A Comparison Of An Integrated Psychological Intervention With 'befriending' In First-presentation Psychosis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$356,113.00
Summary
The project aims to test the efficacy of two treatments to determine whether 'integrated' psychological treatment leads to better outcomes for those individuals presenting for treatment for the first time. Neuroleptic medication is the main treatment for the positive symptoms (i.e., delusions, hallucinations and thought disorder) which typify the psychoses, including schizophrenia. Yet, there are reasons why other approaches should be investigated. Firstly, not all patients respond to medication ....The project aims to test the efficacy of two treatments to determine whether 'integrated' psychological treatment leads to better outcomes for those individuals presenting for treatment for the first time. Neuroleptic medication is the main treatment for the positive symptoms (i.e., delusions, hallucinations and thought disorder) which typify the psychoses, including schizophrenia. Yet, there are reasons why other approaches should be investigated. Firstly, not all patients respond to medications. Secondly, medication may not totally alleviate the positive symptoms, and thirdly, other aspects of the condition are not helped to any extent by medication. These aspects include negative symptoms (e.g., lack of motivation and asociality), depression, social anxiety and functioning in the various life domains, e.g., school, work and socialization. In the last 15 years a viable psychological treatment known as cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) has emerged. This appears to be effective in the treatment of hallucinations and delusions and has an effect over and above that produced by medication. However, such treatments have not yet been applied to treating those symptoms in first presentation psychotic patients when they are in the acute stage of their illness. It is important to determine whether CBT produces positive effects in this group and whether used in conjunction with medication it can produce greater and more rapid reductions in the level and severity of positive symptoms. Whilst CBT is expected to produce positive changes in delusions and hallucinations, the applicants believe this needs to be integrated with CBT interevention focussed on other aspects of a patient's presentation, such as negative and depressive symptoms, and also on improving functioning in various life domains.Read moreRead less
Pesonalised Risk Prediction For Severe Treatment-related Gastrointestinal Toxicity In Paediatric Cancer Patients Using Pre-treatment Gut Microbiome Analysis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
The gut is home to trillions of good and bad bacteria, critical to human health. Each person has a different balance of bacteria, unique to their gut, which shapes their immune system and susceptibility to disease. I will investigate how the unique gut bacteria, in children with blood cancer, can be used to predict which children will develop severe gut side effects (diarrhoea) from their chemotherapy. This will identify high-risk children, enable personalised treatment and improve survival.
Negative Symptom Formation In Schizophrenia: An Electrophysiological, Neurophysiological And Computational Modelling Investigation
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$374,508.00
Summary
The Negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia have been recognised as being just as disabling as the more widely recognised positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. Recently it has been proposed that negative symptoms in schizophrenia might be caused by alterations in learning from rewards and punishments. This project will investigate brain activity in people with schizophrenia during reward and punishment based learning tasks while applying computational modelling.
Pubertal Timing, Brain Development And Mental Health In Adolescence
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$786,976.00
Summary
Early timing of puberty is known to be associated with future mental health problems. This study aims to investigate whether children who go through adrenarche (an earlier phase of maturation) early are at risk for poor mental health during adolescence, and whether abnormal brain development is responsible for linking early adrenarche and mental health outcomes. The results of this research will have implications for the early detection of children at risk for mental health problems.
Protecting The Gut: A Novel Therapeutic Avenue For Reducing The Damaging Consequences Of Obesity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$570,205.00
Summary
Most patients with obesity develop gut dysfunction. Symptoms including constipation and diarrhoea often present before other common comorbidities like diabetes and heart disease, suggesting that early pathology in obesity may begin in the gut. This research project aims to understand the mechanisms through which gut dysfunction develops in obese mice and human patients, and test a clinically approved compound that has demonstrated gut protective properties for the first time in obesity.
Mood Regulation Using Music: A Community Health Strategy For Improving Quality Of Life In People With Mild Dementia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$601,540.00
Summary
This research aims to improve quality of life in people with dementia via community-based strategies for managing depression using music. The impetus comes from my prior research which shows that depression affects both the way people use music and its impact on the listener, a factor not considered in previous studies. Findings will lay the ground for development of an online tool for promoting effective self-regulation of mood with music for use by patients and caregivers in multiple settings.
Characterization Of Novel, Colitis Associated Pathobionts To Identify Therapeutic Targets In The Host Immune Response
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$684,609.00
Summary
Applying cutting edge methods to grow bacteria from the human gut, we have identified three species, two previously unknown, that are found in many inflammatory diseases including Inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer and in cancer immunotherapy patients who experience colitis. By characterizing these bacteria and the immune response in human cells we are seeking to discover novel targetted methods to prevent colitis and gastrointestinal inflammation.