To think of thinking seems like a peculiar task. For most of us, thinking occurs constantly despite rarely giving it a thought. However, as Jess Hazelton discusses below, when we take a few moments and evaluate what our brain is capable of, it is truly astounding! Acting as a control centre for our entire body, we can understand our brain […]
Read more
The number of Australians with dementia is predicted to grow to more than one million people in the next 40 years. NeuRA researcher Professor Glenda Halliday believes we’re in a better position than ever before to discover how to diagnose the many different dementias and reduce the number of people who will be affected in the future. With more than […]
Read more
This article originally appeared on The Brain Dialogue. Suzanne Shubart. Now brain travellers can track their explorations with highly-detailed maps created with state-of-the-art imaging technology. The Big Picture You’re lost in the desert and, after wandering for days, in the distance you spot a giant red rock jutting out of the barren landscape. Had you never encountered this landmark before […]
Read more
The NeuRA FRONTIER team is quite partial to cakes. This week, we were fortunate to eat a special cake (pictured) to celebrate a special milestone: completing 1000 MRI brain scans! Who are we scanning? In the last 7 years, we have scanned patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and related disorders as well as healthy volunteers from the community. Why are […]
Read more
Dr Muireann Irish’s research explores episodic and autobiographical memory in frontotemporal dementia. She has developed a new line of research investigating how damage to the memory system in neurodegenerative conditions affects the ability to imagine possible future events. Much in the same way as the quality of a photograph begins to fade with time, such is the fate of the […]
Read more
When thinking about frontotemporal dementia, we often focus on cognitive and behavioural symptoms. Memory loss, personality changes, and trouble speaking and understanding language are among some of the more recognised FTD symptoms. However, there is a physical side to neurodegenerative illnesses that is the subject of Dr Rebekah Ahmed’s research at NeuRA. Eating abnormalities are present in 6 out of […]
Read more
NeuRA volunteer Lizzi Mallett explains why she decided to participate in the Memory Cycle to Cambodia in March 2015 and why fundraising for NeuRA’s research is so important to her.
Read more
Dr Muireann Irish uncovers the part of the brain that underpins social cognitive deficits in semantic dementia, further unraveling mysteries behind the disease. It may sound like the subject matter of a science fiction movie, but mind-reading is a process in which we regularly engage. On a daily basis, whenever we interact in social scenarios, we go beyond our own […]
Read more
The inability to understand facial expressions can have a profound effect on the lives of people with dementia and their families, says Dr Fiona Kumfor. Recently I met a lady who, despite only being in her 50s, was suspected of having dementia. Susan* and her family had come to the dementia clinic at NeuRA (where I conduct research) to get help […]
Read more