2018 Winter Brainwaves Newsletter

brainWAVES The Newsletter of the Brain Foundation

Winter 2018

Taking Migraine Management to your local GP. What a good idea!

Most headache and migraine sufferers wish that they could find a GP who has a good knowledge of headache and the best treatments being offered to help them navigate this difficult condition.

The Brain Foundation is proud to announce an innovative new programme being presented and delivered by board member Professor Tissa Wijerante and the University of Melbourne.

Mastering Migraine Management: A new course highlighting the latest advances in headache diagnosis and treatment for GPs Migraine is the leading cause of disability in Australia according to a study published in The Lancet Neurology last year.

“There are more than five million headache suffers in Australia and this number is growing year on year,” Prof Wijerante said.

The study found the number of patients affected by debilitating headaches has substantially increased globally in the past 25 years and it is imperative clinicians with neurological expertise can meet this growing need.

“Headaches are worse than any other condition, when it comes to disability, and people often suffer in silence,” he said.

A new course to address this healthcare demand has been developed by a team of neurologists, led by the Chair of the Global Policy and Advocacy Committee for the World Federation of Neurology, Prof Tissa Wijerante, and the University of Melbourne, to share specialist migraine management knowledge with general practitioners.

About: Tissa Wijeratne

“General practitioners play a pivotal role in helping many of these patients to regain quality of life and it’s important, as experts in the field, we sshare our knowledge and passion for the treatment of migraines.”

The course covers the latest evidence-based strategies for the diagnosis of headaches, highlights “red flag” symptoms and differential diagnoses, and provides pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for managing patients experiencing headaches.

Learning is accessible across any smart device, including a mobile phone, tablet, or computer.

course has been developed as “aThis true collaboration of passionate

Mastering Migraine Management is a highly interactive course, due to be released in May, designed specifically for busy healthcare professionals to upskill in their own time and at their own pace.

Tissa Wijeratne is the Director of Neurology and Stroke Services at Western Health, Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne. He is the Chair of the Global Policy and Advocacy Committee at the World Federation of Neurology.

As the Course Director of Mastering Migraines

For more information contact:

individuals who wish to bring their joy of practicing medicine to improve patient lives, he said.

”

Management, Tissa and his team of neurologists have gathered the latest evidence-based clinical advances for the diagnosis, treatment and management of headache for primary healthcare physicians.

This is a wonderful opportunity for practitioners to continue their professional development.

Edwina Coller Mobile Learning Unit, University of Melbourne

Tissa Wijeratne Course Director Mastering Migraines Management

https://medicine.unimelb.edu.au /about/mobile-learning-unit

+61 3 8395 8110 twi@unimelb.edu.au

Contact the Brain Foundation PO Box 579, Crows Nest NSW 1585 Telephone: 02 9437 5967 or 1300 886 660 Email: info@brainfoundation.org.au Visit our websites brainfoundation.org.au and headacheaustralia.org.au

Fabulous Fundraisers Every man and his Wedding Bells dog – and some good We send our very best wishes for a wonderful future to Thai and Serafin who tied the knot in April. cricket too A very big shout out to Joshua Sandnes who was determined to put together a cricket round robin to raise funds for Brain Foundation and Epilepsy Queensland.

On a hot, sunny April day, 3 teams came together for the big event – The Redbacks, The 47ers and Joshua’s team - The last man Standing. The Redbacks took the honours but I am told a challenge has been issued for later in the year!

Thank you, Joshua, for your determined organising and to all who played and donated.

To mark the occasion, the happy couple asked guests to donate to their research area of choice within the Brain Foundation.

These donations were in memory of loved ones who could not attend the happy event.

In 2003 Serafin’s father, Fernando Martinez, succumbed to a Traumatic Brain Injury the result of a MVA, after a 3 year battle. And, only weeks before the big day, Thai’s beloved grandmother, Sinh Luu suffered a Stroke from which she did not recover.

Shave away brain decay!

A very big thank you to Claudia VanGerven who is shaving her beautiful locks at the end of June to raise funds for general research.

Just look at what she plans to lose . . . support her at My Cause.

The Brains to swim the English Channel I think my Brain would say no!

Joshua's round robin cricket teams

Thai and Serafin

WORLDWIDE TANDEM BIKE RIDE Lloyd Collier is right behind his mate Louis Snellgrove on the Worldwide Tandem Bike Ride. Oh, wait…. Is it Louis who is behind Lloyd?

