Research Interests

Dr MacDonald is a postdoctoral researcher in the Language Neuroscience Lab - Copland research group.

Key areas of research interest include:

• the cognitive and brain mechanisms underlying healthy adult language processing, neurogenic communication disorders (particularly aphasia and Parkinson's Disease) and treatment
• the influence of pharmacological agents on language processing
• working memory and its relationship with language processing.

Anna's PhD research investigated the effects of nicotine on language/semantic processing in healthy young and older adult non-smokers and in people with Parkinson's disease.

Research Projects

Neurorehabilitation in aphasia: This research is using functional and structural neuroimaging to investigate the brain mechanisms underlying disordered language after stroke, as well as language recovery and treatment.

Semantic working memory: This research is using behavioural and EEG measures to investigate working memory for semantic/meaning information, as well as the relationships between working memory and language.

Semantics and stuttering:   This research is looking beyond the motor speech underpinnings of stuttering to investigate the possible contribution of language/semantic dysfunction through the use of semantic priming paradigms.

Subcortical involvement in lexical-semantics: This research is investigating the involvement of subcortical structures in language processing via micro-electrode recordings during deep brain stimulation surgery for people with Parkinson's disease.

Key publications

Holmes, A. D., Copland, D. A., Silburn, P. A., & Chenery, H. J. (2011). Acute nicotine enhances strategy-based semantic processing in Parkinson's disease. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 1-9, Epub Feb 11.

Holmes, A. D., Copland, D. A., Silburn, P. A., & Chenery, H. J. (2011). Nicotine effects on general semantic priming in Parkinson's disease. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, Epub April 11.

Holmes, A. D., Chenery, H. J., & Copland, D. A. (2010). Nicotine does not enhance basic semantic priming. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 211(3), 259-265.

Holmes, A. D., Chenery, H. J., & Copland, D. A. (2008). Transdermal nicotine modulates strategy-based attentional semantic processing in non-smokers. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 11(3), 389-399.

Contact details and email

Anna MacDonald, PhD.

Language Neuroscience Laboratory

Copland Research Group

UQ Centre for Clinical Research

Level 3, Building 71/918, RBWH Campus, Herston QLD Australia 4029

T: + 61 7 3346 6110 F: + 61 7 3346 5599 E: annadmac@gmail.com

Technique Expertise

Psycholinguistic paradigms (particularly semantic priming)

EEG

Functional MRI

Collaborations

A/Prof David Copland, Prof Helen Chenery, Prof Peter Silburn, Dr Katie McMahon, Dr Elizabeth Cardell, A/Prof Andrew Bradley, A/Prof Lyndsey Nickels (Macquarie University), Dr Wendy Arnott.