What Is The Burden Of Dementia In Urban Dwelling Indigenous Australians?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,571,527.00
Summary
The main aim of this research project is to determine what proportion of Aboriginal people aged 45 years and older who live in urban areas of NSW, have dementia. We hope to establish what types of dementia occur amongst Aboriginal people, what the causes are, and how we can best measure dementia. We will also focus on what types of problems dementia causes for both people with the condition and their carers. What is the meaning of dementia for Aboriginal people themselves?
Optimising Cognitive Screening In General Practice
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,550.00
Summary
Within the next 5 - 10 years it is likely that sophisticated combination pharmacotherapy for Alzheimer's disease will become available. Once intervention agents are available that affect the underlying disease process, it will be critical to accurately identify those patients who are in the earliest stages of cognitive decline. That is, failure to detect cognitive decline at an early stage will reduce the effectiveness of the intervention and be costly to the individual and society. At the same ....Within the next 5 - 10 years it is likely that sophisticated combination pharmacotherapy for Alzheimer's disease will become available. Once intervention agents are available that affect the underlying disease process, it will be critical to accurately identify those patients who are in the earliest stages of cognitive decline. That is, failure to detect cognitive decline at an early stage will reduce the effectiveness of the intervention and be costly to the individual and society. At the same time, the probability of falsely identifying an individual as having Alzheimer's disease needs to be reduced in order to avoid unnecessary testing, anxiety and distress, and expense. A sophisticated and highly flexible testing system to detect the earliest stages of memory impairment will be developed. The test will be administered over the web in a general practitioner's surgery enabling the collection of normative data on the population of greatest interest (elderly patients seeing their doctor). Voice recognition technology will be used in order to insure a user friendly environment. Stringent procedures to protect privacy will be employed. The test will be inexpensive and easy to take and will allow valid retesting so that it can be used as part of the routine health screening for the elderly. This will be a far more sensitive and specific indicator of the cognitive decline found in most neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, and will enable general practitioners to be more confident in assessing their older patients. It will also reduce costly referrals by more accurately identifying those patients at risk. It is expected that the test will find acceptance amongst patients and their doctors and become a routine part of normal health screening for the elderly.Read moreRead less
Early Detection Of MCI And Dementia Using Multidimensional Analysis Of Structural MRI By Computational Methods
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$583,601.00
Summary
Dementia in elderly is a major public health problem, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), is even more common. We propose to use recent computational anatomy algorithms from our group to develop novel multidimensional imaging biomarkers for early detection of brain anatomical changes due to MCI-dementia. We aim at identifying early signatures of MCI-dementia, thus making early treatment possible. The completion of our research will provide clinicians with new methods for the early diagnosis.
Fatigue, Attention And Sleep Disturbance After Traumatic Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$328,050.00
Summary
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of disability in young people. A major obstacle to the rehabilitation of these young people and their return to work or study is their susceptibility to fatigue post-injury. Sleep disturbance is also often reported following TBI and this may accentuate fatigue. Suprisingly, little research has been conducted on the nature, causes or progression of fatigue and sleep disorders following TBI and their possible interrelationships. This study aims to inve ....Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of disability in young people. A major obstacle to the rehabilitation of these young people and their return to work or study is their susceptibility to fatigue post-injury. Sleep disturbance is also often reported following TBI and this may accentuate fatigue. Suprisingly, little research has been conducted on the nature, causes or progression of fatigue and sleep disorders following TBI and their possible interrelationships. This study aims to investigate the incidence and extent of fatigue in a large group of people who have experienced a TBI compared to a control group, how fatigue changes over time and its impact on daily life. The study will also address whether higher fatigue levels are associated with decreased attention and speed of information processing. Changes in sleep patterns will also be investigated using both subjective measures, such as sleep quality and daytime sleepiness, and objective physiological measures, such as the time of dim light melatonin onset and polysomnography, comparing the head injured group with controls. The interrelationships between fatigue and sleep changes will then be examined and also their association with injury severity, the location of the brain injury, the time since the injury, age, the presence of any cognitive impairments and the incidence of depression. The project has the potential to provide valuable information to healthcare professionals on the diagnosis of fatigue and sleep disorders in head injury patients. The investigation of the nature, causes and impact of fatigue and sleep disorders could also provide a basis for therapy. For example, fatigue and problems with attention and slowed information processing can be minimized by restructuring lifestyle demands and simple and effective treatments are available for many sleep disturbances, such as bright light therapy and-or exogenous melatonin.Read moreRead less
Determining The Cognitive Sequelae Of Adolescent Cannabis Use: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$259,731.00
Summary
Adult cannabis users have problems with memory and attention, but it is not known to what extent these cognitive deficits relate to premorbid intellectual functioning or underlying personality features. Further, it is not known to what extent cannabis use during adolescence (when the brain is still developing), may lead to greater cognitive impairment. This study will directly address these questions utilising a large sample of adolescents followed since entry to high school.
An Investigation Into The Neural Substrates Of Cognitive Deficits In Mild Cognitive Impairment, And The Mechanisms Of Action Of A Novel Treatment
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$574,644.00
Summary
Furthering our understanding of the brain mechanisms that underlie the deficits in memory, executive function, and language that occur with Mild Cognitive Impairment is vital for conceptualising the underlying disease processes, and for the development of targeted treatments. Hence, this project will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the brain’s electrical and metabolic responses during specialised cognitive tasks, whilst simultaneously investigating a possible treatment.
The Cognitive Impact Of Opioids During Chronic Administration
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$416,024.00
Summary
Many people are now being prescribed opioid drugs for long periods of time, mainly for the treatment of chronic pain. These drugs can adversely affect the person's ability to drive a car, hold down a job, and perform normal functions of daily living. This project will investigate what types of impairment are produced by these drugs and how the drugs can best be used so as to minimise the effects on patients.