From the Chair of Neurosurgical Research, Professor Robert VinkThree students undertaking research studies under the supervision of the NRF Chair gave brief presentations of their current research at the AGM.

Dr Damian Amato, a neurosurgical trainee undertaking a Masters in Surgery, summarised his research looking for a more suitable model for the study of intracranial pressure. Head injury is responsible for two millions deaths world-wide each year, striking down young people in the dawn of their productive life. Damian Amato presented experimental data to show how measuring pressure inside the head can be used to reduce this devastating epidemic.

PhD student Ms Christine Barry then described her work examining subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). SAH affects a younger population than other forms of stroke and commonly leads to death or long term dependency. Data from her studies to date using two different models of SAH indicate that rises in intracranial pressure occur in proportion to haemorrhage size.

Brain oedema (swelling) did not cause the high intracranial pressure. If this model reflects human SAH, it implies that treatments to reduce brain swelling are unlikely to be helpful. Treatments should therefore focus on maintaining cerebral perfusion pressure (brain blood flow) to have any hope of improving outcome.

Finally, Honours student Lauren Giorgio outlined her work on neuropeptides in neurogenesis (new cell growth) after traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI often results in a number of secondary injury factors that develop over days and weeks, causing most of the long-term damage associated with the injury. Lauren’s study looks at giving a drug to block one of these factors - inflammation - and to establish whether this promotes new cell growth within the brain at various stages following the injury. Furthermore, she is looking at ascertaining whether the drug subsequently improves functional outcome. Being able to not only reduce injury but also promote new cell growth in the injured brain offers many exciting novel approaches to therapy.

NRF Christmas Morning Tea - Date: Thursday 19th November. The NRF is pleased to invite you to our annual Christmas Morning Tea and Presentation.This is your opportunity to hear about the research that your donations are funding. Our President, Dr Brian North, will be present. We invite all NRF members and supporters to attend; please feel free to bring friends. It will be an information and social morning with morning tea served. Time: 11am - Venue: Latvian Hall, on Clark St (Off Greenhill Road) Wayville. Please RSVP to Ginta direct on either ph: 8371 0771 or email nrfginta@bigpond.com. NRF Paediatric Appeal Launch - Date: Friday 14th May 2010. We are very pleased to announce the date for the NRF Paediatric Appeal Launch. Time: 7pm - Tickets: Will go on sale in February 2010. Venue: National Wine Centre. This event is to launch the Appeal to raise $2m to fund paediatric neurosurgical research at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital. This work will be in conjunction with the NRF Chair of Neurosurgical Research at the University of Adelaide. Please put this date in your diary NOW! The 43rd Annual General Meeting of the Neurosurgical Research Foundation was held at the Medical School of the University of Adelaide on Tuesday, September 1st. Council elections: The AGM re-elected Dr Brian North as President. The AGM re-elected the following Council Members: Ms Carolyn Hewson (Patron), Dr Nick Vrodos, Mr Lindsay Hick, Dr Matthew McDonald, Mr Chris Ashenden. We would like to confirm that NRF Council is made up of the following Members: Jon Gregerson, Prof Peter Reilly, Prof Donald Simpson, Prof Robert Vink, Mr Jim Whiting, Mr Mel Zerner, (Hon Treasurer), Mr Don Donlan, Ms Melanie Cooper, Prof Jack McLean and Ms Ginta Orchard (Hon Secretary).

NRF Diary Dates 2009-10

NRF NEWS

Dr Damian Amato

Ms Christine Barry

Lauren Giorgio

NRF Annual Research Presentations

N e w s l e t t e r O f T h e N e u r o s u r g i c a l R e s e a r c h F o u n d a t i o n I n c .

Spring 2009 Edition

...Latest Breakthrough in Parkinson’s Disease Research (Full details over the page)

I am sometimes asked “why did I become involved in Parkinson’s disease research”. Like most people, I know people afflicted with this disease, and although it mainly affects the elderly, it can occur in people of all ages. Despite extensive research into PD (it was first described in 1819 by James Parkinson) and our knowledge that in PD there is a loss of dopamine cells within the substantia nigra, we still don’t know why these neurons die.

My research has explored the role of the neuropeptide substance P in dopamine neuronal death. Substance P is found in high levels in the substantia nigra where it is involved in the release of dopamine. It also plays a role in inflammatory processes including the entry of

Australian Executor Trustees allocated a $10,000 Grant to the NRF for Parkinson’s disease research from their annual discretionary trust. Australians are known for their generous spirit of giving and support of worthwhile causes. Australian Executor Trustees has been helping people give back to the community for over 120 years.

A novel therapy for involuntary motor movements and disease progression in Parkinson’s disease.Summary - Levodopa (L-DOPA) is the primary treatment for Parkinson’s disease despite the fact that 40-70% of all patients on L-DOPA will develop both motor fluctuations and dyskinesia within five years of starting treatment. Dyskinesia is involuntary jerky muscle contractions, twisting or rapid movements, and is often more debilitating than the original symptoms. These involuntary motor movements significantly interfere with the patient’s quality of life, and unfortunately, there is no treatment. The current project will investigate the novel hypothesis that dykinesia is related to oscillating substance P levels in the basal ganglia, and will examine whether substance P antagonists can reduce dyskinesia while maintaining L-DOPA delivery, and whether they can attenuate disease progression. The project has the potential to profoundly improve the quality of life of Parkinson’s disease patients.

