Dr Nadeeka Dissanayaka

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Research Background and Interests

Dr Nadeeka Dissanayaka is a conjoint post doctoral research fellow at the Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital (RBWH foundation) and UQ Centre for Clinical Research. Her research involves multidisciplinary areas ranging from basic science (eg: pharmacology, physiology, genetics) to clinical science, and medicine (eg: epidemiology, psychology, psychiatry, neurology, neurosurgery, linguistics and addiction). Dr Dissanayaka's primary research focuses to understand more about neuropsychiatric aspects of Parkinson's disease and related disorders. Her studies investigate:

  • Epidemiology
  • Diagnostic methods
  • Psycholinguistics and neuroimaging markers
  • Underlying mechanisms
  • Treatment methods: pharmacological and psychotherapy
  • Adverse effects of pharmacological treatment

Research Projects

(1-2 paragraphs)

  • Epidemiology: Examining risk factors associated with depression and anxiety in Parkinson's disease patients and their carers
  • Assessment tools: Investigating validity and reliability of depression and anxiety assessment methods in Parkinson's disease
  • Clinical diagnosis: Characterising symptomatic profiles of depressive and anxiety disorders in Parkinson's disease
  • Brain mechanisms and markers: Examining mechanisms underlying anxiety and depression in Parkinson's disease using an integrative psycholinguistic (language tasks) and psychophysiological (EEG) approach
  • Treatment: Developing and implementing psychotherapy (eg: cognitive behavioural therapy) treatment methods for depression and anxiety in Parkinson's disease
  • Adverse effects (addiction): Investigating addictive behaviours induced by dopaminergic medication in Parkinson's disease patients: impulse control disorders and dopamine dysregulation syndrome

Key publications

 

Dissanayaka, N. N. W., Sellbach, A., Matheson, S., O'Sullivan, J. D., Silburn, P. A., Byrne, G. J., Marsh, R., & Mellick, G. D. Anxiety disorders in Parkinson's disease: prevalence and risk factors. Movement Disorders. (2010), 25 (7), 838-45. (Featured editor's choice article. August/September 2010 Movement Disorders Society) (IF =4.5, ARC ERA ranking=A, Citations: 26)

Dissanayaka, N. N., Sellbach, A., Silburn, P.A., O'Sullivan, J. D., Marsh, R. & Mellick, G.D. Factors associated with depression in Parkinson's disease. Journal of Affective Disorders (2011), 132, 82-8 (IF=4.1, Citations: 3).

Dissanayaka, N. N., O'Sullivan, J. D. Silburn, P. A., & Mellick, G. D Assessment methods and factors associated with depression in Parkinson's disease. Journal of Neurological Science (2011), Invited Review, 310, 208-210. (IF = 2.5)

Ambermoon, P., Carter, A, Hall, W., Dissanayaka, N., & O'Sullivan J. Impulse Control Disorders in Patients with Parkinson's Disease Receiving Dopamine Replacement Therapy: Evidence and Implications for the Addictions Field. Addiction (2011), 106 (2), 283-93 (IF =4.1, Citations: 9).

Dissanayaka, N. N. W., O'Sullivan, J. D., Silburn, P. A., & Mellick, J. D. Serotonin and dopamine transporter genes do not influence depression in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders (2009), 24(1), 111-115. (IF =4.5, Citations: 7)

 

Contact details and email

Address:

UQ Centre for Clinical Research

Level 3, Building 71/918,

Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital

Herston, Qld 4029

 

Department of Neurology

Level 7, Ned Hanlon Building

Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital

Herston, Qld 4029

 

T: +61 7 3346 5577 (UQCCR) , +61 7 3636 2559 (RBWH)

F: +61 7 3346 5599

E: n.dissanayaka@uq.edu.au

Funding acknowledgement

  • Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital Foundation
  • Parkinson's Queensland Inc

Potential PhD Projects

 

  • Assessment methods of anxiety and depression in Parkinson's disease

 

  • Psycholinguistic tasks and neuroimaging in Parkinson's disease patients

 

  • Psychotherapy for Parkinson's disease

 

  • Effects of dopamine in affective processing

Collaborations

Prof Peter Silburn, A/Prof David Copland, A/Prof John O'Sullivan, A/Prof Gerard Byrne, Dr Rodney Marsh, A/Prof George Mellick (Eskitis Institute, Griffith University), Dr Anthony Angwin, Prof Wayne Hall, Dr Adrian Carter, Prof Nancy Pachana, Prof Sergio Starkstein (University of Western Australia), A/Prof Simone Bockman (UWA), Dr Sarah Egan (UWA), Dr Ken Laidlaw (University of Edinburgh)