Associate Professor Sharon Naismith

Director, Clinical Research Unit, Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist
Brain & Mind Research Institute, Sydney Medical School

M02 - Mallet Street Campus
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006 Australia

T:+61 2 9351 0781
F:+61 2 9351 0855
E:

Biographical details

Associate Professor Naismith is the Director of the Clinical Research Unit at the Brain & Mind Research Institute. She is a Clinical Neuropsychologist who also Heads the Healthy Brain Ageing Clinic. Associate Professor Naismith is a member of the Australian Psychological Society and College of Clinical Neuropsychologists. She is also the Postgraduate Coordinator for the Master of Brain and Mind Sciences at the Brain & Mind Research Institute. She provides supervision to postgraduate research and clinical students.

Research interests

Associate Professor Naismith is a Clinical Neuropsychologist and her research interests are in late-life neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders particularly Parkinson's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment and late-life depression. Her work incorporates multiple facets of these disorders including sleep-wake disturbance, cognition, neuroimaging and genetics. She is also pioneering a Healthy Brain Ageing Cognitive Training for older people is interested in testing early intervention paradigms for older people at risk of dementia.

Current national competitive grants*

2011

The Impact of Oxytocin (OT) on Social Cognition and Cognitive Remediation in Schizophrenia
Guastella A, Langdon R, Scott E, Ward P, Naismith S, Hodge M
Australian Research Council Linkage Project ($294,292 over 3 years)

Mediators of cognitive decline and neuroplasticity in older people with depression and early neurodegenerative disease
Naismith S
NHMRC Career Development Award ($384,160 over 4 years)

* Grants administered through the University of Sydney

Keywords

Depression; Parkinson's disease; Ageing; Cognitive disorders; Sleep disturbance

Publications

2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2007

2013

  
  • Lee, R., Redoblado-Hodge, M., Naismith, S., Hermens, D., Porter, M., Hickie, I. (2013), Cognitive remediation improves memory and psychosocial functioning in first-episode psychiatric out-patients. Psychological Medicine. 46(6), 1161-1173. [Abstract]
  • Shine, J., Naismith, S., Palavra, N., Lewis, S., Moore, S., Dilda, V., Morris, T. (2013), Attentional set-shifting deficits correlate with the severity of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. , 388-390. [Abstract]
  • Robillard, R., Naismith, S., Rogers, N., Ip, T., Hermens, D., Scott, E., Hickie, I. (2013), Delayed sleep phase in young people with unipolar or bipolar affective disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders. 145(2), 260-263. [Abstract]
  • Scott, E., Hermens, D., Naismith, S., Guastella, A., De Regt, T., White, D., Lagopoulos, J., Hickie, I. (2013), Distinguishing young people with emerging bipolar disorders from those with unipolar depression. Journal of Affective Disorders. 144(3), 208-215. [Abstract]
  • Shine, J., Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2013), The differential yet concurrent contributions of motor, cognitive and affective disturbance to freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery. 115(5), 542-545. [Abstract]
  • Hickie, I., Scott, E., Hermens, D., Naismith, S., Guastella, A., Kaur, M., Sidis, A., Whitwell, B., Glozier, N., Davenport, T., Pantelis, C., Wood, S., McGorry, P. (2013), Applying clinical staging to young people who present for mental health care. Early Intervention in Psychiatry. 7(1), 31-43. [Abstract]
  • Hickie, I., Naismith, S., Robillard, R., Scott, E., Hermens, D. (2013), Manipulating the sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythms to improve clinical management of major depression. BMC Medicine. 11(1), 79. [Abstract]
  • Lagopoulos, J., Hermens, D., Hatton, S., Battisti, R., Tobias-Webb, J., White, D., Naismith, S., Scott, E., Ryder, W., Bennett, M., Hickie, I. (2013), Microstructural white matter changes are correlated with the stage of psychiatric illness. Translational Psychiatry. 3, e248. [Abstract]
  • Lee, R., Hermens, D., Redoblado-Hodge, M., Naismith, S., Porter, M., Kaur, M., White, D., Scott, E., Hickie, I. (2013), Neuropsychological and socio-occupational functioning in young psychiatric outpatients: a longitudinal investigation. PloS One. 8(3), e58176. [Abstract]
  • Shine, J., Matar, E., Ward, P., Bolitho, S., Pearson, M., Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2013), Differential neural activation patterns in patients with Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait in response to concurrent cognitive and motor load. PloS One. 8(1), e52602. [Abstract]
  • Lagopoulos, J., Hermens, D., Hatton, S., Tobias-Webb, J., Griffiths, K., Naismith, S., Scott, E., Hickie, I. (2013), Microstructural white matter changes in the corpus callosum of young people with bipolar disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study. PloS One. 8(3), e59108. [Abstract]
  • Hermens, D., Scott, E., White, D., Lynch, M., Lagopoulos, J., Whitwell, B., Naismith, S., Hickie, I. (2013), Frequent alcohol, nicotine or cannabis use is common in young persons presenting for mental healthcare: a cross-sectional study. BMJ open. 3(2), e002229. [Abstract]

