Nerve Research Foundation - University of Sydney

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| 12 | Annual Report 2004 Research 2004 Royal Prince Alfred Hospital NEUROPATHOLOGY NEUROSURGERY B Owler, Dunne VG, Besser M The Department of Neurosurgery continues ongoing research in the International Familial Intracranial Aneurysm study funded by the National Institute of Health in the United States. It is a prospective international multi-centre study analysing indepth familial intracranial aneurysm, hoping to elucidate the genetic basis for this devastating disease. In 2004 the Neurosurgery Department also initiated the Brain Tumour Awareness Group which meets every three months and provides education and support for brain tumour patients. Neurosurgery is participating in a multi-centre study on the impact of PET scanning on the management of patients with glioma after initial therapy. Professor Michael Besser completed a course in advanced techniques in intraoperative MRI held in Frankfurt, Germany, in November 2004. This is a prelude to the first acquisition in Australia of an intraoperative MRI unit at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital this year. Professor Michael Besser was a participant and invited lecturer in the Cerebrovascular Workshop held in Sydney in April 2004. MOTOR NEURON DISEASE R Pamphlett Dr Pamphlett continues to explore possible causes of motor neuron disease. He has set up an Australia-wide DNA Bank to look for genetic differences that could make people susceptible to motor neuron disease. The DNA Bank now contains samples from more than 900 people. Genes that are being examined are those that protect people from heavy metal toxicity and from viruses entering the motor neurons. It is hoped this work will find some of the causes of motor neuron disease. FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA J Kril Associate Professor Kril and colleagues have been working towards a better understanding of the pathology of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). FTD is a type of dementia which results in marked disturbance in behaviour and interpersonal relationships; the cause of FTD is unknown. Volumetric analysis of FTD has revealed (i) atrophy is widespread, affects all lobes and is related to disease stage, (ii) asymmetry is only present in the superior frontal and primary motor cortices, and (iii) frontal, limbic and temporal regions are most severely affected early in the disease process however temporal lobe atrophy is the best predictor of disease duration.
The role of tau pathology in FTD is being investigated in frontal and temporal regions of patients with behavioural variant FTD but with and without tauinclusions (Pick disease). To date, no difference in the pattern or degree of neuronal loss, or the extent of astrogliosis has been found. In collaboration with Prof John Hodges from Cambridge, UK, the Sydney group have made the observation that a number of patients with postmortem-confirmed FTD exhibit marked memory impairment at disease onset. This is in direct contrast to current diagnostic criteria for FTD in which early memory impairment is considered an exclusion criterion. Nevertheless, the finding is supported by volumetric studies which show early hippocampal atrophy which progresses with disease duration to be more severe than that seen in AD and the strong relationship between hippocampal volume and neuron number. ALCOHOL RESEARCH C Harper, I Matsumoto The Department of Pathology houses the New South Wales Tissue Resource Centre (NSW TRC). The NSW TRC is a facility for the collection, storage and distribution of well characterised fixed and frozen human brain tissue for neuropsychiatric research (with a focus on schizophrenia and alcohol related disorders). The NSW TRC is jointly supported by NISAD Schizophrenia Research, the University of Sydney, Sydney South West Area Health Service, The Australian Brewer's foundation and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The ability to collect human brain tissue is made possible through the Department of Forensic Medicine (DOFM) and two brain donor programs; 'Gift of Hope' and "Using our Brains'. Over the last two and a half years through DOFM we have been able to speak to the next of kin (NOK) of people and ask them to consider the donation of brain tissue for research. This contact has been very successful with 63% of the NOK saying yes to the donation. The two brain donor programs continue to be very active. In 2004 we have successfully facilitated the brain donation of seven people who were enrolled on the program. In 2004, tissue has been requested and supplied for 34 neuropsychiatric research studies, including international studies. In late 2004, we have combined with two other brain donor programs in New South Wales. Professor Halliday, from the Prince Of Wales Medical Research Institute and Associate Professor Kril from the Centre for Education and Research and Ageing, who direct these programs are now part of the Neuropathology Unit. The focus of these two programs is neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, we have been looking at changes in protein expression in postmortem brain tissues of alcohol and schizophrenia cases using new proteomic techniques. In addition, we have been studying animals that have been treated with neuroleptics. Neuronal stem cells have been used to identify drugspecific alterations of protein expression. Using the combination of Laser capture microscopy and PCR method, expression of NMDA receptor subunits has been investigated in specific cell populations of both schizophrenic and alcoholic brains. The Nerve Research Foundation Institute of Clinical Neurosciences Annual Report 2004 | 13 |
Page 1 and 2: The Nerve Research Foundation | The
Page 3 and 4: President and Directors’ Report N
Page 5 and 6: Members of the Nerve Research Found
Page 7 and 8: Chairman’s Report Institute of Cl
Page 9 and 10: LONG TERM SURVIVAL OF PEOPLE WITH M
Page 11 and 12: NEW TREATMENT FOR INFLAMMATORY NEUR
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Page 21 and 22: Dr PD Cremer, MB BS, BSc(Med), FRAC
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