What Can Tau Deposition Tell Us About The Appearance Of Subjective And Objective Cognitive Decline In Older Adults?
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$674,077.00
Summary
Subjective memory concerns are common in older adults, but it is uncertain how they relate to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers. Novel neuroimaging techniques have been developed for measuring tau deposition, a hallmark feature of AD. Using this technique, I aim to determine whether tau is sensitive to certain types of subjective concerns. My findings will reveal which concerns are indicative of AD risk, and which arise from unrelated factors, such as inattention or stress.
Modifying The Trajectory Of Insidious Late Life Cognitive Decline Using Computerised Cognitive Training
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$743,152.00
Summary
Supervised, group-based computerised cognitive training (CCT) is a safe and effective intervention to maintain cognition in healthy older adults. This project will examine the extent to which CCT can attenuate or even reverse the rate of decline in older people with previously documented cognitive decline, as well as strategies to maintain CCT effects in the long term.
Using Diffusion MRI For Understanding The Relationship Between Memory Decline And Corticothalamic Tracts
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$57,578.00
Summary
Stroke populations are at a risk of dementia. Structural changes have been demonstrated to precede cognitive changes, providing a potential for early diagnosis and intervention. Magnetic resonance imaging markers of structural connectivity are powerful predictors of dementia. As a longitudinal study, this proposal has the unique advantage that I will be able to detect changes in post-stroke brain networks in the 3 years after stroke. This raises the potential for future clinical application.
Aspirin For The Prevention Of Cognitive Decline In The Elderly: A Neuro-Vascular Imaging Study (ENVIS-ion) From ASPREE
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,341,232.00
Summary
The ENVIS-ion trial will examine whether Aspirin is effective in delaying the onset of worsening of thinking and memory abilities in healthy older adults. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain structure will detect markers of early worsening of thinking and memory abilities. Blood vessels in the back of the eye (retina) share many features with vessels in the brain. We will compare whether aspirin lessens changes over time of features shown with brain MRI and retinal photography.
Benefits Of Home-based Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation In Non Small Cell Lung Cancer
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$581,039.00
Summary
Lung cancer is the third leading cause of death in Australia. People with lung cancer experience a complex mix of symptoms that can provoke significant distress and impair physical function. This study aims to develop and test a home based exercise and self-management support program to increase function and physical activity levels, reduce levels of depression and improve quality of life of people with lung cancer.
Vascular Cognitive Risk Score: Quantifying The Vascular Burden In Alzheimer's Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$627,180.00
Summary
What causes dementia in a patient presenting to a clinic is often uncertain. While there are exciting potential treatments in the pipeline, we need to understand the cause of the disease in a specific patient to make correct treatment decisions. Stroke and other vascular diseases of the brain cause a significant proportion of dementia in the community. Using MRI scanning technology, this project will quantify this burden in a given patient by developing a ‘vascular cognitive risk' (VCR) score.
Moving Behavioural Neuroscience & Neuroeconomics Into Dementia Prevention: Spatial Tracking And Economic Decision-making As New Sensitive Measures Of Daily Function
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$595,588.00
Summary
This project will aim to develop new measures for clinical trials by learning the relationship between older people's movements around the house, ability to make decisions about their health and finance and their cognitive performance. These instruments may aid future trials of drugs and other interventions for preventing dementia by indicating how basic behavioural patterns respond to interventions.
Music Therapy Interventions For Dementia: Cluster Randomised Control Trial
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,014,430.00
Summary
Music therapy interventions are increasingly used in aged care facilities across Australia, however Australian-based research that tests its effectiveness is scarce. In this study, we track the impact of group music therapy and group singing on levels of depression, cognitive function, quality of life, and other symptoms of dementia. By providing music therapy programs across sites in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, we will also evaluate the cost effectiveness of the intervention.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100106
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Measuring interference from prior memories using experience sampling. The project aims to better understand the causes of forgetting in recognition memory. This project will measure participants' experiences using smartphone technology for four weeks before a recognition memory experiment. Similarities between the images in the experiment and images in prior experience can be used to fully specify all interference components within a computational model of recognition memory, leading to a comple ....Measuring interference from prior memories using experience sampling. The project aims to better understand the causes of forgetting in recognition memory. This project will measure participants' experiences using smartphone technology for four weeks before a recognition memory experiment. Similarities between the images in the experiment and images in prior experience can be used to fully specify all interference components within a computational model of recognition memory, leading to a complete model of recognition memory. Better understanding the causes of forgetting in recognition memory could show how interference contributes to memory impairments in ageing, and ultimately Alzheimer’s and other clinical disorders.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240101348
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$470,999.00
Summary
Synergies between physical exercise, brain stimulation, and neuroplasticity. The brain is a highly dynamic organ. This capacity, known as neuroplasticity, governs our ability to learn new skills, acquire new knowledge, and fine-tune cognition. This project aims to investigate synergies between exercise, brain stimulation, and neuroplasticity, via application of a highly innovative interdisciplinary approach combining exercise physiology and cognitive neuroscience techniques. This project will pi ....Synergies between physical exercise, brain stimulation, and neuroplasticity. The brain is a highly dynamic organ. This capacity, known as neuroplasticity, governs our ability to learn new skills, acquire new knowledge, and fine-tune cognition. This project aims to investigate synergies between exercise, brain stimulation, and neuroplasticity, via application of a highly innovative interdisciplinary approach combining exercise physiology and cognitive neuroscience techniques. This project will pioneer novel, non-invasive methods of harnessing neuroplasticity to improve brain function, and generate fundamental insights into the mechanisms mediating learning and memory. Read moreRead less