Anxiety

HEALTH INFORMATION

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Identifying the gene-brain mechanisms that contribute to anxiety

WHAT WE KNOW

Anxiety disorder is a general term for frequent bouts of nervousness, fear, apprehension, or worrying, which appear without a reasonable cause. They can cause real, physical symptoms and affect how a person behaves. Anxiety can range from mild, which is vague and unsettling, to severe, which can be extremely debilitating and have a serious impact on daily life. Anxiety is considered a problem when the reaction that occurs is out of proportion to what my normally be expected.

Physical signs sometimes also include:

  • A pounding heart, tight chest or chest pain
  • Feeling short of breath
  • Dizzy, headache, sweaty, tingly, numb
  • Dry mouth, stomach pain
More information

OUR LATEST RESEARCH

The No Worries Trial


ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SYLVIA GUSTIN, NELL NORMAN-NOTT, DR NEGIN HESAM-SHARIATI

Researchers: Associate Professor Sylvia Gustin, Nell-Norman-Nott, Dr Negin Hesam- Shariati, Dr. Chelsey Wilks (University of Washington).

Emerging evidence has shown that negative emotional states play a key role in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. The No Worries Trial will evaluate the effectiveness of a four-week internet-delivered Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills training to help chronic pain sufferers cope with painful, fearful, worrisome, anxious, and negative thoughts and emotions. Moreover, by having the DBT skills training online it is more accessible to those in remote communities, to those with restricted mobility, and more broadly it adds to the knowledge of internet-delivered therapies at a time when online is increasingly necessary to deliver treatment due to COVID-19.

Unravelling the link between chronic pain and mental health disorders


ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SYLVIA GUSTIN, BROOKE NAYLOR, DAVID KANG, ANTON PAULSON, DANIEL HULTBERG, DR NEGIN HESAM-SHARIATI

Chronic pain is a significant problem worldwide that results in enormous suffering and costs to affected individuals, their loved ones, and society. The experience of chronic pain is so much more than a sensation. Chronic pain impacts our emotions, cognition and social life.

Role of genetics and stressful trauma in anxiety and depression in various participant groups from the BRID (Brain Resource International Database) (2006-)


PROFESSOR PETER SCHOFIELD AO, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR JUSTINE M GATT

Using various cognitive, psychological and neuroimaging measures, they have investigated the role of several genes known to be involved in brain disorders.

Heritability of brain functioning across resting, emotional and cognitive tasks in the TWIN-E Study (2009-)


ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR JUSTINE M GATT, PROFESSOR PETER SCHOFIELD AO

The TWIN-E Emotional Wellbeing study is a large prospective study of over 1,600 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) adult twins from Twins Research Australia (Gatt et al., 2012, Twin Res Hum Gen).

TEAM LEADERS IN ANXIETY

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SYLVIA GUSTIN Associate Professor, NeuRA & UNSW Director, Centre for Pain IMPACT, NeuRA Rebecca L. Cooper Medical Research Fellow, NeuRA & UNSW

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR JUSTINE M GATT Group Leader and Senior Research Scientist, NeuRA Associate Professor, Faculty of Science, School of Psychology, UNSW

What else is happening in Anxiety research at NeuRA?

FEEL THE BUZZ IN THE AIR? US TOO.

NeuRAustralia - A/Prof James McAuley on Low Back Pain (episode 38)

On August 11 2019, 54 people took on the City2Surf for Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA). The event is the world’s largest fun run with 80,000 participants taking on the 14km course, which stretches from Hyde Park in central Sydney to the iconic Bondi Beach. NeuRA thanks all of its fundraisers, who raised an incredible $30,903.  This funding will further NeuRA’s […]

Gabrielle Hunter
NeuRA BLOG: Team NeuRA at the City2Surf 2019

By age 85, one in three Australians will have dementia

Australians are living longer than before. But while our bodies might be staying healthy, our brains are not. Neurodegenerative diseases are on the rise and one in three Australians now have dementia at age 85. With no way of preventing, treating or curing it, dementia is set to overtake heart disease as a leading cause of death in Australia in less than 30 years.
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Sensorimotor Control Meeting
NeuRA hosts Mental Health Week breakfast at Parliament House

The No Worries Trial

Researchers: Associate Professor Sylvia Gustin, Nell-Norman-Nott, Dr Negin Hesam- Shariati, Dr. Chelsey Wilks (University of Washington). Emerging evidence has shown that negative emotional states play a key role in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. The No Worries Trial will evaluate the effectiveness of a four-week internet-delivered Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills training to help chronic pain sufferers cope with painful, fearful, worrisome, anxious, and negative thoughts and emotions. Moreover, by having the DBT skills training online it is more accessible to those in remote communities, to those with restricted mobility, and more broadly it adds to the knowledge of internet-delivered therapies at a time when online is increasingly necessary to deliver treatment due to COVID-19.
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