Early affective changes and increased connectivity in preclinical Alzheimer's disease.

IntroductionAffective changes precede cognitive decline in mild Alzheimer's disease and may relate to increased connectivity in a "salience network" attuned to emotionally significant stimuli. The trajectory of affective changes in preclinical Alzheimer's disease, and its relationship to this network, is unknown.MethodsOne hundred one cognitively normal older adults received longitudinal assessments of affective symptoms, then amyloid-PET. We hypothesized amyloid-positive individuals would show enhanced emotional reactivity associated with salience network connectivity. We tested whether increased global connectivity in key regions significantly related to affective changes.ResultsIn participants later found to be amyloid positive, emotional reactivity increased with age, and interpersonal warmth declined in women. These individuals showed higher global connectivity within the right insula and superior temporal sulcus; higher superior temporal sulcus connectivity predicted increasing emotional reactivity and decreasing interpersonal warmth.ConclusionsAffective changes should be considered an early preclinical feature of Alzheimer's disease. These changes may relate to higher functional connectivity in regions critical for social-emotional processing

Hippocampal and cortical mechanisms at retrieval explain variability in episodic remembering in older adults

Age-related episodic memory decline is characterized by striking heterogeneity across individuals. Hippocampal pattern completion is a fundamental process supporting episodic memory. Yet, the degree to which this mechanism is impaired with age, and contributes to variability in episodic memory, remains unclear. We combine univariate and multivariate analyses of fMRI data from a large cohort of cognitively normal older adults (N=100) to measure hippocampal activity and cortical reinstatement during retrieval of trial-unique associations. Trial-wise analyses revealed that (a) hippocampal activity scaled with reinstatement strength, (b) cortical reinstatement partially mediated the relationship between hippocampal activity and associative retrieval, (c) older age weakened cortical reinstatement and its relationship to memory behaviour. Moreover, individual differences in the strength of hippocampal activity and cortical reinstatement explained unique variance in performance across multiple assays of episodic memory. These results indicate that fMRI indices of hippocampal pattern completion explain within-and across-individual memory variability in older adults

‘For all our mobs’: Understanding the experiences of Indigenous artists in working together internationally for the now and the future of Indigenous cultures, knowledges and arts practice

Daniels, CR ORCiD: 0000-0002-0672-0450This report presents the outcomes of a research project conducted at an artistic collaboration that brought together Indigenous Australian artists based in Central Queensland and Māori artists who travelled from New Zealand. The Artists’ Gathering, titled Returning Cross Culture: Blending our Identities 2015, was a 10-day residential collaboration of artists, held near Yeppoon, Central Queensland. The artists worked individually and collaboratively painting, print making, sculpting, carving and undertaking mixed media and clay work. This research was requested by the artists, via their organiser. Data were gathered while the artists worked on Country, during the Artists’ Gathering. The research used qualitative, individual interviews to explore Indigenous artists’ experiences of working together for cultural and arts development. It also explored how working together might impact the present and the future of Indigenous cultures, knowledges and arts practices. The findings of this project highlight the importance of supporting, promoting and funding Indigenous cultures and arts for the now and the future of Indigenous cultures, knowledges and arts practice. This research was funded by the National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN) (ARC ID: SR120100005), CQUniversity’s Centre for Tourism and Regional Opportunities (CTRO), and support from CQUniversity’s Office of Indigenous Engagement. It involved support and contributions made by colleagues at CQUniversity’s Office of Indigenous Engagement, Keppel Coast Arts Inc., Kaylene and Howard (Joe) Butler, and the participating artists. The work was managed by CQUniversity’s Office of Indigenous Engagement

‘For all our mobs’: Understanding the experiences of Indigenous artists in working together internationally for the now and the future of Indigenous cultures, knowledges and arts practice

This report presents the outcomes of a research project conducted at an artistic collaboration that brought together Indigenous Australian artists based in Central Queensland and Māori artists who travelled from New Zealand. The Artists’ Gathering, titled Returning Cross Culture: Blending our Identities 2015, was a 10-day residential collaboration of artists, held near Yeppoon, Central Queensland. The artists worked individually and collaboratively painting, print making, sculpting, carving and undertaking mixed media and clay work. This research was requested by the artists, via their organiser. Data were gathered while the artists worked on Country, during the Artists’ Gathering. The research used qualitative, individual interviews to explore Indigenous artists’ experiences of working together for cultural and arts development. It also explored how working together might impact the present and the future of Indigenous cultures, knowledges and arts practices. The findings of this project highlight the importance of supporting, promoting and funding Indigenous cultures and arts for the now and the future of Indigenous cultures, knowledges and arts practice. This research was funded by the National Indigenous Research and Knowledges Network (NIRAKN) (ARC ID: SR120100005), CQUniversity’s Centre for Tourism and Regional Opportunities (CTRO), and support from CQUniversity’s Office of Indigenous Engagement. It involved support and contributions made by colleagues at CQUniversity’s Office of Indigenous Engagement, Keppel Coast Arts Inc., Kaylene and Howard (Joe) Butler, and the participating artists. The work was managed by CQUniversity’s Office of Indigenous Engagement

The positive impacts of AIME on Indigenous education outcomes: a case study of Indigenous student retention and transition in Central Queensland

