Darren Hocking - Experimental Neuropsychology Research Unit

Biography

I have been completing my PhD (expected completion date: November, 2008) within the ENRU and Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology since 2006.
Since 2005, I have been actively involved in academic teaching and research at Monash University. My PhD research has contributed to the development of a computerised touchscreen upper-limb task to examine basal ganglia and cerebellar contributions to motor dysfunction in autism and Asperger's disorder under the supervision of Dr Nicole Rinehart and Emeritus Professor John Bradshaw.

My research interests include Williams syndrome; genetic developmental disorders; intellectual disability; attention and gait; motor control; genotype-phenotype correlations.

Publications:

Hocking, D.R., Bradshaw, J.L., Rinehart, N.J. (2008). Fronto-parietal and cerebellar contributions to motor dysfunction in Williams syndrome: A review and future directions. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 32(3), 497-507.

Hocking, D.R., Rinehart, N.J., McGinley, J., Bradshaw, J.L. (September, 2007) Neuromotor dysfunction in Williams syndrome: Preliminary findings. Invited presentation at the National Williams Syndrome Conference, Macquarie University, Sydney.

Hocking, D.R., Rinehart, N.J., Bradshaw, J.L., McGinley, J. (November, 2007) Motor functioning in Williams syndrome. Poster presentation at the 5th World Congress of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, Monash University, Melbourne.

Hocking, D.R., Rinehart, N.J., McGinley, J., Bradshaw, J.L. (Under review). Gait function in adults with Williams syndrome. Experimental Brain Research.

Research Projects

Frontostriatal and cerebellar contributions to motor dysfunction in Williams syndrome

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare genetically-based neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by delayed development and a distinctive cognitive profile. Relative to the large amount of research on the cognitive characteristics of WS, there has been very little research investigating concurrent movement problems. These children are often described as ‘clumsy’, and show poor motor coordination, for instance when walking down stairs or across uneven surfaces. The few clinical reports of motor problems in WS have described neurologic signs of cerebellar dysfunction such as dysmetria and poor balance during gait tasks. However, the precise loci for the motor impairments seen in WS are as yet unclear. The aim of this PhD study was to systematically examine neuromotor dysfunction in WS, by using a sophisticated method of gait analysis to examine frontostriatal-basal ganglia and cerebellar motor deficits in this disorder. These findings may hold promise in the identification of specific areas of motor dysfunction and compensatory strategies for improved motor function in WS that may be targeted through early intervention strategies.