2012

  
  • Scott, E., Hermens, D., Naismith, S., White, D., Whitwell, B., Guastella, A., Glozier, N., Hickie, I. (2012), Thoughts of death or suicidal ideation are common in young people aged 12 to 30 years presenting for mental health care. BMC Psychiatry. 12(1), 234. [Abstract]
  • Lewis, S., Shine, J., Duffy, S., Halliday, G., Naismith, S. (2012), Anterior cingulate integrity: Executive and neuropsychiatric features in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders. 27(10), 1262-1267. [Abstract]
  • Paradise, M., Naismith, S., Norrie, L., Graeber, M., Hickie, I. (2012), The role of glia in late-life depression. International Psychogeriatrics. 24(12), 1878-1890. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Norrie, L., Mowszowski, L., Hickie, I. (2012), The neurobiology of depression in later-life: Clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging and pathophysiological features. Progress in Neurobiology. 98(1), 99-143. [Abstract]
  • Tsang, R., Diamond, K., Mowszowski, L., Lewis, S., Naismith, S. (2012), Using informant reports to detect cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment. International Psychogeriatrics. 24(6), 967-973. [Abstract]
  • Morris, T., Cho, C., Dilda, V., Shine, J., Naismith, S., Lewis, S., Moore, S. (2012), A comparison of clinical and objective measures of freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders. 18(5), 572-577. [Abstract]
  • Hatton, S., Lagopoulos, J., Hermens, D., Naismith, S., Bennett, M., Hickie, I. (2012), Correlating anterior insula gray matter volume changes in young people with clinical and neurocognitive outcomes: an MRI study. BMC Psychiatry. 12(1), 45. [Abstract]
  • Shine, J., Halliday, G., Carlos, M., Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2012), Investigating visual misperceptions in Parkinson's disease: A novel behavioral paradigm. Movement Disorders. 27(4), 500-505. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Mowszowski, L., Ward, P., Diamond, K., Paradise, M., Kaur, M., Lewis, S., Hickie, I., Hermens, D. (2012), Reduced temporal mismatch negativity in late-life depression: An event-related potential index of cognitive deficit and functional disability?. Journal of Affective Disorders. 138(1-2), 71-78. [Abstract]
  • Paradise, M., Naismith, S., Davenport, T., Hickie, I., Glozier, N. (2012), The impact of gender on early ill-health retirement in people with heart disease and depression. The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. 46(3), 249-256. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Hermens, D., Ip, T., Bolitho, S., Scott, E., Rogers, N., Hickie, I. (2012), Circadian profiles in young people during the early stages of affective disorder. Translational Psychiatry. 2, e123. [Abstract]
  • Scott, E., Hermens, D., Glozier, N., Naismith, S., Guastella, A., Hickie, I. (2012), Targeted primary care-based mental health services for young Australians. Medical Journal of Australia. 196(2), 136-140. [Abstract]
  • Hermens, D., Lagopoulos, J., Naismith, S., Tobias-Webb, J., Hickie, I. (2012), Distinct neurometabolic profiles are evident in the anterior cingulate of young people with major psychiatric disorders. Translational Psychiatry. 2, e110. [Abstract]
  • Lagopoulos, J., Hermens, D., Naismith, S., Scott, E., Hickie, I. (2012), Frontal lobe changes occur early in the course of affective disorders in young people. BMC psychiatry. 12(1), 4. [Abstract]
  • Mowszowski, L., Hermens, D., Diamond, K., Norrie, L., Hickie, I., Lewis, S., Naismith, S. (2012), Reduced Mismatch Negativity in Mild Cognitive Impairment: Associations with Neuropsychological Performance. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 30(1), 209-219. [Abstract]
  • Shine, J., Moore, S., Bolitho, S., Morris, T., Dilda, V., Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2012), Assessing the utility of Freezing of Gait Questionnaires in Parkinson's Disease. Parkinsonism & related disorders. 18(1), 25-9. [Abstract]
  • Kaur, M., Lagopoulos, J., Ward, P., Watson, T., Naismith, S., Hickie, I., Hermens, D. (2012), Mismatch negativity/p3a complex in young people with psychiatric disorders: a cluster analysis. PLoS One. 7(12), e51871. [Abstract]
  • Donkin, L., Hickie, I., Christensen, H., Naismith, S., Neal, B., Cockayne, N., Glozier, N. (2012), Sampling bias in an internet treatment trial for depression. Translational Psychiatry. 2, e174. [Abstract]

