Current clinical research studies

The Brain & Mind Research Institute regularly recruits members of the community to participate in our clinical research. If you meet the following prerequisites and are interested in helping with our research in this way then we would love to hear from you.

Area of clinical research

Parkinson’s disease || Healthy Brain Ageing || Autism || Anxiety || Chronobiology & Sleep || Multiple Sclerosis || Schizophrenia || Youth Mental Health

Parkinson’s disease

Led by the Parkinson's disease Research Clinic.

Functional MRI for freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease

This study is looking for both patients who do and do not experience freezing, as well as healthy people who do not have Parkinson's disease. The study involves having a couple of MRI scans whilst performing a virtual reality task. This study is supported by a grant from the Michael J Fox Foundation. For further details please contact: Dr Mac Shine - +61 9351 0702,

Sleep-Wake Disturbances in Parkinson's disease

Supported by a grant from the NHMRC. This study is looking for patients with all stages of Parkinson's disease. The study involves spending 3 evenings over the space of a couple of weeks in the BMRI sleep laboratory. For further details please contact: Dr Zoe Terpenning - +61 2 9351 0702 - .

Cognitive Training in Parkinson's disease

This study is looking for patients with Parkinson's disease who feel that they are having problems with their memory. The study involves a 7 week program of 'brain exercises' at the BMRI twice a week aimed at improving your memory. For further details please contact: A/Prof Sharon Naismith - +61 2 9351 0702 - .

Healthy Brain Ageing

Led by the Healthy Brain Ageing Groups and Clinic in conjunction with the Chronobiology & Sleep Group.

COPS: Circadian rhythms and sleep in neurodegenerative disease

We are looking for people 45 years and over with any of the following – mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia or late life depression – to participate in a study which will involve overnight sleep assessments and actigraphy (wearing a small "wristwatch"). E: T: +61 29351 0969

Cognitive Training

The Healthy Brain Ageing Cognitive Training program is a comprehensive clinical assessment and intervention program for people over the age of 50 who have noticed changes in their memory and other thinking functions. It includes a medical and neuropsychological assessment, a brain scan and a 7-week group-based treatment program that incorporates both education as well as computer-based brain exercises, otherwise known as cognitive training. Education is provided by trained Clinical Neuropsychologists A/Prof Sharon Naismith and Dr Keri Diamond as well as Old Age Psychiatrist Dr Louisa Norrie, Clinical Psychologist Dr Samantha Fearns and Chronobiologist A/Prof Naomi Rogers. Data from this program to-date suggests that it is associated with a significant improvement in memory. This study aims now to determine whether improvements in performance generalize to other areas of social functioning and to evaluate the mechanisms underlying the changes observed in the brain. The results of this study will inform models of neuroplasticity and will help to inform the timing and delivery of such early intervention programs. This study is looking for people who feel that they are having problems with their memory. The study involves a 7 week program of 'brain exercises' at the BMRI twice a week aimed at improving your memory. For further details please contact: A/Prof Sharon Naismith - +61 2 9351 0702 - .

Sleep-wake disturbance

This study aims to evaluate whether changes in sleep-wake functions are associated with mood and cognitive decline in older people with depression and/or cognitive impairment. The study includes a neuropsychological and medical assessment as well as overnight assessments in the state-of-the art chronobiology and sleep laboratories. It is anticipated that findings of this study will inform our understanding of the potentially critical role of sleep in neurodegenerative diseases and will hopefully lead to targeted interventions for sleep-disturbance. Supported by a grant from the NHMRC, this study is looking for people who are having problems with their memory or maybe affected by dementia. The study involves spending 3 evenings over the space of a couple of weeks in the BMRI sleep laboratory. For further details please contact: Dr Zoe Terpenning - +61 2 9351 0746 - .

Internet interventions

This study, funded by Beyond Blue and the Heart Foundation will include participants of the 45 and Up study, a large community-based study of over 250,000 people. The internet intervention will target older people with cardiovascular disease to determine whether an internet intervention for depression has the capacity to reduce the rate of depressive symptoms, cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease. The results of this study will have important implications for the delivery of easily accessible, cost-effective interventions for depression, cognitive decline and cardiovascular disease. For further details please contact: A/Prof Sharon Naismith - +61 2 9351 0702 - .

