A5084010038- Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Neurological disorders and treatments
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Acute Ischemic Stroke Management
- Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
- Genetic Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Cerebrovascular and Carotid Artery Diseases
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques and Applications
- Contact Dermatitis and Allergies
- Acute Myocardial Infarction Research
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Cerebrovascular and genetic disorders
- Venous Thromboembolism Diagnosis and Management
- Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery
- Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life
- Frailty in Older Adults
- Nuclear Receptors and Signaling
- Advanced MRI Techniques and Applications
- Drug-Induced Adverse Reactions
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Clinical practice guidelines implementation
- Thyroid Disorders and Treatments
- Peripheral Artery Disease Management
University of Otago
2004-2025
New Zealand Brain Research Institute
2014-2025
Christchurch Hospital
2007-2025
University of Canterbury
2021-2024
Canterbury District Health Board
2021-2024
National Jewish Health
2023
University of Colorado Denver
2023
Auckland City Hospital
2020-2023
University of Oxford
2016-2021
John Radcliffe Hospital
2017-2021
Abstract: The mode of cell death in Parkinson's disease (PD) substantia nigra is uncertain. However, evidence accumulating that certain the biochemical abnormalities present PD at time may precipitate apoptosis. We have investigated induced by complex I inhibition dopaminergic cultures, and our results suggest both 1‐methyl‐4‐phenylpyridinium rotenone cause apoptosis low concentrations necrosis high concentrations. This dose‐dependent shift these mitochondrial toxins important implications...
Effort-based decision-making is a cognitive process crucial to normal motivated behaviour. Apathy common and disabling complication of Parkinson's disease, but its aetiology remains unclear. Intriguingly, the neural substrates associated with apathy also subserve effort-based in animal models humans. Furthermore, dopaminergic system plays core role motivating effortful behaviour for reward, dysfunction has been proposed play disease. We hypothesized that disrupted underlies syndrome this...
In ischemic stroke, intravenous tenecteplase is noninferior to alteplase in selected patients and has some practical advantages. Several stroke centers New Zealand changed routine off-label due improved early recanalization large vessel occlusion, inconsistent access thrombectomy within networks, for consistency treatment protocols between with without occlusion. We report the feasibility safety outcomes tenecteplase-treated patients.We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive...
Emerging evidence suggests that Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's dementia (PDD) share neurodegenerative mechanisms. We sought to directly compare cerebral perfusion in these two conditions using arterial spin labeling magnetic resonance imaging (ASL-MRI). In total, 17 AD, 20 PDD, 37 matched healthy controls completed ASL structural MRI, comprehensive neuropsychological testing. PDD was analyzed by whole-brain voxel-based analysis (to assess absolute blood flow), a priori specified...
The mesolimbic dopaminergic system exerts a crucial influence on incentive processing. However, the contribution of dopamine in dynamic, ecological situations where reward rates vary, and decisions evolve over time, remains unclear. In such circumstances, current (foreground) accrual needs to be compared continuously with potential rewards that could obtained by traveling elsewhere (background rate), determine opportunity cost staying versus leaving. We hypothesized specifically modulates...
Patients with small vessel cerebrovascular disease frequently suffer from apathy, a debilitating neuropsychiatric syndrome, the underlying mechanisms of which remain to be established. Here we investigated hypothesis that apathy is associated disrupted decision making in effort-based making, and these alterations are abnormalities white matter network connecting brain regions underpin such decisions. Eighty-two patients MRI evidence were assessed using behavioural paradigm as well diffusion...
Abstract Work in animal and human neuroscience has identified neural regions forming a network involved the production of motivated, goal-directed behaviour. In particular, nucleus accumbens anterior cingulate cortex are recognized as key nodes underlying decisions whether to exert effort for reward, drive Previous work convincingly shown that this cognitive mechanism, known effort-based decision making, is altered people with Parkinson’s disease syndrome reduced behaviour—apathy. Building...
A robust understanding of the natural history apathy in Parkinson disease (PD) is foundational for developing effective clinical management tools. However, large longitudinal studies are lacking while literature inconsistent about even cross-sectional associations. We aimed to determine predictors development a cohort people with PD and its associations trajectories over time, using sophisticated Bayesian modeling techniques.
