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What Is Dementia?
Dementia is an umbrella term for a variety of conditions that cause progressive damage to the brain. It is a symptom that occurs in over 100 conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, vascular dementia or Lewy Body dementia.
Dementia can begin as a gradual or step-wise decrease in your memory, ability to retrieve words or name things or ability to perform your daily activities. Dementia may also cause personality changes and mood problems.
Diagnosis involves a completed medical examination that involves medical imaging, cognitive assessments and a thorough history. Any diagnosis made is through the principal investigator (Professor David Barton) who will discuss this diagnosis with you and your family. Neurocentrix offers counselling for trial participants who receive a new diagnosis.
Current Studies
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X-Pro
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Autonomy
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Janssen
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Lily AACI
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Lily MTAE
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What Are Common Warning Signs of Early Dementia?
- Forgetfulness, suggested by misplacing items, missing appointments, repeating the same topic or question
- Difficulty with familiar tasks such as making tea, brushing teeth, using appliances
- Language difficulties, such as referring to common items as “thing” or “that”, or difficulty forming a long sentence or understanding instructions
- Confusion about time and place, such as suddenly not knowing where you are or why, or not knowing how to get home.
- Frequently forgetting the date or day
- Impaired judgement causing difficulty in judging distances, not taking usual precautions such as turning off the stove, wearing the wrong clothes for the season or driving erratically
- Changes in personality and mood, more irritable or agitated, more suspicious, being socially inappropriate, losing interest in usual activities or withdrawing socially
What Can You Do?
NeuroCentrix Memory Clinic offers a team of highly skilled clinicians to help you make informed choices about managing memory issues.
Recent research demonstrates that there are identifiable markers to indicate mild cognitive decline. Whilst there is no known cure for dementia, early intervention may slow the progress of cognitive decline. The first step in any treatment plan is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of your cognitive function.
Neurocentrix Memory Clinic offers evidence-based assessment and advice that includes neuropsychological testing and assessment, consultations with our senior psychiatrists and referral for biomedical investigations including brain scans, if required.
Alzheimer’s Disease
What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is unknown.
In some regions of the brain cells die off causing these areas to shrink. First affected is usually the outer layer of the brain, which results in diminished short-term memory. Problems remembering small details such as names, dates and words is often the first sign of Alzheimer’s disease. As damage continues, deeper parts of the brain are affected. This leads to problems learning new information, using words and performing tasks.
What are the Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease usually begins with lapses in short term memory, difficulty in finding the right words, and social withdrawal. With time, these symptoms gradually become more severe. Deeper problems also emerge, such as forgetting familiar people or places, trouble using familiar objects, and trouble performing daily tasks. There may also be mood swings and personality changes.
How Do You Benefit by Participating in a Clinical Trial?
- Regular consultation with a specialist in memory disorders
- Supportive counselling for carers with experienced staff
- Discussing strategies for dealing with behavioural concerns
- Receiving early recommendations to support services
- Carers report that participation is a positive experience
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Clinical trials provide the opportunity to gain access to new treatments that are being investigated as disease modifying therapies. They may delay the course of Alzheimer’s disease or protect the brain from further damage and could potentially improve a patient’s quality of life.
The increase in knowledge gained, even if a particular treatment doesn’t work, may help future generations.
Interested to participate in a clinical trial?
Contact NeuroCentrix Research Team
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Meet the team
Professor David Barton
Dr David Barton specialises in general adult and geriatric psychiatry with a particular interest in neuropsychiatry, acquired brain injury and the association between depression and cardiovascular disease.
Dr Barton’s other roles include:
- Director of mental health services at South Eastern Private Hospital
- Consultation Liaison Psychiatrist with the Acquired Brain Injury Unit at Caulfield Hospital
- Adjunct Professor at the Australian Centre for Heart Health
- Senior Research Scientist at the BakerIDI Heart and Diabetes Institute’s Human Neurotransmitter Laboratory
- Honorary Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne
- Senior Consultant at Ballarat Health Services
Dr Peter Farnbach
Dr Peter Farnbach specialises in adult psychiatry with a particular interest in mood and anxiety disorders, neurofeedback, biofeedback and behaviour therapy. Dr Farnbach has worked on over 30 clinical trials that have focused predominantly on neuroscience. He completed his psychiatric training at the Austin Hospitaland Ballarat Base Hospital before entering into private practice.
Dr Farnbach’s other roles have included:
- Lecturer at the Monash School of Medicine and the Department of Psychological MedicineMonash University
- Consultant Psychiatrist at Bendigo Health Care Network
- Director of Neurostimulation at South Eastern Private Hospital.
Dr Ronald Gill (Consultant Psychiatrist)
Dr Ronald Gill finished his MBBS in 2007 and then finished in specialist training in Psychiatry. He has also finished advanced training in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (Psycho-somatic medicine) and works as a Neuropsychiatrist and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist in public and private health services in Melbourne. His areas of interest include neurodegenerative disorders e.g., Huntington’s disease, motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, and other similar disorders. He has a special interest in depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, and psychological issues in the setting of chronic and acute medical issues.
Expertise:
- adjustment disorders
- anxiety disorder
- bipolar disorder
- epilepsy
- major depressive disorder
- schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
- somatoform disorders
Please note: Dr. Gill is unable to accept ADHD and ASD referrals.
A/Prof Krishna Vaddadi
Associate Professor Krishna Vaddadi is a sessional Consultant Psychiatrist with consulting suites located in Burwood. He has extensive experience in clinical psychiatry, specialising in rehabilitation, consultation psychiatry and neuropsychiatry. Krishna’s collaborative approach to patient care focuses on management plans and long-term outcomes. This means that at times he will work closely with psychologists, GPs and neurologists, as well as consult with family members and caregivers. He is able to assess and treat movement disorders, neurodegenerative conditions and the psychiatric aspects associated with Parkinson’s disease given his holistic treatment style. Dr Vaddadi is currently researching transcultural psychiatry, rehabilitation and Tardive syndrome, with his previously published works focusing on carer stress, tardive dyskinesia and Huntington’s disease. He is providing formal education to medical students and trainees completing their RANZCP at Monash University. Dr Krishna Vaddadi is committed to providing excellence in all patient treatments through holistic and collaborative psychiatric care.