宅男导航

A 宅男导航 research project is currently investigating how a simple eye test may be used to understand depression and eliminate the possibility of its misdiagnosis.

Based at the St Lucia campus, the project is now recruiting 50 participants who are currently experiencing a significant period of depression.

PhD student Bonnie Sheppard, from the School of Biomedical Sciences, was recently awarded funding by Mindcare Limited and the Queensland Schizophrenia Research Foundation to examine differences in the timing of brain rhythms of people experiencing an episode of depression.

To do this Ms Sheppard is employing a short non-invasive eye test 鈥� binocular rivalry 鈥� that uses special high frequency stereoscopic glasses to present a different image to either eye.

鈥淲hen two very different images are simultaneously presented to either of our eyes, instead of the images being seen superimposed, we will only see one image for a few seconds, then switch to the other image, then the first, and so on,鈥� Ms Sheppard said.

鈥淚鈥檓 investigating the timing of this perceptual switching in relation to depression and a well-characterised difference in the gene encoding a brain protein within the serotonin neurotransmitter system, which is the target of a number of classical antidepressant drugs.鈥�

Previous research suggests that the switching process reflects the activity of a rhythm in the brain linked with the serotonin neurotransmitter system, however this can be disrupted during an episode of major depression.

Ms Sheppard said by using the eye test, one of the aims of the research is to determine if the perceptual brain rhythm is also disrupted in people experiencing depression and if that disruption is correlated with depression severity.

The results of the current project will help with developing a new technology that aims to provide more accurate information for clinicians when diagnosing and treating major depressive disorder and bipolar depression.

鈥淪o far 200 people with varying levels of depression have taken part in the research, however we require a further 50 people who are currently experiencing a significant period of depression to participate.鈥�

Participation is confidential and involves a two-hour session at 宅男导航鈥檚 St Lucia campus.

For further information or to register for the study please contact Bonnie Sheppard on b.sheppard@uq.edu.au .

Information about depression can be obtained through beyond blue: the national depression initiative (), the Black Dog Institute () and REACH OUT.com (). Lifeline Australia offer 24 hour telephone counselling (Phone: 13 11 14)
Media : Bonnie Sheppard (0419 741 854, b.sheppard@uq.edu.au) or Professor Jack Pettigrew (0410 431 943, j.pettigrew@uq.edu.au).