Lan Nguyen - Experimental Neuropsychology Research Unit

ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL ENDOPHENOTYPES OF HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE

The aim of my Phd study is to further understand the pathophysiology of Huntington's disease - a devastating, hereditary, neurodegenerative brain disorder for which there is, at present, no effective treatment or cure - by investigating the cognitive and motor dysfunction during preclinical and clinical disease periods. In addition to behavioural differences, the project also aims to investigate for neurological soft signs using EEG and ERP in cognitive and motor processes in preclinical HD compared to normal healthy controls. To investigate the differences in preclinical, clinical HD and normal controls, a number of cognitive and motor tasks have been selected using a number of techniques to provide data at the behavioural as well as electrophysiological level.

Biography

I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology and Psychophysiology with Honours in Psychology at Swinburne University (Victoria, Australia). Carrying out my fourth year research at the Brain Sciences Institute at Swinburne, I was able to learn and develop my skills in electrophysiological research in healthy humans. These skills and experiences have led me to start a PhD at Monash University looking at electrophysiological phenotypes of Huntington's Disease.

I am a volunteer with the Arthur Preston Residential Service for people with Huntington's disease. I visit the patients on a regular basis and participate in activities such as bingo. This really helps to motivate me and put my research into perspective.

Research Projects