Cardiovascular Responses To Stress And Arousal: Hypothalamic And Brainstem Mechanisms
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$566,468.00
Summary
Stressful episodes in everyday life cause increases in blood pressure, mainly via activation of nerves that constrict blood vessels and increase heart rate. This in turn increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, or other cardiovascular diseases. This project aims to identify the brain mechanisms that cause these stress-evoked effects. This knowledge may lead to much more effective ways of minimising stress-evoked responses, and thus reduce the risk of cardiovascular disorders.
A Randomised Controlled Trial Of Internet-based Therapy For Panic Disorder.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$202,575.00
Summary
Approximately 9.7% of the adult population have an anxiety disorder with one of the more common, panic disorder, often with agoraphobia, afflicting 2.4% of the community. Around 8% of patients consulting a GP also have panic disorder (PD). A further 10% of the community experience spontaneous panic, but do not have full PD (termed non-clinical panic). People with PD frequently experience clinical depression, about 15% abuse alcohol and non-prescription drugs and PD is associated with an increase ....Approximately 9.7% of the adult population have an anxiety disorder with one of the more common, panic disorder, often with agoraphobia, afflicting 2.4% of the community. Around 8% of patients consulting a GP also have panic disorder (PD). A further 10% of the community experience spontaneous panic, but do not have full PD (termed non-clinical panic). People with PD frequently experience clinical depression, about 15% abuse alcohol and non-prescription drugs and PD is associated with an increased risk of suicide. Over time people with PD appear to have an increased risk of heart problems. They also have substantial financial burdens through multiple attendances at doctors' rooms and through restricted employment opportunities. Only just over one in four people with an anxiety disorder consults a health professional for their problems, with most going to their GP. It has been estimated that less than 10% of these people seek the services of a mental health specialist such as a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist. Therefore because of blocks to do with access, cost or embarrassment, many people with mental health problems do not seek face-to-face specialised mental health treatment. People in rural and regional Australia are particularly disadvantaged by limited access to these specialists. We have developed an internet-based treatment program on panic and anxiety for people in the community, and particularly in regional Australia. Early evaluation of this program has found it is more effective than other types of therapist-assisted self-help treatment. The aim of this research project is to compare it to best-practice face-to-face psychological and pharmacological treatment for PD. If the effectiveness of our internet-based treatment is comparable to best-practice face-to-face treatment, its availability will assist the many Australians who suffer from debilitating panic but who are unable to access specialised mental health assistance.Read moreRead less
Modulation And Trafficking Of SK Channels In The Lateral Amygdala
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$260,980.00
Summary
The amygdala is a brain structure that underlies emotional processing. Malfunctions in emotional processing are thought to be the cause of anxiety disorders. Understanding amygdala physiology is thus vital for developing therapies to treat these disorders. We have recently found a novel role for an ion channel in controlling amygdala excitability. In this grant we will investigate how this ion channel is modulated, which will elucidate a novel way in which activity in the amygdala is regulated.
Hypothalamic Regulation Of Cardiovascular Function In Hypertension And Stress
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$570,880.00
Summary
Blood pressure is controlled to a large extent by nerves, known as sympathetic nerves, that supply the heart and blood vessels. The activity of sympathetic nerves is commonly increased in people with high blood pressure, particularly younger patients. This has the effect of constricting blood vessels and increasing heart rate, which places an additional load on the heart, and increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Sympathetic nerves are also activated strongly in response to stress. In ....Blood pressure is controlled to a large extent by nerves, known as sympathetic nerves, that supply the heart and blood vessels. The activity of sympathetic nerves is commonly increased in people with high blood pressure, particularly younger patients. This has the effect of constricting blood vessels and increasing heart rate, which places an additional load on the heart, and increasing the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Sympathetic nerves are also activated strongly in response to stress. In some people stress can trigger an extreme reaction, called a panic disorder, characterised by intense sympathetic activation, which also increases the risk of heart attacks. A region in the brain called the hypothalamus plays a key role in generating these increases in sympathetic nerve activity. This project aims first to identify the precise region or regions in the hypothalamus that are responsible for causing increased sympathetic activity in high blood pressure, and also in response to acute stress. There is also evidence from studies in humans that drugs which act on a particular type of receptor in the brain (called a serotonin receptor) can strongly inhibit the normal response to stress. We also aim to determine exactly where and how such drugs work. These studies may lead to much more effective treatments for high blood pressure and stress-related disorders.Read moreRead less