Mental health week 2015: Schizophrenia and mirror system function

MAPrc student Dr Sophie Andrews supervised by Dr Kate Hoy, Professor Paul Fitzgerald, and Dr Richard Thomson recently authored a study which looked at patients with schizophrenia and whether their mirror neuron systems are impaired.

Dysfunctional mirror neuron systems have been proposed to contribute to the social cognitive deficits observed in schizophrenia. A few studies have explored mirror systems in schizophrenia using various techniques such as TMS (levels of motor resonance) or EEG (levels of mu suppression), with mixed results.

This study used a novel multimodal approach (eg: concurrent TMS and EEG) to further investigate mirror systems and social cognition in schizophrenia. Nineteen individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 19 healthy controls participated.

The study found that the schizophrenia group showed significant deficits in facial affect recognition and higher level theory of mind, compared to healthy controls. A significant positive relationship was revealed between mu suppression and motor resonance for the overall sample, indicating concurrent validity of these measures. Levels of mu suppression and motor resonance were not significantly different between groups.

These findings indicate that in stable outpatients with schizophrenia, mirror system functioning is intact. Therefore, their social cognitive difficulties may be caused by alternative pathophysiology.

Reference (full study): Andrews SC, Enticott PG, Hoy KE, Thomson RH, Fitzgerald PB. No evidence for mirror system dysfunction in schizophrenia from a multimodal TMS/EEG study. Psychiatry Research 228:3,pp.431–440, 30 Aug 2015.

Participants sought: childhood experiences and the relationship to mental state

We are currently seeking participants for a study conducted at Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) about types of childhood experiences associated with current mental state.

You may be suitable for this study if you are:

•    Female or male aged over 18 years
•    Experience symptoms of intense mood fluctuations, difficulty controlling anger, impulsivity, self-harming behaviours, OR have a current diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD)

Part 1 of this study involves completing a brief questionnaire about childhood experiences and current mental state. Part two is optional and  involves an 8-week medication trial of a new medication to improve mental state.

We would love to hear from you if you are interested or have further questions.

Contact:
Lucinda Miller
lucy.miller@monash.edu
(03) 9076 5031
www.maprc.org.au/

This project is being conducted by the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre

This project has approval from Alfred Ethics Committee, Project Number: 204/14

Prof Jayashri Kulkarni: Psychiatry in the 21st century. Find out more on 30 Sep 2015

Professor Jayashri Kulkarni is a Professor of Psychiatry and the director of Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) – one Australia’s largest and most innovative centres for clinical mental health research.

She is internationally recognised for her expertise in the treatment of mental illness, particularly in women’s mental health. She has pioneered the use of estrogen as a treatment in schizophrenia and has developed many other innovative treatments for mental illnesses.

Jayashri will be speaking at the forthcoming 30 Sept Translational Research symposium hosted by Central Clinical School. See detail below.

Prof Kulkarni graduated from Monash Medical School and became a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists in 1989.

She is a passionate advocate of patient-focused mental health research. With more than a third of mental illness sufferers not responsive to current treatments, she believes there is an urgent need for investment in clinical psychiatry research so as new and effective treatments for mental illness can be developed. She is a regular media commentator on mental health related issues.

30 Aug 2015 de Castella Run to Mend Minds: Run, Sponsor, Donate - it all helps!

MAPrc wants your involvement! Run, donate, join in with the de Castella Run for Mental Health 2015 (Sunday 30 August), in the following ways:

1. Register as a runner
2. Fundraise by creating a fundraising account
3. Sponsor a runner
4. Donate to MAPrc

Funds raised will go towards the mental health research at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc).Your efforts will help the team of clinicians, researchers and post graduate students to help mend minds as they conduct a series of high quality clinical research projects under the direct supervision of MAPrc Director, Professor Jayashri Kulkarni.

Mindfulness: a mental health technique

Dr Neil Bailey, based at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre, investigates how techniques of mindfulness (or meditation) change our brain to prevent or ameliorate mental illness. Recent research has shown that the brain's grey matter is diminished in psychiatric disorders, and conserved or even augmented with mindfulness practice. Neil describes in this video the particular aspect his research is exploring.

Vote for Neil's video for the Thinkable Award. The winner is awarded $5000: Link

Monash is offering mindfulness practice courses to staff: Link

Participants sought: auditory verbal hallucinations

Participants are sought for study on auditory verbal hallucinations in relation to mood in bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.

Have you heard voices when no one else was nearby? To the person hearing the voice, it seems like someone is talking to them, but others around them do not actually hear the voice. These experiences tend to be more common amongst people with a mental illness, but also affect a proportion of people without a mental illness. 

Please find out more from the study coordinator, Dr Wei Lin Toh:
Email: wei.lin.toh@monash.edu
Phone: (03) 9076 5172
Website: www.maprc.org.au/cognitive-neuropsychiatry

Volumetric, cortical thickness and white matter integrity alterations in bipolar disorder type I and II

Dr Jerome Maller

MAPrc researcher Dr Jerome Maller recently published an article which looks at volumetric, cortical thickness and white matter integrity alterations in bipolar disorder type I and II.

Participants sought: Optimising the use of Theta Burst TMS in Modifying Brain Activity

Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) is currently seeking volunteers aged between 18 and 65 to take part in a study looking at the effects of magnetic stimulation on brain activity.  Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a safe and non-invasive means of stimulating nerve cells in the brain. In addition to TMS, the participants will also have their brain activity assessed, using electroencephalograph (EEG). 

Preventing domestic violence: One day conference 11 October

Professionals and the community need to work together to prevent domestic violence, says Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, Director of the Monash Alfred Psychiatry research centre. GPs, psychiatrists, the police, politicians, not-for-profits, and those in the legal system will meet to discuss ways to work together to recognise, manage and prevent domestic violence on 11 October at the "Mind your family" conference. See 18/08/14 Monash story