Which Treatment Works? New Approaches To Treating Emotion Perception Deficits After Brain Injury
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,937.00
Summary
Many people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) cannot recognise emotions in others. This makes appropriate social behaviour impossible and leads to isolation and unemployment. In this project we compare training that minimises errors (errorless learning) versus training that provides strategies for recognising emotions while allowing errors to occur. Adults with severe TBI will be allocated to one of the two treatments, a social non-therapeutic group or to deferred treatment (waitlist control).
Randomised Controlled Trial Investigation Of A Non-stimulant In Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$588,960.00
Summary
Atomoxetine (ATMX) is a viable non-stimulant alternative to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), however, clinicians require more objective information on its effectiveness. This is the first study to examine the effectiveness of ATMX using objective cognitive and emotion markers in ADHD. The outcomes from this project will be a significant step towards a 'personalised medicine' approach to ADHD, providing clinicians with increased options in the treatment of ADHD. ADHD is cons ....Atomoxetine (ATMX) is a viable non-stimulant alternative to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), however, clinicians require more objective information on its effectiveness. This is the first study to examine the effectiveness of ATMX using objective cognitive and emotion markers in ADHD. The outcomes from this project will be a significant step towards a 'personalised medicine' approach to ADHD, providing clinicians with increased options in the treatment of ADHD. ADHD is considered the most common neurodevelopmental or child psychiatric disorder. ADHD affects approximately 10% of children and adolescents, in other words, 'at least one in every classroom'. ADHD has a significant burden, including treatment costs, family stress, loss of productivity, increased risk of drug abuse and accidents. It is increasingly clear that new medications need to be evaluated to make ADHD treatment more effective and efficient. The vast majority of medicated ADHD individuals are treated with stimulants, which are controlled substances. A large number do not respond to stimulant treatment, and in others the potential for abuse remains. Some ADHD report negative feelings about taking stimulants and there is growing concern about increasing prescription rates. ATMX is a recently approved non-stimulant (therefore, non-controlled) to treat ADHD, with evidence of clinical effectiveness. Yet, the impact of ATMX on objective measures of a range of cognitive and emotional function has not been studied. Several lines of evidence indicate it is effective for these functions. ATMX has been shown to alleviate inhibitory capacity, while stimulants have not. Of the 30% of ADHD who do not respond to stimulants, the least responsive are those categorized as 'internalizing' types who show allied anxiety. Common disturbances may underlie abnormal inhibitory capacity and impaired emotional recognition in ADHD that is best treated with ATMX rather than stimulants.Read moreRead less
Reinstating Emotion Perception After Brain Damage: An Experimental Approach
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$338,421.00
Summary
Many people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) cannot recognise emotions in others. This disrupts social behaviour leading to isolation and unemployment. In this project we determine whether: (1) selectively attending to a person's expression improves empathy and emotion recognition; (2) whether mimicking an expression improves recognition of the emotion and; (3) whether poor recognition of emotional tone of voice (prosody) and audiovisual displays is improved by focusing on voice or face alone.
Application Of 3D Morphometrics To The Assessment Of Typical And Disordered Craniofacial Growth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$48,065.00
Summary
Traditionally, assessing the growth of the head and face has relied on measuring changes in distances and angles between landmarks on either patients, photographs or x-rays. This is not only slow but also not very accurate. This project will automate the identification of these landmarks on 3D images and quantify normal growth of the head and face. From this we can develop methods of quantifying abnormal growth and use these to understand the impact of surgical interventions on children.
Facial palsy is a devastating condition which has a very significant psychological and cosmetic impact. A simple and effective treatment does not exist for facial palsy. Our research goal is use state-of-the-art technology to define the types and the severity of the underlying nerve injury so that effective treatments can be developed to treat this terrible disorder.
Identifying Novel Markers To Differentiate Frontotemporal Dementia From Alzheimer's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$603,912.00
Summary
In people under 65 years of age, frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease are equally common. Distinguishing between these different types of dementia is extremely challenging. Patients can present with similar symptoms, even when the underlying dementia cause (i.e., brain pathology) is different. Inaccurate diagnosis means patients cannot access appropriate treatments, as these become available. I will develop novel tests of social function to improve the diagnosis of dementia syndromes.
Teeth And Faces Of Australian Twins: A Longitudinal Study
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$647,226.00
Summary
We are seeking support from the NHMRC to complete a longitudinal study of 250 pairs of twins, both identical and non-identical, whom we have examined at around 4-6 years of age when all the baby teeth were present in the mouth, then again at around 8-10 years of age when both primary and permanent teeth were present. We now plan to examine these twins again at around the age of 11-13 years when all the permanent teeth, except the wisdom teeth, are normally present. Records to be obtained from th ....We are seeking support from the NHMRC to complete a longitudinal study of 250 pairs of twins, both identical and non-identical, whom we have examined at around 4-6 years of age when all the baby teeth were present in the mouth, then again at around 8-10 years of age when both primary and permanent teeth were present. We now plan to examine these twins again at around the age of 11-13 years when all the permanent teeth, except the wisdom teeth, are normally present. Records to be obtained from the twins over the next three years will include dental examinations, dental impressions from which casts can be made, shed primary teeth, and intra- and extra-oral photographs. We will apply modern methods of genetic analysis to determine the importance of genetic and environmental influences on observed variation in several dental and facial features. We will also study the fascinating phenomenon of mirror imaging in twins, where one twin mirrors the other for one or more features. Longitudinal studies of twins, in which a large sample of children is studied over several years, provide a powerful means of determining how genes influence growth and development. As far as we are aware, ours is the only large-scale longitudinal study of dental and facial growth in twins being undertaken in the world at present. Once we have collected all the data and carried out analyses, we will gain a much better understanding of the factors that can influence development of the teeth and face, and be in a much better position to be able to predict those children who are most likely to develop malocclusions in later life.Read moreRead less
Clarifying The Role Of Emotion Regulation In Anxiety: An Investigation Of Expressive Flexibility
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$46,157.00
Summary
I am a psychologist interested in how the way we deal with emotions is related to mental wellbeing. I am particularly interested in the importance of being flexible when dealing with our emotions and I intend to investigate this by looking at people's ability to flexibly alternate between expressing and suppressing emotions and their anxiety, adjustment, stress, depression and other emotional characteristics.