News and Events – July 2008
PUBLICATIONS
Anderson T, Luxon L, Quinn N, Daniel S, Marsden CD, Bronstein A. (2008). Oculomotor function in multiple system atrophy: Clinical and laboratory features in 30 patients. Movement Disorders, 23(7): 977-984
Quick ZL, Robb MP, Woodward LJ. (in press). Acoustic cry characteristics of infants exposed to methadone during pregnancy. Acta Paediatrica.
van Stockum S, MacAskill M, Anderson T, Dalrymple-Alford J. (in press). Don’t look now or look away: two sources of saccadic disinhibition in Parkinson’s disease? Neuropsychologia.
CONFERENCES
Tim Anderson attended the 12th International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders in Chicago, USA on 22-26 June and presented the following poster:
Shirakura Y, Stone L, MacAskill M, Myall D, Anderson T. (2008). Reaching and the ‘‘gap effect” in Parkinson’s disease. 12th International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Chicago, USA.
Tim Anderson made the following invitational addresses:
Movement Disorders Society Visiting Professor Program
Full day Workshop on Parkinson’s Disease (with Barry Snow, Auckland) at the 30th Anniversary Meeting of the Chinese Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Society, Nanchang, China, June 7, 2008.
Lectures delivered:
“Treatment Options in PD – initial therapy”
“Non-motor manifestations of PD”
“Video session”
“Initial therapy for PD: levodopa or dopamine agonist”
Asian Scientific Symposium on PD&RLS 2008, Tokyo, Japan July 12 – 13
“Medical Management of PD”
Parkinson’s Society Field Officers Annual Conference, Wellington, 25 July, 2008
Marcus Heitger and John Dalrymple-Alford attended the 6th FENS Forum of European Neuroscience 2008, 12-16 July 2008, in Geneva, Switzerland and presented the following posters:
Heitger MH, Jones RD, Macleod AD, Snell, D, Wilson I, Anderson TJ. (2008). Eye movement deficits in postconcussion syndrome. FENS Forum Abstracts, vol.4, 084.6. 6th Forum of European Neuroscience, Geneva, Switzerland.
Bell R, Wolff M, Gibb SJ, Dalrymple-Alford JC. (2008). Both anterior thalamic and lateral / intralaminar thalamic lesions disrupt acquisition of an object-odour paired-associate task in rats. FENS Forum Abstracts, vol.4, 127.2. 6th Forum of European Neuroscience, Geneva, Switzerland.
Lopez J, Lecourtier L, Wolff M, Cosquer B, Dalrymple-Alford JC, Cassel JC. Lateral thalamic lesions disrupt remote but not recent spatial memory in rats. FENS Forum Abstracts, vol.4, 127.30. 6th Forum of European Neuroscience, Geneva, Switzerland.
Kelly Hood from the Canterbury Child Development Research group recently attended the 20th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD) held in Wurzburg, Germany from 13-17 July and presented the following poster:
Hood K, Woodward L, Champion P. (2008). Clinical and socio-environmental predictors of social competence problems amongst preschool children born very preterm. 20th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD), Wurzburg, Germany.
Several members of the Canterbury Child Development Research Group attended the Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research 2008 Joint Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, May 3-6. The following papers were presented:
Austin NC, Laney J, Spencer C, Woodward LJ. (2008). Growth to age six in a cohort of very preterm infants compared to term controls. Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research 2008 Joint Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, (Abstract).
Pritchard VE, Clark AC, Champion P, Liberty K, Wilson K, Woodward LJ. (2008). School-based outcomes of children born very preterm at age 6 years. Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research 2008 Joint Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, (Abstract).
Warfeld S, Weisenfeld N, Spencer C, Woodward LJ. (2008). Prenatal exposure to methadone reduces brain tissue volumes. Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research 2008 Joint Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, (Abstract).
Woodward LJ, Champion PR, Austin NC, Inder TE. (2008). Neonatal white matter abnormalities predict neurocognitive outcome in children born very preterm. Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research 2008 Joint Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, (Abstract).
Woodward LJ, Spencer S, Weisenfeld N, Watts R, Warfeld S. (2008). Prenatal methadone exposure and infant neuroanatomical outcome: Does dose matter? Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research 2008 Joint Meeting, Honolulu, Hawaii, (Abstract).
GRANTS
Lianne Woodward, Verena Pritchard, Stephanie Moor and Nicola Austin have been successful in obtaining funding to support a further follow-up phase of their very preterm cohort (Cerebral abnormalities on neonatal MRI and later neurodevelopmental outcomes in children born very preterm) from the Neurological Foundation of New Zealand. The value of the award is $131,656 over three years. This grant is being funded in part by a $15,000 donation from the NZ Federation of Women’s Institutes who chose to contribute to a neurology project that was child-centred.
PEOPLE
The Board has appointed Michael MacAskill to the position of Chief Scientist at the Institute. In addition to his existing role as a principal researcher in the area of eye movement and related fields, the appointment also includes an administrative role in managing the research activities being undertaken at the Institute. Michael will be involved in ensuring compliance with the application and approval processes for new projects, the participation of researchers in relevant funding rounds, the best use of the Institute’s premises, and the orderly allocation of its resources. The communications functions of the position will include the maintenance of research forums, discussion groups, and social activities as appropriate. In association with the CMRF and Directors, it is envisaged that Michael will also have a role in the external promotion of the Institute’s interests