Brain and Mind

Study: First time stroke survivors have substantial immediate and accelerated long term cognitive decline

New evidence from the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) indicates that older adults who experience a stroke for the first time will have substantial immediate and accelerated long term-cognitive decline. 

Addressing the perinatal mental health clinician shortage

Perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) impacts 100,000 Australians each year, equating to one in five mums and one in ten dads, with PNDA costing Australia $877 million annually. To address the nationwide shortage of specialist perinatal mental health clinicians, Gidget Foundation Australia has partnered with Federation University to launch the Graduate Diploma in Perinatal Mental Health.

Paediatric mental help for children of defence personnel, veterans and first responders

Dr Marg Rogers is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at University of New England (UNE) in Armidale, New South Wales. She is a prominent figure in early childhood education New South Wales, and is also a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Manna Institute, a mental health research organisation within the regional university network across Australia, that is building place based research capacity to improve the mental health of regional, rural and remote Australia.

Detection and prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

Professor Vicky Vass serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer’s Research Australia, which is based in Perth, Western Australia. Australian Health Journal met with Professor Vass to hear of the organisation’s mission to solve the mysteries surrounding Alzheimer’s disease, and focus on detection as the key to their efforts.

Emerging researcher appointed to James Packer Chair in Mood Disorders at UNSW

The UNSW Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health is widely renowned as the pre-eminent psychiatry research department in the country and one of the leading university psychiatry research groups internationally. In 2023 it celebrated 60 Years of Psychiatry & Mental Health at UNSW Sydney.
 
Australian Health Journal spoke with Professor Kimberlie Dean, Head of the Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health at UNSW Sydney, about the recent appointment of mental health disorders expert and clinician researcher Dr Aswin Ratheesh to lead the James Packer Chair in Mood Disorders at UNSW Sydney.

Navigating the health system for mental health support

Senior professionals and middle managers are experiencing increased burnout and stress, leading to higher alcohol consumption, and there is a need for better support and resources for mental health and addiction treatment in Australia, according to Ruth Limkin, Founder of The Banyans and Chief Development Officer at parent Sana Health Group.

Understanding factors of persistent lower back pain in women

Lizzy Quinn is a Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist with 20 years experience focusing on people with spinal pain. Australian Health Journal spoke with Lizzy on the complexities of persistent lower back pain in women.

Lower back pain in women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s is complex to treat due to the combination of physical and emotional factors, and health professionals need to stay updated on best practices and science to provide the best recovery platform for patients. These women typically have busy lives, pressures, and expectations.

App helps Chronic Sleep Deprivation

Earlier this year, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health researchers developed SleepSync, the world’s first app that personalises sleep-wake cycles for shift workers to improve their sleep and overall mood.

The research, led by Dr Jade Murray, was published in the journal, Digital Health. Australian Health Journal met with Dr Murray to hear how the application has evolved and been used in personalisation of sleep habits for health care shift workforce.

The world of AI avatars in dementia care

Dementia care is one of the critical issues facing the aged care industry. About 500,000 Australians currently live with the brain disorder condition, and this is tipped to rise to 1.1 million in a generation.

How to effectively provide quality care for people living with dementia was a key element of the royal commission into aged care, which found the complex care required was an ongoing challenge for the industry.

Landmark brain shape study

For over a century, researchers have thought that the patterns of brain activity that define our experiences, hopes and dreams are determined by how different brain regions communicate with each other through a complex web of trillions of cellular connections.

Now, a Monash University Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health-led study has examined more than 10,000 different maps of human brain activity and found that the overall shape of a person’s brain exerts a far greater influence on how we think, feel and behave than its intricate neuronal connectivity.

Scroll to top