Pathological Laughter and Crying

Summary

Episodes of uncontrolled laughter or crying that are misaligned with social and environmental context is a debilitating clinical symptom present across neurodegenerative conditions, in particular motor neuron disease and certain dementias. This project aims to better understand the aetiology and evolution of pathological laughter and crying (PLC) symptoms to: • Inform theoretical models of emotion processing and regulation • Development of effective therapeutic interventions to improve patient care

Supervisor

Dr Sicong Tu.

Research location

Camperdown - Brain and Mind Centre

Synopsis

This project takes a multi-disciplinary and transdiagnostic approach to examine the cognitive, neural, and physiological bases of PLC, its association with progressive neurodegenerative mechanisms, and functional impact in patients. Experimental techniques and expertise that will be taught as part of the project include:

Advanced multi-modal neuroimaging of brain circuitry
Neuropsychological assessment
Electromyography
Transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Additional information

Sub-components of the project are suitable for prospective Honours students.

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Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 2989