Alfred Health Recognising Excellence awards for Jason Ray and Estelle Hamson

L-R: Estelle Hamson and Jason Ray

Congratulations to Dr Jason Ray and Ms Estelle Hamson on their recognition from Alfred Health.

They were awarded Alfred Health's Recognising Excellence Awards 2022 for respectively, Positive & Productive Culture; and Education & Training (individual).

Scientists expose the lethal link between irregular heartbeats and epilepsy

How it works: an implanted cardiac monitor records continuous ECG data, which is transmitted during follow-up visits at the cardiology clinic. The data are reviewed together with patient-reported seizures, giving a detailed clinical picture for tailoring preventive treatment. Schematic image: Dr Shobi Sivathamboo

Treating epilepsy more effectively yields high individual, social and economic returns

Dr Emma Foster and A/Prof Zanfina Ademi explain how treating
epilepsy greatly reduces its health economic burden. See video

New data from Monash University reveal the enormous cost of epilepsy in Australia – costing more than 14,000 excess deaths up to age 70 years, $32.4 billion of lost gross domestic product (GDP), and $4.1 billion in direct healthcare costs. 

The researchers also showed that a 10% improvement in the treatment of seizures in patients with the disease would save the economy a staggering $1.1 billion in direct health care costs and A$7.8 billion in GDP over the working lifetime of people with epilepsy.

Visual snow causes being revealed

A/Prof Jo Fielding explains the research. See video

Neuroscientists have recently characterised how visual processing is disrupted in the condition known as Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS).

The hallmark symptom of VSS is constant and dynamic “snow” across the entire field of vision.

COVID attacks the brain

The COVID-19 virus can also affect the brain for the worse,

by stimulating an over-active immune response.

Reproduced from Alfred Health

A leading Alfred neurologist has warned that the headaches, psychosis, fatigue and memory loss some COVID-19 patients develop, could be the start of major life-long neurological complications.

Neurologist Dr Robb Wesselingh said some people who were young, fit and healthy before COVID have developed neurological complications, such as strokes, seizures, psychosis, extreme fatigue and memory loss.

Looks like epilepsy but isn’t: The disease that is deadly, largely undiagnosed and untreated

One in four people admitted to hospital for uncontrolled seizures 
do not have epilepsy. Image: Shutterstock

One in four people who are tested for epilepsy do not have the disease, but instead have a psychological condition called psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES).

Today (21 July) in the prestigious journal, Neurology, Monash researchers explain the disease, which if it goes undetected can be deadly.

CCS wins $9M of MRFF Neurological Disorders grants

L-R: Prof Terry O'Brien, Dr Mastura Monif,
Prof Tomas Corcoran (UWA/SPHPM) and Professor Paul Myles

Congratulations to Central Clinical School researchers, Professor Terry O'Brien, Dr Mastura Monif and Professor Paul Myles, who jointly with School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine researcher Professor Tomas Corcoran have won approximately $9M of grants under the 2019 MRFF RCRDUN Neurological Disorders Mission 2020. The initiative had a total of $21.8M on offer nationwide as announced by Minister for Health Greg Hunt on 25 June 2020. See detail below.

Dr Emma Foster on epilepsy seizures: American Academy of Neurology podcast

Dr Emma Foster

Dr Emma Foster of the Department of Neuroscience, has had her work on epilepsy seizures featured on the October issue of the American Academy of Neurology Podcast.