Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre
Collaboration benefits neuroscience in psychiatry
The Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre (MNC) is a joint Centre of the Department of Psychiatry, the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health. It is comprised of a state-of-the-art neuropsychiatry imaging laboratory at the National Neuroscience Facility, the clinical Neuropsychiatry Unit at Royal Melbourne Hospital and the clinical Psychiatry Unit at Sunshine Hospital. The Howard Florey Institute was a collaborative partner in the establishment of the MNC and has been working with the MNC to bridge basic and clinical neuroscience in psychiatry.
Psychiatric illnesses examined
The MNC, led by Prof Christos Pantelis as Scientific Director and Dr Dennis Velakoulis as Clinical Director, has established an international reputation in the areas of cognition and neuroimaging in schizophrenia with several important publications in international psychiatry, neurology and radiology journals. The MNC provides a centre for research across several disciplines, with links to national and international research groups. MNC research ranges from neurobiological research (particularly imaging and neuropsychology) in neuropsychiatric illness through to clinical based research aimed at bringing neuropsychiatric expertise to mental health services. The MNC provides a unique clinical setting, with access to a patient base ranging from pre-onset schizophrenia through to chronic illness, and similarly for neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. The MNC aims to ensure that people suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders benefit from cutting-edge research that will improve management and treatment outcomes. Research also examines the effects of these disorders on the brain and how such changes might be prevented.
Working together for optimal outcomes
The broad research and clinical expertise of the MNC complements research work at the Florey across a number of clinical conditions including schizophrenia, epilepsy and Huntington’s disease. The two groups are working together to further our understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders and to develop our unique collaboration.
For more information visit the MNC’s website: www.psychiatry.unimelb.edu.au/mnc
Working on a better understanding of young onset dementia
Alzheimer’s Australia in conjunction with the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre has released a new publication to promote a better understanding among healthcare professionals and their patients of younger onset dementia, which affects 10,000 Australians aged under 65.
Alzheimer’s Australia commissioned the clear and accessible handbook Understanding Younger Onset Dementia from clinicians and researchers at the Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, a division of North Western Mental Health and the University of Melbourne, based at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. The handbook outlines the diseases which cause dementia, the patterns of symptoms associated with them and the tests which are carried out to make the diagnosis.
The publication is designed to help health professionals and their patients to cope with the complex process of diagnosis and disease progression. It is also available to the wider community to assist them to identify changes in themselves or their loved ones and seek help early.
Understanding Younger Onset Dementia is available on the web at: www.alzheimers.org.au. Hard copies can also be purchased for $7.50 from Alzheimer’s Australia by phoning (02) 6254 4233 or by emailing admin@alzheimers.org.au.
Research
