Richard Schweizer has schizophrenia. In this three part blog series he walks us through his journey from his initial symptoms to how he feels about the future… I want to suggest to you an idea that may be a little confronting. It’s an idea that may take you a while to get your head around. And the idea is this: Schizophrenia […]
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Researchers are working with motorcycle riders to tackle the increasing number of injuries from crashes. As motorcycles and scooters become increasingly popular forms of transport, the number of riders injured and killed in motorcycle crashes is also increasing. Dr Julie Brown and her team are looking for ways to help reduce the pain and suffering as well as the healthcare burden associated […]
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Why is it that if you keep an active mental life by playing complicated board games or learning a language, or if you keep physically fit, you are less likely to succumb to dementia? A/Prof John Kwok is addressing this question by looking at how lifestyle can alter the function of genes related to dementia. To do this, he is engaging with […]
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The effect underage drinking has on a developing brain is a question Prof Caroline Rae is seeking to answer. An alarming 19-23% of adolescents have binge-drunk in the last week, and this proportion is increasing in young females. 13% of all deaths in young Australians are a direct result of alcohol use, with alcohol use patterns in the young becoming […]
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Dr Justine Gatt is an NHMRC Research Fellow who has recently joined the NeuRA team. Her research focuses on understanding the flipside of mental illness: why some people are more resilient to stress than others. It is hoped that these characteristics can be promoted in people who may be less resilient. In Australia, nearly half of the population experience a […]
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HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is a major neurological complication in HIV-positive persons. It impairs cognitive activity, including memory, learning, attention, problem solving and decision making. Symptoms can vary from confusion to forgetfulness, behavioural changes, nerve pain and sometimes apathy. The widespread use of combined antiretroviral treatment has reduced the incidence of the most severe form of the disorder, HIV-associated dementia, […]
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The Spring edition of the NeuRA magazine is ready to read! This issue, we feature our new clinical trial to improve memory, language and learning in people with Down syndrome. We report our latest research findings, from new genetic sequences in mental illness to how testosterone affects brain growth. You can also read about our Books for Brains challenge. Subscribe to read future print […]
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Imaging techniques enable neuroscientists to learn about the structure and function of cells in the nervous system. Here, Dr Zoltán Rusznák shares some captivating images of the brain and how they were made. Neurons are the building block cells of the brain and spinal cord, communicating with each other through synapses to regulate nervous system function. Relating the shape, size, […]
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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.
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Dr James Burrell is a Senior Research Officer and clinical neurologist whose research interests lie in linking clinical symptoms and pathology in dementia syndromes. In my work as a clinical neurologist, I often encounter people who are concerned that they might be developing the dreaded d-word: dementia. They report being more forgetful than previously, forgetting the names of people, places […]
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