Challenging brains: Neuropsychology, neurodegeneration, and sense of self

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ABSTRACT

The increasing prevalence of many neurological conditions, ranging from traumatic brain injury to neurodegenerative diseases, is accompanied by growing concern about the impacts on individuals and their whānau. Understanding the interaction between the biological basis of these conditions and cognitive functions such as memory, theory of mind, emotional processing and reasoning is crucial for understanding the underlying course of diseases and for enhancing the function of each person. Multidisciplinary research can provide crucial insights into neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease, revealing unexpected links between clinical variability and pathological mechanisms of diseases. Longitudinal research in the Dementia Prevention Research clinics illustrates a multidisciplinary approach that additionally strives to combine scientific rigour with manākitanga. I will discuss the personal impact of working within a team of Māori researchers seeking to understand and assess dementia/mate wareware from a Māori perspective. I will also touch on broader issues that have arisen from research with memory-impaired individuals, such as how autobiographical memory is related to sense of self, and what happens when autobiographical memory fails.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Lynette was born and raised in Taranaki, before studying Zoology and Psychology at the University of Auckland. She soon developed a fascination with the brain, and how disorders of brain interact with cognitive functions such as memory and language, which led to an MSc and PhD in Psychology, and a Diploma in Clinical Psychology. This was followed by postdoctoral fellowships at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, before returning to the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland. Her research has spanned challenging issues such as post-concussion syndrome through to the clinical and neuropsychological impacts of a range of neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Motor Neuron Disease. Her research is often multi-disciplinary, as exemplified by her current role as national director of a network of three Dementia Prevention Research Clinics. Identifying the complex interactions between brain dysfunction and changes in memory and other cognitive abilities remains at the heart of her work. Lynette is Associate Director of the Centre for Brain Research and was awarded an ONZM in 2023 for her contributions to neuropsychology and dementia.

Refreshments will be served in the basement foyer of building 303 (303-B00L2) from 5:15PM to 6:00PM, prior to the lecture.