Australian Executor Trustees Charitable TrustsAustralian Executor Trustees Charitable Trusts

Additional Funding For Parkinson’s Disease Research

Latest Breakthrough

NeuroSurgical Research Foundation.NRF Contact Information:

For enquiries or to make a donation: Ginta Orchard – Executive Officer Postal Address: PO Box 698, North Adelaide SA 5006

Phone: (08) 8371 0771, Fax: (08) 8261 0945, Mobile: 0419 844511 Email: nrfginta@bigpond.com, Website: www.nrf.com.au

On-line Donations also at: www.nrf.com.au

i n P a r k i n s o n ’ s D i s e a s e R e s e a r c h . . .

peripheral immune cells into the brain. Inflammation has been given major attention for its involvement in dopamine cell loss and disease progression.

My research used an experimental model of PD that replicates the early stages of the disease. In this model, I found that substance P was increased during the time of early dopamine cell loss. I reasoned that preventing this rise and inhibiting the effects of substance P, we could reduce dopamine cell loss and therefore slow down disease progression. Interestingly a reduction in inflammation was also observed when dopamine cell loss was reduced.

We are now hoping to seek a pharmaceutical industry partner to

conduct a clinical trial. This trial will test the long-term efficacy and safety of this novel treatment in humans. As we all know, the further development of any drug through clinical trials can take a number of years.

Safety in patients is, and always will be, the first consideration in any trial. Our best advice for now is to make your treating physician aware of our studies and to continue to take their advice. When clinical trials commence, your neurologist would be the point of contact for any patient recruitment.

This ground breaking research was featured on Channel 10 news Wednesday 12th August 2009.

By Dr Emma Thornton, PhD

EUROSURGICAL

E S E A R C HRF

N

o u n d a t i o n

Centre for Neurological Diseases Hanson Institute, Adelaide SA

Latest Breakthroughi n P a r k i n s o n ’ s D i s e a s e R e s e a r c h . . .

Damien: Damien is currently in training to take part in next year’s City to Bay Fun Run. This is quite unbelievable considering he was struggling to walk only a year ago. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease seven years ago at the age of 32; within seven years, his quality of life deteriorated drastically. He lost full sensation in his arms, had permanent tremors all over, was limping severely to finally having such poor balance that he would often fall over. These symptoms have all been controlled through the Deep Brain Stimulation. He was the first ever SA patient to undergo this life changing treatment. The condition has also drastically impaired his speech, which has improved with the treatment but is not yet back to 100% recovery. He is undergoing continual adjustments to improve this. The results are great, however the adjustments are painful. This treatment has given him hope and the ability to continue with life with his 10 year old son.

By neurosurgeon Matthew McDonald & neurologist Dominc Thyagarajan

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a surgical procedure used to treat the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), such as tremor, rigidity, stiffness, slowed movement, and walking problems. DBS uses a surgically implanted, battery-operated medical device called a neurostimulator – similar to a heart pacemaker and approximately the size of a stopwatch – to deliver electrical stimulation to targeted areas in the brain that control movement, blocking the abnormal nerve signals that cause tremor and PD symptoms. This ground breaking treatment was featured on Channel 7’s Today Tonight on Monday 1st June 2009 being performed by neurosurgeon Matthew McDonald and neurologist Dominc Thyagarajan.

This innovative neurosurgical procedure at Flinders Medical Centre has resulted in a gift of a more normal life to Damien and Nigel. They were only in hospital for 6 days, the procedure took only 4 -5 hours with them being awake, and the difference was immediate. The tremors ceased, they are now on many fewer drugs, which also means fewer side effects. This treatment is not a cure however; it has given Damien and Nigel back a decent quality of life, with which they are more than pleased.

Nigel: I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at 42 years of age. Within 4 years, the quality of my life deteriorated drastically. Parkinson’s disease is a progressively degenerative neurological disorder, which affects the control of body movements. “Initially I started to slow down and become very tired at work eventually even falling asleep at my desk. I have a history of Parkinson’s disease in my family and had a suspicion it had finally come to me as well. The three main symptoms which affected my daily life were tremors (shaking, trembling), rigidity or stiffness of the muscles, and slowness of movement. I had to take drugs every two hours, which were trying to manage these symptoms. These drugs created side effects such as dyskinesia which is involuntary movement. I could no longer work due to the stress of not being able to do more than one thing at a time and doing everyday tasks became impossible.As a father of six children and grandfather of two, I wanted my active life back. The symptoms have all been controlled and stopped through the Deep Brain Stimulation.”Without this treatment, I would not have been mobile for much longer.”

Living with Parkinson’s disease...

Deep Brain stimulation treatment For parkinson’s DiseaseDeep Brain stimulation treatment For parkinson’s Disease

Matthew McDonald

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