31st Annual Brain Impairment Conference

Workshop 1

Prof Glenda Halliday - Update on neuropathology in dementia
Recent genetic, cellular and tissue biology research has identified a relatively small number of protein products that form abnormal aggregates in neurodegenerative dementias. These types of research studies have also identified that different mechanisms (including genetic makeup) can trigger these aggregations. Perhaps most surprisingly, defects in gene products usually produce neurodegeneration and dementia only later in life, highlighting that longevity itself is a significant risk factor in all forms of neurodegeneration. While the delayed appearance of these dementia disorders (commonly developing over decades) is thought to be a combination of genetic and environmental susceptibilities, the reasons that different clinical disorders attack only certain sets of neurons within the brain and leave nearby neurons intact still remains largely mysterious. Despite this, by identifying the tempo of cell loss and all potential cell death mechanisms, a number of obvious therapeutic pathways become apparent. Details of the type and timing of cellular changes in the main dementia syndromes compared with normal ageing will be evaluated to highlight these concepts

Workshop 2

Ms Elizabeth Rand - Driving and dementia
In this workshop we will review the debate around older drivers with a particular focus on dementia. Dr Charlton will present evidence from her research into how age-related changes in cognition and perception influence driver behaviour and the evaluation of screening instruments for assessing functional abilities in potentially at-risk drivers. Evidence based protocols developed by the Victorian Cognitive Dementia & Memory Services (CDAMS) to support clinicians and clients in decisions about driving will also be discussed.

Workshop 3

Dr Peter Nestor - Language and dementia
The commonest cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and with disease progression aphasia invariably emerges making AD the commonest cause of language impairment in dementia. This usually takes the form of a fluent anomia, however, this deficit is only one of several cognitive problems and is characteristically less severe than impairment of memory. More important for clinical practice is aphasia as a presenting problem in a degenerative context. Progressive aphasia can be divided broadly into fluent (semantic substitutions and omissions with comprehension impairment) and non-fluent (phonological errors and hesitant speech but relatively preserved single word comprehension) forms although it is worth noting that a significant number of patients defy this strict categorisation. Fluent aphasia without prominent memory or visuospatial deficits is most classically seen in the syndrome of semantic dementia (SD) and is associated with focal degeneration of the rostral temporal lobes. SD is characteristically associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) pathology, most notably the variant with ubiquinated inclusions. Non-fluent progressive aphasia is also classified as a variant of FTD although this syndrome tends to be more of a mixed bag in pathological terms. Up term 40% have AD pathology, and to date, no clear linguistic or general neuropsychological factors have been reliably shown to predict this histology. In addition, a significant number evolve into a corticobasal syndrome and will have corticobasal degeneration at necropsy. Progressive supranuclear palsy can also present with prominent early loss of speech fluency usually with the hallmarks of dynamic aphasia. The workshop will focus on psycholinguistic features of progressive aphasic syndromes, neural correlates from brain imaging studies and potential clues to their pathological substrate. The presentation will include video excerpts.

Workshop 4

Dr Mike Bird - A case-specific predominantly psychosocial approach to BPSD
Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) include screaming, violence, resistance to care, repetitive questions, sexual disinhibition, and intrusive wandering. It remains a major problem in dementia care, and often leads to intolerable carer stress and the decision to institutionalize, where it causes equal distress to residential care staff. Many patients are still given anti-psychotic medication, despite 15 years of meta-analyses showing modest efficacy at best and frequent side effects. Sometimes there is no alternative to psychopharmacology but many enterprising carers or residential care staff routinely show that these behaviours can be managed without sedation, usually by providing common sense humane care. There is also research evidence, including a controlled trial directed by the author, that careful analysis of the multiple facets of the case profile and an intervention package tailored to that profile can produce better outcomes than pharmacology. This workshop uses an interactive approach and case examples to describe how to do this. A conceptual discussion is followed by material on assessment and management of these complex problems, including alleviating the distress of those exposed to behaviour, and how to work effectively as a clinical psychologist with residential care staff. The results of several intervention studies using this approach are also presented, and recent Commonwealth and NSW initiatives discussed.

Keynote Address - Prof John Hodges
Title: Frontotemporal dementia; facts fallacies and fantasies. Prof Hodges will give his Keynote at 5.30-6.30 immediately prior to the Cocktail Party on Thursday evening 1st May. There is no cost for this Address and it is open to everyone.

Plenary Address - Prof Donald Stuss
Title: Application of a theoretical framework for the Delivery of Cognitive Rehabilitation for Older Healthy Adults

Invited Speaker - A/Prof Glynda Kinsella
TBI in the older adult: Does age matter?

Symosium - Age and Outcome after Traumatic Brain Injury
Paper 1 - Michael Schönberger, Jennie Ponsford - The relationship between age and MRI findings following traumatic brain injury;

Paper 2 - Dawn Senathi-raja, Jennie Ponsford, Michael Schönberger - The Effect of Age on Long-term Cognitive and Emotional Outcome Following Traumatic Brain Injury;

Paper 3 - Jennie Ponsford - Effects of age on long-term outcome following TBI;

Paper 4 - Michael Schönberger, Jennie Ponsford - The relationship between age and employment outcome after traumatic brain injury: What are the mediating variables?