Abstract Background Functional neurological disorders (FND) represent a significant proportion of presentations to outpatient adult neurology services. There is little information relating patients presenting acute inpatient care. Methods We identified as admissions with FND Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand, from 2016 2018. analyzed relevant demographic and clinical data electronic records measured incidence presentation secondary care healthcare utilization. Results One...
Apathy is a syndrome of reduced motivation that commonly occurs in patients with cerebral small vessel disease, including those the early onset form, CADASIL (cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy). The cognitive mechanisms underlying apathy are poorly understood treatment options limited. We hypothesized disrupted effort-based decision-making, process by which potential rewards effort cost required to obtain them integrated drive behaviour,...
White matter hyperintensities (WMH) or white lesions exhibit high variability in their characteristics both at population- and subject-level, making detection a challenging task. Population-level factors such as age, vascular risk neurodegenerative diseases affect lesion load spatial distribution. At the individual level, WMH vary contrast, amount distribution different regions. In this work, we aimed to improve BIANCA, FSL tool for segmentation, order better deal with these sources of...
Abstract INTRODUCTION Recent work suggests that amyloid beta (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) tracer uptake shortly after injection (“early phase”) reflects brain metabolism and perfusion. We assessed this modality in a predominantly amyloid‐negative neurodegenerative condition, Parkinson's disease (PD), hypothesized early‐phase 18 F‐florbetaben (eFBB) would reproduce characteristic hypometabolism hypoperfusion patterns associated with cognitive decline PD. METHODS One hundred fifteen...
This scientific commentary refers to ‘Impaired reward sensitivity in Parkinson’s depression is unresponsive dopamine treatment’ by Costello et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awaf098).
Therapeutic advancement is well underway, and the medical community needs to keep pace A further potential disease-modifying therapy (DMT), lecanemab, was approved by FDA for treatment of early Alzheimer disease in January 2023, with accompanying media releases on both licensing company's commitment safety appropriate pricing.4, 5 An application approval has been lodged Australia. These therapies are costly not without risk. Three deaths have reported related lecanemab.6 Patients receiving...
Apathy is one of the most common neuropsychiatric manifestations in Parkinson's disease (PD). Recent proposals consider apathy as a multidimensional construct, which can manifest behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and/or social dimensions. also overlaps conceptually and clinically with other non-motor comorbidities, particularly depression. Whether all these dimensions are applicable to apathetic syndrome experienced by people PD unclear. In present study, we investigated pattern associated...
Animals make innumerable decisions every day, each of which involves evaluating potential options for action. But how are generated? Although much is now known about decision making when a fixed set provided, surprisingly little progress has been made on self-generated options. Some researchers have proposed that such abilities might be modulated by dopamine. Here, we used new measure option generation quantitative, objective, and culture fair to investigate humans generate different...
Abstract Background Parkinson's disease (PD) may result from the combined effect of multiple etiological factors. The relationship between incidence and age, as demonstrated in cancer literature, can be used to model a multistep pathogenic process, potentially affording unique insights into development. Objectives We tested whether observed PD is consistent with estimated number steps required this varies examined drivers sex differences incidence. Methods Our validated probabilistic...
Corticobasal syndrome is a disorder of movement, cognition and behaviour with several possible underlying pathologies, including corticobasal degeneration. It presents insidiously slowly progressive. Clinicians should consider the diagnosis in people presenting any combination extrapyramidal features (with poor response to levodopa), apraxia or other parietal signs, aphasia alien-limb phenomena. Neuroimaging showing asymmetrical perirolandic cortical changes supports diagnosis, while...
Abstract The neuropsychiatric syndrome of apathy is now recognized to be a common and disabling condition in Huntington’s disease (HD). However, the mechanisms underlying it are poorly understood. One way investigate utilise theoretical framework normal motivated behaviour, determine where breakdown has occurred people with this behavioural disruption. A fundamental computation motivated, goal-directed behaviour across species weighing up costs rewards associated actions. Here, we asked...