Congratulations to MAPrc students on completing their PhDs

Congratulations to Melissa Kirkovski and Eric Tan from Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre who have both recently completed their PhDs.

Melissa, who was supervised by Professor Paul Fitzgerald and Associate Professor Peter Enticott, completed her thesis which looked at gender differences in the brain basis of Autism Spectrum Disorders. She enjoyed working with a great research team and being exposed to a variety of different types of research in mental health.

Eric's research explored the origins, causes and impacts of speech problems in schizophrenia and was particularly interested in how these speech problems impact a patient’s quality of life. Eric was supervised by Dr Susan Rossell and Dr Gregory Yelland. His other research interests include other language disorders, memory, cognition, quality of life and early/pre-psychosis phenomena.

Participants sought: Can brain stimulation improve memory and attention?

A study participant engages in a memory task

Dr Kate Hoy's team at MAPrc is currently conducting a number of projects looking at the use of brain stimulation for the treatment of cognitive impairment in people with head injuries or with schizophrenia. 

Participants sought: Do you have problems with your memory?

A new study being conducted by the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre is investigating whether brain stimulation can improve cognitive performance in older adults who report memory problems.

Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation in improving cognitive functioning in a variety of populations. This study is looking at whether the response to stimulation is different between younger adults, older adults and adults who identify as having a memory problem (beyond what would be expected from normal ageing). Understanding the brain activity changes occurring across the lifespan, and how this relates to cognitive functioning and neural plasticity, can help in developing treatments for disorders of cognitive decline such as dementia.

Participants will be asked to attend the centre for a single session that will take approximately 3.5 hours. Participants will complete cognitive tasks and receive two forms of non-invasive brain stimulation: transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Recording of brain activity will be completed through electroencephalography (EEG).

If you are interested in taking part of would like more information, please contact Ms Melanie Emonson: melanie.emonson@monash.edu or 03 9076 9823.

Participants sought: Non-invasive medical treatment for reducing symptoms of fibromyalgia

Participants are sought for a unique double-blind study, ‘Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of fibromyalgia’. The Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) is investigating the clinical potential of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate neurons in the brain, for the treatment of fibromyalgia.

Participants sought: Are you interested in a non-medication treatment for depression?

Does concurrent transcranial direct current stimulation augment the antidepressant efficacy of cognitive control training for major depression?

This study is looking at whether cognitive control training can help alleviate the symptoms of depression. It is also investigating whether a mild form of brain stimulation called transcranial electrical stimulation can be used to boost the impact of cognitive control training. Transcranial electrical stimulation is a safe, mild and non-invasive means of stimulating nerves cells in the brain.

Participants sought: Hearing voices (auditory verbal hallucinations)

Participants are sought for study on auditory verbal hallucinations in relation to mood in bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

Have you heard voices when no one else was nearby? To the person hearing the voice, it seems like someone is talking to them, but others around them do not actually hear the voice. These experiences tend to be more common amongst people with a mental illness, but also affect a proportion of people without a mental illness. Please find out more from the study coordinator, Dr Wei Lin Toh:

• Contact email:  wei.lin.toh@monash.edu
• Contact phone number:  (03) 9076 5172
• Website link: www.maprc.org.au/cognitive-neuropsychiatry

Translational Research Symposium success

A passion for research drove the young Barry Firkin (right) to
establish the Australian Society for Medical Research. Barry
was the Alfred Department of Medicine's Foundation Chair

The Central Clinical School hosted Monash University's inaugural Translational Research Symposium last week.

With over 200 people attending the event throughout the day, the symposium showcased some of the country's top medical researchers in translational research. Early Career and graduate student researchers participated in the symposium's Translational Research Young Investigator Poster competition. It was won by MAPrc's Dr Rebecca Segrave.