanisms and developing a targeted intervention to reduce PTSD symptoms in refugees. My research will advance knowledge about refugee mental health, and inform best-practice clinical care of refugees.
Psychosis contributes significantly to global disease burden, affecting more than 3% of the population when schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorders are considered together. These conditions aggregate within families, and genetic risk factors do not conform to traditional diagnostic categories. My work employs brain-based classification techniques to derive subtypes of psychosis that dissect, and/or span the diagnostic categories, for investigation of modifiable genetic and ....Psychosis contributes significantly to global disease burden, affecting more than 3% of the population when schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorders are considered together. These conditions aggregate within families, and genetic risk factors do not conform to traditional diagnostic categories. My work employs brain-based classification techniques to derive subtypes of psychosis that dissect, and/or span the diagnostic categories, for investigation of modifiable genetic and environmental risk factors for psychosis.Read moreRead less
FIGHTING MENTAL AND NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS: MECHANISTIC BIOMARKERS, DISARMING SYMPTOMS AND NOVEL TREATMENTS
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$470,144.00
Summary
This work will reduce uncontrollable and traumatic mental imagery and hallucination symptoms across many mental and neurological disorders. It will show what causes these symptoms and hence, how to control them. It will discover multiple mechanistic biomarkers and develop novel brain-stimulation and behavioural therapy techniques to control these traumatic symptoms. This work represents the first major progress in treating these common, yet enigmatic mental health and psychiatric symptoms.
Modifiable Risks And Interventions For Cognitive Decline, Depression And Dementia In Older People
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,055.00
Summary
This research proposal will explore the modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline (ie. changes in memory and thinking functions) in older people. It will examine the pertinence of critical contributors to glial-neuronal networks including depression, cardiovascular disease, sleep-wake systems, mental and physical exercise, inflammatory processes and diet, as well as test interventions that target these risk factors. It will use sophisticated brain scanning methods to examine which factors pr ....This research proposal will explore the modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline (ie. changes in memory and thinking functions) in older people. It will examine the pertinence of critical contributors to glial-neuronal networks including depression, cardiovascular disease, sleep-wake systems, mental and physical exercise, inflammatory processes and diet, as well as test interventions that target these risk factors. It will use sophisticated brain scanning methods to examine which factors promote neuroplasticity.Read moreRead less
Improving Internet-delivered Psychological Therapies For Depression And Anxiety
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$437,034.00
Summary
Depression and anxiety affect 3 million Australians. While effective psychological treatments exist, even the best only help 50% recover, and relapse is common. My research aims to improve the treatment of adult depression and anxiety, through developing more effective, efficient and accessible internet-delivered psychological therapies and identifying the conditions that promote optimal long-term outcomes.
Neuroimaging After Traumatic Brain Injury: What Best Relates To Outcome?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$402,287.00
Summary
Brain injury often results in physical difficulties plus cognitive and behavioural problems. Computerised tomography (CT) is the most used form of scanning used after brain injury but does not reveal as much as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Electrovestibulography (EvestG) also offers great potential to reveal brain-related information related to injury and depression. This study aims to assess and compare CT, MRI and EvestG to establish the extent to which each can help in predicting outcome ....Brain injury often results in physical difficulties plus cognitive and behavioural problems. Computerised tomography (CT) is the most used form of scanning used after brain injury but does not reveal as much as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Electrovestibulography (EvestG) also offers great potential to reveal brain-related information related to injury and depression. This study aims to assess and compare CT, MRI and EvestG to establish the extent to which each can help in predicting outcome in people who have had a brain injury.Read moreRead less