Pharmacological interventions

This MBF funded study will examine a sub-set of participants from the Beyond Ageing Project, a large community-based study. It will be a selective prevention trial to determine whether omega-3 fatty acids and antidepressant medication can reduce or prevent depressive symptoms and/or cognitive decline in older adults at risk for depression. The study will include sophisticated brain scanning techniques and will follow people up longitudinally to determine whether these agents have any capacity to protect the brain from the effects of depression or other inflammatory and immunological changes that may contribute to cognitive decline and dementia. For further details please contact: A/Prof Sharon Naismith - +61 2 9351 0702 - .

Autism

Led by the Social Cognition and Behavioural Treatment Clinic in conjunction with the Developmental Psychiatry laboratory.

We require volunteers aged 12 to 18 years who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder to participate in a trial which administers the hormone oxytocin (or placebo) via a nasal spray over a course of eight weeks. E: T: +61 2 9351 0881

Anxiety

Led by the Social Cognition and Behavioural Treatment Clinic.

If you are between 12 and 65 years of age, have experienced shyness, obsessive compulsive symptoms or extreme worry, you are invited to participate in a trial which will involve individual and/or group therapy. E: T: +61 2 9351 0881

Chronobiology & Sleep

For detailed information on the current chronobiology and sleep clinical research, please refer to the Chronobiology & Sleep Group webpage. Current studies include:

Multiple Sclerosis

Led by the MS Clinical Trials Unit.

The MS Clinical Trials Unit is currently recruiting patients with both relapsing and progressive forms of MS for inclusion in international Phase 3 trials of a range of novel treatments. For further information please contact Marinda Taha T:+61 2 9351 0667 E:[[mailto:mtaha@med.usyd.edu.au||mtaha@med.usyd.edu.au] or Linda Pallot T:+61 2 9351 0704 E:.

Schizophrenia

Led by the Schizophrenia Treatments and Outcomes Group.

Depot antipsychotics study

This study aims to examine the subjective wellbeing and factors that might influence schizophrenia patients currently taking depot antipsychotic medication. For further details please contact: Prof Tim Lambert +612 9351 0721 .

Human rest/activity cycles in patients with psychosis and cardiometabolic risk

This study is seeking patients with psychosis and cardiometabolic risks to participate in an actigraphy study to estimate their energy expenditure and sleep-wake cycles. For further details please contact: Rebecca Robillard T: +61 2 9114 4003 E: .

Youth Mental Health

Led by the Youth Mental Health Program.

Mapping neurobiological changes across mental health stages

The project is investigating neurobiological changes associated with illness onset and progression in people with (or at risk of) affective (depression and anxiety) and/or psychotic disorders. We are also investigating the effect of moderating variables such as substance use and medical history on illness progression. Participants undergo psychiatric and neuropsychological assessment, and complete self-report measures that assess levels of disability, depression, anxiety, stress, personality, occupational and social functioning which may in turn provide feedback for routine management where possible. Participants will also be asked to undergo an MRI scan. All participants will be invited to participate in follow-up assessments, 6-months after initial participation to determine changes in functioning and/or illness progression. For more information contact Daniel Hermens T: +61 2 9351 0529 E:

Characteristics of substance use & associated mental health problems

Despite the consistent association between substance use and mental health problems (MHPs), few studies have investigated the underlying neurobiology of these phenomena at early stages. It remains unclear why some substance users have MHPs and others do not. Using neuropsychological and neuroimaging measures, this study is examining a large cohort of substance users. This study will adopt a clinical staging approach, identifying early onset, high-risk individuals who may be more vulnerable to substance use and mental health problems. The identified brain function changes will help to delineate the pathways in different patterns of disability. For more information contact Daniel Hermens T: +61 2 9351 0529 E:

Distinguishing psychosis with and without amphetamine use

Despite the understanding that amphetamine use increases the risk for and exacerbates psychosis, few studies have investigated the underlying neurobiology. Young people with amphetamine psychosis present with very similar symptoms to first episode psychosis in schizophrenia. This study aims to distinguish between these groups using neurobiological markers. The findings will help identify amphetamine users who may be at risk of psychosis and reveal important information about the underlying mechanism of schizophrenia. For more information contact Daniel Hermens T: +61 2 9351 0529 E:

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