What’s Normal in Ageing?

T. Wardill, V. Anderson
Do older people forget? Memory performances in the normal aged

J. Douglas, B. Moorhouse
Use of the Arizona Battery for Communication Disorders of dementia (ABCD) to differentiate profiles associated with mild Alzheiemr’s disease, normal ageing and major depression

O. Piguet, J.J. Kril, G.M. Halliday
Postmortem findings of white, rather than grey, matter loss in healthy ageing and relation to cognition

G. Savage, D. Ames, C. Masters, R. Martins, T. Lockett, K. Ellis
Discovering the Early Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease: Neuropsychological Findings from the Longitudinal AIBL Flagship Study of Ageing

Invited Speaker: Dr Dina LoGuidice
D. LoGiudice, K. Smith, L. Flicker, O. Almeida, N. Lautenschlager, A. Dwyer, D. Atkinson The Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA): development of a cognitive tool for elderly Indigenous in remote and rural areas, and determination of prevalence of dementia in this region.

Unusual Dementias:
R. Ghaly, R. Leong, S. Scharf
Rapidly Progressive Dementia – a Case Report and Literature Review

W.A. Longley, Gary Fulcher
Multiple sclerosis - Related dementia as an unusual presenting feature

Movement Disorder Dimentias

Invited Speaker: Prof Helen Chenery
Prof Helen Chenery
The basal ganglia circuits, dopamine and language: Insights from studies in Parkinson’s disease

S. Buxton, L. Tippett
Emotional Processing Abilities in Parkinson's Disease and its Impact on Social Interactions

A. McKinlay, R.C. Grace, J.C. Dalrymple-Alford, D. Roger
The Identification of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease. Optional

1:30 Invited Speaker: A/Prof Nancy Pachana
A/Prof Nancy Pachana
Anxiety in the elderly - The Geriatric inventory (GAI): Development characteristics and use in neuropsychological populations

Traumatic Brain Injury
L.A. Clarke, J.F.I. Anderson
The Role of Cognitive and Affective Factors in the Development of Subjective Cognitive Impairment after a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

C.E. Skilbeck, B. Coward, M. Slayter, T. Bell
The Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) in Older Adults & Cognitive Reserve

Psychosocial Outcomes after Brain Impairment in the Elderly

M. Jorgensen, L. Togher
Narrative After Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A Comparison of Monologic and Jointly-Produced Narrative

B. Ryburn, C. Doyle, Y. Wells
The Impact of Residential Respite on People with Dementia

N. Coetzee, D.G. Andrewes
A New Model for Predicting Adherence to Treatments in Post-Stroke Patients

P.R. Bosboom, O. Almeida
The relation between cognitive function and Quality of Life (QoL) in Alzheimer’s disease Results of a cross-sectional baseline study.

Plenary Address - Prof Elsdon Storey
Title: Rapidly Progressive Dementias
ASSBI Presidential Address
Emeritus Professor Laurence Geffen will be giving the Presidential Address - Title: Fantastica: the origins of modern psychopharmacology Optional

Plenary Address - Dr Peter Nestor
Title: Issues in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Plenary Address - Prof David Ames
Title: The Australian Imaging Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship study of Ageing

Invited Speaker: Ms Liz Mullaly
Science, Law and the Assessment of Decision-Making Capacity

Psychological Intervention After Acquired Brain Injury

D. Wong
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Following Acquired Brain Injury: A Useful Alternative?

A.T. Lane-Brown, R.L. Tate
Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Apathy after Acquited Brain Injury

Invited Speaker: Dr David Williams
The natural history of akinetic rigid syndromes

Genetic and Functional Markers of Memory Disorders

Invited Speaker: A/Prof Christopher Rowe
Beta-amyloid imaging and dementia

D. Melzer, Collaborative group of MRC-CFAS, OHAP and LASA studies
Genetic variation: beyond ApoE

J.K. Foster, M.A. Smith, J.C. Badcock, B. Levine,S. Della Sala
Hippocampal Brain Injury, Recall and Recognition Memory: It all goes together when it goes?

Measurement and Issues of Evidence Based Practice

R. Schultz, M. Perdices, R. Tate, S. McDonald, L. Togher, S. Savage
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation: How good is the evidence in Dementia?

E. Helmes
Age Differences in Neuropsychological Test Performance in Chronic Psychological Disorders

L. Kay, A. Bundy, L. Clemson
Driving Awareness Questionnaire

R.L. Tate, R. Schultz, A. Lane-Brown
Self-Esteem after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Comparison of Two Scales

Invited Speaker: A/Prof Kaarin Anstey
Prevalence, incidence and issues for dignosis of mild cognitive disorders in young/old adults

Psychoemotional Functioning in Normal Ageing
T. Ruffman, J. Henry, L. Phillips, V. Livingstone
A Meta-Analytic Review of Emotion Recognition and Ageing: Implications for Neuropsychological Models of Ageing

P.E. Bailey, J.D. Henry
Electromyographic evidence for an age-related delay in facial expression mimicry

Tel: 0425 220 666
Fax: 02 9385 0273
E-mail: [email protected]

http://www.assbi.com.au/