Participants sought: Does memory and brain plasticity improve with non-invasive brain stimulation?

Image: M.C. Escher, 'Drawing Hands'

The Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) is currently seeking healthy right-handed adult participants aged between 18-60 years to take part in a study investigating the effects of non-invasive brain stimulation on improving memory and brain plasticity. The study involves the use of a new form of non-invasive brain stimulation known as ‘High Definition Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) which is a painless, safe, and non-invasive means of stimulating nerve cells in the brain. Brain activity will be recoded using TMS and EEG and memory will be studied via neuropsychological tests.

Schizophrenia and working memory

Researchers at MAPrc have published a pair of research papers providing crucial proof-of-principle for a new treatment for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.  Cognitive impairment is a core symptom of schizophrenia, occurring in greater than 80% of patients, and results in considerable functional disability. Despite the prevalence and significant burden associated with these symptoms, treatment options are few and of limited effectiveness.

Novel form of brain stimulation enhances working memory

Dr Kate Hoy, lead researcher on the TBS study

MAPrc researchers have recently published a world first finding in Cerebral Cortex.

The paper, lead authored by Dr Kate Hoy, investigated the use of a novel form of brain stimulation to enhance working memory.  Impairments in cognition, such as difficulties in attention and memory, are core symptoms of a number of psychiatric and neurological conditions. These difficulties greatly affect patient’s ability to engage in day-to-day life and there are currently no effective treatments.

Review publication: Measuring brain stimulation induced changes in cortical properties using TMS-EEG

TMS plus EEG equals more insight into
effects of brain stmulation

Neuromodulatory brain stimulation can induce plastic reorganization of cortical circuits that persist beyond the period of stimulation. Most of our current knowledge about the physiological properties has been derived from the motor cortex. The integration of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) is a valuable method for directly probing excitability, connectivity and oscillatory dynamics of regions throughout the brain. Offering in depth measurement of cortical reactivity, TMS-EEG allows the evaluation of TMS-evoked components that may act as a marker for cortical excitation and inhibition.

Participants sought: How brain stimulation may affect cognition in aging

A study participant wearing an electrode cap to measure brain

activity while undertaking a task

Participants aged 56 to 75 years are being sought for a research project using brain stimulation to enhance cognitive performance and neural plasticity. Participation will involve completing a series of cognitive tasks both before and after administration of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). tDCS is a safe, painless and non-invasive means of stimulating nerve cells in the brain. Changes in brain activity before and after tDCS will be measured through the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG).

The research is conducted at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre. Participants are required to attend for a single session only (approx. 3.5 hours), and will be reimbursed $30 for their time.
If you are interested in participating or would like more information, please see study details or contact Melanie Emonson, melanie.emonson@monash.edu

Healthy volunteers needed for brain research: MAPrc

At the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), we do a number of human studies where we explore how the brain works, and how we can make it work better in people who experience mental illness. This means that we are always in need of healthy volunteers to act as “control” participants. This may mean we are looking for volunteers to come into our centre and carry out behavioural or computerised tasks, or have a brain scan or undergo one of several brain stimulation techniques.

Advances in methods to study the brain

17/12/2012 Dr Kate Hoy, MAPrc, describes how methods used to study the brain have advanced.
The Conversation
http://theconversation.edu.au/explainer-the-brain-11196
For more information about MAPrc's research, see www.maprc.org.au