The Australian Parkinson's Project - Uncovering Genetic Risk Factors For Sporadic PD
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$768,546.00
Summary
Parkinson s disease (PD) is a progressively disabling movement disorder afflicting many elderly Australians. It is caused by the degeneration of specific nerve cells in the brain that produce certain chemicals and patients suffer from an inability to move fluently (or ultimately at all). At present we do not know what triggers this neurodegeneration, but it is believed that complex interactions between inherited (genetic) and environmental factors contribute significantly to the phenomenon. This ....Parkinson s disease (PD) is a progressively disabling movement disorder afflicting many elderly Australians. It is caused by the degeneration of specific nerve cells in the brain that produce certain chemicals and patients suffer from an inability to move fluently (or ultimately at all). At present we do not know what triggers this neurodegeneration, but it is believed that complex interactions between inherited (genetic) and environmental factors contribute significantly to the phenomenon. This project aims to learn more about these complex interactions and their association with PD. People with PD and unaffected individuals will be recruited from throughout Australia and we will look for specific combinations of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that either increase or decrease an individual's risk for PD. This research will identify the most common dominant genetic and environmental influences for PD in Australia, enabling scientists to focus on the most relevant biological pathways to target therapeutically.Read moreRead less
Pain has a detrimental impact on ones quality of life and a significant financial impact on the community. It has recently been revealed that chronic pain is associated with altered brain anatomy and function. Using human brain imaging, we aim to determine the underlying reason for these changes by following individuals during the development of pain. Defining the mechanism underlying pain will aid in the development of better treatment regimens.
"Evidence based" evaluation of treatment in ADHD. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is marked by limitations in diagnostic accuracy, psychobiological characterisation and assessment of treatment efficacy. A national consortium of scientists and clinicians is planning to address these issues using an assessment protocol recently developed by the Brain Resource Company Ltd, which involves integrated neuroscientific and psychometric measurement that taps many of the brain's informati ...."Evidence based" evaluation of treatment in ADHD. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is marked by limitations in diagnostic accuracy, psychobiological characterisation and assessment of treatment efficacy. A national consortium of scientists and clinicians is planning to address these issues using an assessment protocol recently developed by the Brain Resource Company Ltd, which involves integrated neuroscientific and psychometric measurement that taps many of the brain's information processing networks. Specifically, the aims of the project are to identify biological and cognitive markers that reflect ADHD in its untreated form, and markers that discriminate treatment effects relative to the pre treatment profile. The results from this study will be translated into a product that uses the protocol to provide a service able to profile ADHD more accurately and evaluate the effects of treatment.Read moreRead less
A new scan called PiB PET shows the build up of amyloid protein deposits in the brain in all patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) but also in 30% of normal elderly persons. This study will track the build up of amyloid and clinical progress in 280 elderly Australians to confirm that this scan can detect AD before symptoms and investigate factors that influence this build up and its damaging effects on memory and thinking. Early detection of Alzheimer's disease will assist accurate diagnosis an ....A new scan called PiB PET shows the build up of amyloid protein deposits in the brain in all patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) but also in 30% of normal elderly persons. This study will track the build up of amyloid and clinical progress in 280 elderly Australians to confirm that this scan can detect AD before symptoms and investigate factors that influence this build up and its damaging effects on memory and thinking. Early detection of Alzheimer's disease will assist accurate diagnosis and the development of treatment.Read moreRead less
The psychobiology of forgetting: Opioid receptors and inhibitory constraints on storage of long-term memory. This project has four main national benefits. First, it addresses a fundamental scientific and practical issue: the psychobiology of forgetting. Second, it will provide important insights into variations in memory functioning across the lifespan. A significant challenge facing Australia is understanding, and where possible alleviating, the decline in mental function that occurs with age. ....The psychobiology of forgetting: Opioid receptors and inhibitory constraints on storage of long-term memory. This project has four main national benefits. First, it addresses a fundamental scientific and practical issue: the psychobiology of forgetting. Second, it will provide important insights into variations in memory functioning across the lifespan. A significant challenge facing Australia is understanding, and where possible alleviating, the decline in mental function that occurs with age. This project may help identify targets to alleviate age-related impairments in memory. Third, this project will contribute to Australia's international reputation in behavioural neuroscience. Fourth, this project will provide outstanding training opportunities for Australian undergraduate and postgraduate research students in behavioural neuroscience.Read moreRead less
Patterns Of Care And Outcomes For Subarachnoid Haemorrhage: A Data Linkage Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$125,625.00
Summary
As many as 30% of people with subarachnoid haemorrahge (SAH) die within 90 days. Survivors are often left disabled. Death rates appear to be decreasing. Identifying health service variables that impact positively on survival has the potential to inform health policy and practice. We will describe variations in mortality, hospital re-admission and patterns of care. The study will observe the uptake of new SAH management including new neurosurgical techniques.
