The School of Psychology is proudly hosting a talk by:
Prof.
Renate Thienel
Priority Centre for Translational Neuroscience & Mental Health
Research
University of Newcastle
Title: Differential
effects of risperidone vs. haloperidol on brain activation during a working
memory task in first episode schizophrenia patients.
Date: Thursday
23rd May 2013, 12-1pm in Keats Reading Room (AVLG17) (video
streaming to AV3 in the Ourimbah library)
If
you would like to meet with Dr. Thienel, please contact A/Prof Scott Brown (scott.brown@newcastle.edu.au).
Abstract: Neurocognitive impairments in schizophrenia are
common and clinically relevant. The majority of people diagnosed with
schizophrenia will experience a significant decline in global, social and
occupational function levels in the course of their illness. Amongst the
different cognitive domains, memory impairments in particular are regarded as
possible intermediate phenotypes of schizophrenia. I investigated whether
haloperidol and risperidone - two neuroleptic drugs with differential receptor
binding profiles - show distinct impacts on functional networks mediating
working memory. Differential effects of first- and second-generation
antipsychotics on cognition have been reported before, however most of the
previous results where employing disproportionately high doses of haloperidol,
with the associated increased risk of unwanted side effects, such as cognitive
impairment and extrapyramidal motor side effects. I compared the functional
haemodynamic response during an n-back task in first-episode schizophrenia
patients on a comparably low to moderate dose of haloperidol versus
risperidone. Risperidone treated patients showed stronger activations than
haliperidol patients in a cortical network that has previously been associated
with this type of working memory task. As the results were controlled for
medication dose, and neither side effects nor co-treatment differed between the
groups, the results are not likely to be affected by these confounding factors,
but rather reflect the drugs different receptor binding profile, such as their
differential mesocortical dopaminergic input, and pro-cholinergic properties.
On the basis of the behavioural results these differences in activation might
represent adaptive processes in order to maintain a sufficient level of
performance on the one hand, whilst on the other hand patient’s slower
behavioural performance might rest upon a failure to recruit task-relevant
brain areas comparably.
Bio: Dr Renate Thienel who
graduated in Germany (B.A. [Hons.] M.Psych. [Research], Ph.D. [Dr. rer. nat.]
in 2007) currently holds a University of Newcastle Postdoctoral Research
Fellowship and is based at the Priority Centre for Translational Neuroscience
& Mental Health Research. Renate is affiliated with the Schizophrenia
Research Institute and the Hunter Medical Research Institute and is an active
member of the Australasian Society of Psychiatric Research. Her research
focuses on the aetiologies and the rehabilitation of schizophrenia by studying
event related potentials, functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic
resonance spectroscopy, and diffusion tensor imaging. Renate collaborates with
national and international colleagues on various neuroimaging research projects
into schizophrenia, the prediction of transition to psychosis, the shared
biological basis of schizophrenia, a genetically high risk population
(22q11DS), and a novel neuro-feedback procedure to modify brain perfusion using
functional magnetic resonance imaging with applications for neurocognitive
rehabilitation in schizophrenia and dementia as well as cerebral stroke. Her
strong translational approach also includes the creation of a normative
database of electroencephalographically recorded sensory auditory memory function
in children and adolescents with great potential as a diagnostic tool for the
detection of “at-risk mental state”.