2011

  
  • Shine, J., Halliday, G., Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2011), Visual misperceptions and hallucinations in Parkinson's disease: Dysfunction of attentional control networks?. Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 26, 2154-9. [Abstract]
  • Shine, J., Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2011), The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying freezing of gait in Parkinson's Disease. Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia. 18(9), 1154-7. [Abstract]
  • Zhong, G., Naismith, S., Rogers, N., Lewis, S. (2011), Sleep-wake disturbances in common neurodegenerative diseases: A closer look at selected aspects of the neural circuitry. Journal of the neurological sciences. 307(1-2), 9-14. [Abstract]
  • Chudleigh, C., Naismith, S., Blaszczynski, A., Hermens, D., Hodge, M., Hickie, I. (2011), How does social functioning in the early stages of psychosis relate to depression and social anxiety?. Early intervention in psychiatry. 5(3), 224-32. [Abstract]
  • Abbott, L., Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2011), Parkinson's disease in general practice: Assessing knowledge, confidence and the potential role of education. Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia. 18(8), 1044-7. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Terpening, Z., Shine, J., Lewis, S. (2011), Neuropsychological functioning in Parkinson's disease: Differential relationships with self-reported sleep-wake disturbances. Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 26(8), 1537-41. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Rogers, N., Lewis, S., Terpening, Z., Ip, T., Diamond, K., Norrie, L., Hickie, I. (2011), Sleep disturbance relates to neuropsychological functioning in late-life depression. Journal of affective disorders. 132(1-2), 139-45. [Abstract]
  • Shine, J., Ward, P., Naismith, S., Pearson, M., Lewis, S. (2011), Utilising functional MRI (fMRI) to explore the freezing phenomenon in Parkinson's disease. Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia. 18(6), 807-10. [Abstract]
  • Hamilton, B., Naismith, S., Scott, E., Purcell, S., Hickie, I. (2011), Disability is already pronounced in young people with early stages of affective disorders: Data from an early intervention service. Journal of affective disorders. 131(1-3), 84-91. [Abstract]
  • Norrie, L., Diamond, K., Hickie, I., Rogers, N., Fearns, S., Naismith, S. (2011), Can older "at risk" adults benefit from psychoeducation targeting healthy brain aging?. International psychogeriatrics / IPA. 23, 413-24. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2011), "DASH" symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease: red flags for early cognitive decline. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience. 18(3), 352-355. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Diamond, K., Carter, P., Norrie, L., Redoblado-Hodge, M., Lewis, S., Hickie, I. (2011), Enhancing Memory in Late-Life Depression: The Effects of a Combined Psychoeducation and Cognitive Training Program. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. 19(3), 240-8. [Abstract]
  • Hermens, D., Redoblado Hodge, M., Naismith, S., Kaur, M., Scott, E., Hickie, I. (2011), Neuropsychological Clustering Highlights Cognitive Differences In Young People Presenting With Depressive Symptoms. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS. 17(2), 267-76. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Rogers, N., Lewis, S., Diamond, K., Terpening, Z., Norrie, L., Hickie, I. (2011), Sleep disturbance in mild cognitive impairment: Differential effects of current and remitted depression. Acta Neuropsychiatrica. 23(4), 167-172.
  • Komadina, N., Terpening, Z., Huang, Y., Halliday, G., Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2011), Utility and Limitations of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised for Detecting Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease. Dementia and geriatric cognitive disorders. 31(5), 349-57. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Pereira, M., Shine, J., Lewis, S. (2011), How well do caregivers detect mild cognitive change in Parkinson's disease?. Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 26, 161-4. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Lewis, S., Rogers, N. (2011), Sleep-wake changes and cognition in neurodegenerative disease. Progress in Brain Research. 190, 21-52. [Abstract]
  • McCade, D., Savage, G., Naismith, S. (2011), Review of emotion recognition in mild cognitive impairment. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders. 32(4), 257-266. [Abstract]
  • Cockayne, N., Glozier, N., Naismith, S., Christensen, H., Neal, B., Hickie, I. (2011), Internet-based treatment for older adults with depression and co-morbid cardiovascular disease: protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry. 11, 10. [Abstract]
  • Donkin, L., Christensen, H., Naismith, S., Neal, B., Hickie, I., Glozier, N. (2011), A Systematic Review of the Impact of Adherence on the Effectiveness of e-Therapies. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 13(3), e52. [Abstract]
  • Paradise, M., Glozier, N., Naismith, S., Davenport, T., Hickie, I. (2011), Subjective memory complaints, vascular risk factors and psychological distress in the middle-aged: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry. 11, 108. [Abstract]