Models of adolescent drug use and its consequences. Recent concerns surround the impact of drug abuse - particularly binge drinking, inhalant abuse and cannabis use - on the mental health of adolescents. Early drug use is associated with mental health problems although the mechanisms involved are not well characterised. The present proposal aims to use animal models to characterise substance abuse that occurs during the adolescent period and to investigate its effects on brain and behaviour. Inc ....Models of adolescent drug use and its consequences. Recent concerns surround the impact of drug abuse - particularly binge drinking, inhalant abuse and cannabis use - on the mental health of adolescents. Early drug use is associated with mental health problems although the mechanisms involved are not well characterised. The present proposal aims to use animal models to characterise substance abuse that occurs during the adolescent period and to investigate its effects on brain and behaviour. Increasing our knowledge of the causes and consequences of adolescent drug abuse will improve Australia's ability to confront this problem and to develop early interventions and treatments that minimise associated harms.Read moreRead less
Brain Connectivity Biomarkers Predict Specific Memory Consolidation Deficits Across Dementia Subtypes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$83,149.00
Summary
With the increasing ageing population there is expected to be a significant increase in the number of dementia cases in the near future. This project aims to improve the accuracy of existing diagnostic protocols for dementia by combining recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging with traditional cognitive assessments. We expect the outcome to improve detection in the early stages of disease onset so that patients may receive immediate medical treatment.
Age-dependent effects of cannabinoids on emotion, cognition and vulnerablity to addiction. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in Australia so understanding the effects of this drug is of great importance. There is little of no basic research on cannabis currently occurring in Australia. Yet such research is critical in resolving the ambiguities and difficulties inherent in our understanding of the drug. The importance of increasing our understanding of the long-term effects of the dr ....Age-dependent effects of cannabinoids on emotion, cognition and vulnerablity to addiction. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in Australia so understanding the effects of this drug is of great importance. There is little of no basic research on cannabis currently occurring in Australia. Yet such research is critical in resolving the ambiguities and difficulties inherent in our understanding of the drug. The importance of increasing our understanding of the long-term effects of the drug on young developing brains is particularly evident. The information gained in the current project will serve to inform medical and scientific communities, government policy makers, as well as the broader Australian community. Read moreRead less
Validation of a New Conceptual Model of ADHD based on Underlying Central Nervous System Dysfunction. ADHD is a debilitating problem that affects 5% of children and approximately half as many adults. ADHD causes substantial problems at school and if untreated, predisposes the individual to increased drug and alcohol use, marital breakdown, criminal prosecution and psychiatric problems in later life. One problem is that we do not fully understand what are the causes of the disorder. This project w ....Validation of a New Conceptual Model of ADHD based on Underlying Central Nervous System Dysfunction. ADHD is a debilitating problem that affects 5% of children and approximately half as many adults. ADHD causes substantial problems at school and if untreated, predisposes the individual to increased drug and alcohol use, marital breakdown, criminal prosecution and psychiatric problems in later life. One problem is that we do not fully understand what are the causes of the disorder. This project will test the validity of several models of brain dysfunction in ADHD which have been influential in the literature, but poorly tested. Through better understanding of the basic underlying problems, more effective intervention can be developed.Read moreRead less