This research project was funded by the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP), and involved data collection focussed on examining the success of the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Program (AIME). We sought to develop a conceptual model of the impact and achievements of the AIME program in Central Queensland, and to explore the factors that influence the success of AIME and the impact it has on individuals’ lives. The research project needed to be designed to enable a multi-prismatic view of the data through the voices of AIME mentees, mentors and alumni as well as AIME school coordinators and mentees parents/carers. The research involved (a) a literature review, (b) a desktop data scan, (c) a comparative case study based on individual interviews, (d) data integration and analysis, and (e) research translation to develop a conceptual model. Individual interviews were conducted at three Central Queensland University campuses; Gladstone, Rockhampton and Mackay. The research focused on multiple perspectives, including mentees, mentors, parents/carers of mentees, AIME alumni and the AIME school coordinators. This approach enabled a complex, multi-dimensional view of the impact of AIME in individuals’ lives, in families, in schools and in communities. The results of this research underscore the importance of the AIME program in building positive futures for Indigenous students. The AIME program, through its mentors, presenters and the module content helps Indigenous students to aspire to higher education and employment, improves their understanding of the importance of education, builds self-confidence and increases their motivation to study. AIME is a motivating, successful program for mentees that can profoundly influence their engagement at school and their post-school pathways. The positive impacts of AIME continue long after the program is completed and extend out to mentees’ families and communities. At the same time, AIME has a positive impact on the lives of volunteer mentors, who report improved engagement with their own studies as a direct result of their participation in AIME

Woorabinda youth yarning up

The Indigenous Australian population is a young population, with growing numbers of young people and fewer older people. Young people have different needs to older people. In addition, young people living in regional, rural and remote areas have different needs from those living in urban areas. To address the specific needs of Indigenous young people, policy makers and service providers need to improve their understanding of the issues that Indigenous young people face and the ways they think about their health and wellbeing. This report details a research project focussed on gathering new information about the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in the rural/remote Indigenous community of Woorabinda in Central Queensland. The key aim of the research was to: a)Explore how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Central Queensland understand their own health and wellbeing; b)Understand factors which impact on the health and wellbeing of the young people; and c)Identify what young people need to build their capacity to support their health and wellbeing. The project used an exploratory, mixed methods approach to collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative data. Eighteen Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander young people from the discrete Indigenous community of Woorabinda directly participated in this research by attending the ‘Youth Yarning Up’ workshop. The research revealed that young people in Woorabinda see their health and wellbeing as a complex, multilayered construct influenced by a range of factors. They described health and wellbeing as being about ‘making good choices for yourself and your family’, having ‘healthy thinking’ and ‘being healthy in your mind’. They suggested that health is negatively affected by ‘isolation and neglect of all kinds’ and ‘loss’, particularly loss related to early deaths and suicide in the community. Participants felt that health and wellbeing are improved through ‘families coming together to heal’, having ‘balance’, ‘fun’, ‘not stressing out’, ‘having something to look forward to’ and positive influences such as ‘football, Indigenous art or any creative outlet’. The key theme emerging from this research is that young people need support. They need support from holistic, integrated, multi-disciplinary services that are available at the right time (particularly on weekends) and in the right location (preferably somewhere central but discrete). They need support for themselves individually, for (and from) their families, and for (and from) their community. For these participants, good support underpins good health and wellbeing. They understand health and wellbeing from an holistic perspective that includes a strong focus on education, employment and cultural practice. For policy makers and service providers, this research reveals that young people in Woorabinda are concerned about and interested in their health and wellbeing, and in the health and wellbeing of their community members. They want to be involved in projects to develop support for the young people in their community. Their holistic approach to health and wellbeing and the importance they place on education, employment and cultural practice provides food for thought for service providers and other key stakeholders. In particular, their emphasis on the things that may be missing in their lives – including access to work, access to education, hope for the future, strong personal identity, a strong cohesive family, a strong community and healthy thinking – gives valuable information about the kinds of services and support that could best contribute to improving youth health and wellbeing outcomes in the community. Although the study is based on a discussion with a small group of young people, its outcomes suggest that more needs to be done to provide a way forward for young Indigenous people to thrive, improve their social and emotional health and wellbeing, secure their own futures, and secure the futures of their communities

Laying pathways for greater success in education for Indigenous Australians

Daniels, CR ORCiD: 0000-0002-0672-0450; Kinnear, SH ORCiD: 0000-0002-2734-8547Regional and remote Indigenous students are underrepresented in both higher education and vocational education and training. This presentation explores current practices dealing with Indigenous enabling courses, particularly in the context of regional, dual-sector universities. In particular, it will focus on a nationally funded project which examined how enabling programs vary by institution (and region) in terms of structure, mode and ethos of offering; and direct and indirect impacts of these initiatives on Indigenous student participation and attainment; with a view to designing a best practice framework and implementation statement

Laying pathways for greater success in education for Indigenous Australians

Regional and remote Indigenous students are underrepresented in both higher education and vocational education and training. This presentation explores current practices dealing with Indigenous enabling courses, particularly in the context of regional, dual-sector universities. In particular, it will focus on a nationally funded project which examined how enabling programs vary by institution (and region) in terms of structure, mode and ethos of offering; and direct and indirect impacts of these initiatives on Indigenous student participation and attainment; with a view to designing a best practice framework and implementation statement

Exploring knowledge, experience and perceptions of chronic health conditions

This research project was focussed on collecting new information regarding the experiences and perceptions of chronic health conditions impacting on the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community within the Greater Rockhampton region. This information is not available in the current literature and data sets and was identified as a gap in what is known about chronic conditions. The outcomes of this research suggests much needs to be done in assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to manage and prevent chronic illness, despite the current treatment and management programs available