2010

  
  • Gregory-Roberts, E., Naismith, S., Cullen, K., Hickie, I. (2010), Electroconvulsive therapy-induced persistent retrograde amnesia: Could it be minimised by ketamine or other pharmacological approaches?. Journal of affective disorders. 126(1-2), 39-45. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Lagopoulos, J., Ward, P., Davey, C., Little, C., Hickie, I. (2010), Fronto-striatal correlates of impaired implicit sequence learning in major depression: An fMRI study. Journal of affective disorders. 125(1-3), 256-61. [Abstract]
  • Hermens, D., Ward, P., Hodge, M., Kaur, M., Naismith, S., Hickie, I. (2010), Impaired MMN/P3a complex in first-episode psychosis: Cognitive and psychosocial associations. Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry. 34(6), 822-9. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2010), A novel paradigm for modelling freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. Journal of clinical neuroscience : official journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia. 17(8), 984-7. [Abstract]
  • Hermens, D., Naismith, S., Redoblado Hodge, M., Scott, E., Hickie, I. (2010), Impaired verbal memory in young adults with unipolar and bipolar depression. Early Intervention in Psychiatry. 4(3), 227-233. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Shine, J., Lewis, S. (2010), The specific contributions of set-shifting to freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society. 25(8), 1000-4. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Rogers, N., Mackenzie, J., Hickie, I., Lewis, S. (2010), The relationship between actigraphically defined sleep disturbance and REM sleep behaviour disorder in Parkinson's Disease. Clinical neurology and neurosurgery. 112(5), 420-3. [Abstract]
  • Mowszowski, L., Batchelor, J., Naismith, S. (2010), Early intervention for cognitive decline: can cognitive training be used as a selective prevention technique?. International psychogeriatrics / IPA. 22(4), 537-48. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Rogers, N., Hickie, I., Mackenzie, J., Norrie, L., Lewis, S. (2010), Sleep Well, Think Well: Sleep-Wake Disturbance in Mild Cognitive Impairment. Journal of geriatric psychiatry and neurology. 23(2), 123-30. [Abstract]
  • Gunn, D., Naismith, S., Lewis, S. (2010), Sleep disturbances in Parkinson disease and their potential role in heterogeneity. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. 23(2), 131-7. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Redoblado-Hodge, M., Lewis, S., Scott, E., Hickie, I. (2010), Cognitive training in affective disorders improves memory: A preliminary study using the NEAR approach. Journal of Affective Disorders. 121(3), 258-262. [Abstract]
  • Lewis, S., Naismith, S. (2010), DASH to the InfoLine: Promoting a healthy brain and mind in ParkinsonÂ’s Disease. Australia: LifeBlood.
  • Naismith, S., Hickie, I., Lewis, S. (2010), The role of mild depression in sleep disturbance and quality of life in Parkinson's disease. The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. 22(4), 384-389. [Abstract]

2009

  
  • Hickie, I., Naismith, S., Norrie, L., Scott, E. (2009), Managing depression across the life cycle: new strategies for clinicians and their patients. Internal Medicine Journal. 39(11), 720-727. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Norrie, L., Lewis, S., Rogers, N., Scott, E., Hickie, I. (2009), Does sleep disturbance mediate neuropsychological functioning in older people with depression?. Journal of Affective Disorders. 116(1-2), 139-143. [Abstract]
  • Scott, E., Naismith, S., Whitwell, B., Hamilton, B., Chudleigh, C., Hickie, I. (2009), Delivering youth-specific mental health services: the advantages of a collaborative, multi-disciplinary system. Australasian Psychiatry. 17(3), 189-194. [Abstract]
  • Hermens, D., Lubman, D., Ward, P., Naismith, S., Hickie, I. (2009), Amphetamine psychosis: a model for studying the onset and course of psychosis. The Medical Journal of Australia. 190(4 Suppl), S22-S25. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Glozier, N., Burke, D., Carter, P., Scott, E., Hickie, I. (2009), Early intervention in cognitive decline: Is there a role for multiple medical or behavioural interventions?. Early Intervention in Psychiatry. 3(1), 19-27.

2007

  
  • Hickie, I., Naismith, S., Ward, P., Little, C., Pearson, M., Scott, E., Mitchell, P., Wilhelm, K., Parker, G. (2007), Psychomotor slowing in older patients with major depression: Relationships with blood flow in the caudate nucleus and white matter lesions. Psychiatry research. 155(3), 211-220. [Abstract]
  • Hickie, I., Naismith, S., Ward, P., Scott, E., Mitchell, P., Schofield, P., Scimone, A., Wilhelm, K., Parker, G. (2007), Serotonin transporter gene status predicts caudate nucleus but not amygdala or hippocampal volumes in older persons with major depression. Journal of affective disorders. 98, 137-42. [Abstract]
  • Naismith, S., Longley, W., Scott, E., Hickie, I. (2007), Disability in major depression related to self-rated and objectively-measured cognitive deficits: a preliminary study. BMC psychiatry. 7(32), 0. [Abstract]