Either way, these two mates are off on the challenge of a lifetime and hope to pick up a Guinness World Record while they are at it.

Both born in the United Kingdom, they have decided to make their lives in Australia.

Working as doctors at Townsville Hospital, the adventurous pair egged each other on until a plan was hatched. Now nothing will stop them. The cycle will take in 16 countries, 4 continents, 4 seasons and many cultures and languages. It must be a minimum distance of 40,074km with a minimum of 28,970 by bicycle and travel through two antipodal points being Wellington and Madrid.

Starting in Adelaide in August this year, they will finish up in Adelaide – sometime!

Fully self-funded, all donations will go directly to the two chosen charities – Brain Foundation, Australia and Spinal Research, UK. See their web site: worldtandem.com to keep up with their progress or look them up on My Cause.

You too can get behind the boys on this great fundraising adventure… your support will keep them pedalling and fund much needed research with both charities.

In September this year, Denise Clarke is planning to swim the English Channel. Her preparation thus far has included Great Whites, Orcas and 15 degree water temperatures.

Good luck Denise. What a fantastic challenge you have set yourself.

Offer your support at My Cause.

Dystonia – the disorder that you just can’t shake off It has been a while since we have had dedicated fundraising to this cause.

Look up David Smith on Everyday Hero; David will be walking the Melbourne Half Marathon in October this year. Suffering from this debilitating condition, it will be a real challenge for him, but one that he is determined to complete. Your support of his efforts would be appreciated by all.

Dave’s Dystonia Walk 14th October 2018

Dystonia - The Disorder

This October, Dave is

that you just can’t shake

off

going to compete in the Melbourne Half Marathon 21.1kms to raise awareness for sufferers of Dystonia.

Dystonia is a neurological

disorder which affects people in to that of Parkinson’s Disease.

Having being diagnosed in March 2015 and undergoing Deep Brain Stimulation surgery in April 2017, Dave is now embarking on walking 21.1kms in this year’s event to help raise funds for the Brain Foundation for research into Dystonia. different ways, similar

What can you do?

We are thinking $21 for 21kms to get Dave over the line. We can’t wait to share his journey with you.  Start a conversation about Dystonia – research it!  Share our post on Facebook.  Donation amount of your choice to Brain Foundation  To donate go to Dave’s Dystonia Walk Facebook page or you can go to everydayher o: https://melbournemarat hon2018.everydayhero.c om/au/dave-s-dystonia-w alk Thank you for the ongoing support!!!

All funds raised will support Dave’s walk to raise awareness for Dystonia donated to the Brain which will be Foundation – to assist with research on Dystonia.

We are grateful for all donations and we thank you for your help in raising the awareness of Dystonia.

Proud supporters of

Dave in this event are:

Rosebud

Lloyd Collier and Louis Snellgrove 2

The Newsletter of the Brain Foundation

Headache Australia Codeine now a prescription only medicine Many of our headache sufferers would already know this…. but why?

According to the TGA,

“evidence shows that medicines containing lowdose codeine combined with paracetamol or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or aspirin, are generally no more effective than other non-codeine medicines.”

They also found that low-dose codeine-containing medications were associated with high health risks.

chronic migraine or headache has led to some people become addicted to codeine without realising it.

Codeine is an opioid drug related closely related to morphine. Both are made from opium poppies.

Regular headache may even be a symptom of codeine addiction.

Other symptoms may include:

Codeine like other opioids can cause opioid dependence, toxicity and in higher doses death.

The regular use of medicine containing codeine such as

• Muscle aches • Mood swings • Insomnia • Nausea • Diarrhea

Migraine World Summit – 2018 The 3rd Annual Migraine World Summit was held in April 2018 for migraine and headache patients.

It brought together 33 top experts, doctors and specialists to provide answers to the most difficult questions on migraine and headache. It was freely available to anyone with an internet connection during April 18-26.

Migraine can devastate lives, affecting relationships with friends and family, work and quality of life. The stigma surrounding migraine means that many feel guilt or shame. Migraine is a genetic neurological disease which easily overwhelm patients with depression and anxiety without sufficient support, effective management and patient knowledge.

With as many as 4 out of 5 people with chronic migraine misdiagnosed and a shortage of headache specialists, the Summit provided unprecedented access to the experts with important information about treatment, research and best practices.

The 2018 Migraine World Summit had over 507,000 page views during the live event. Participants came from 141 countries, 33 experts from 9 nations. 15 migraine non-profits including Headache Australia helped make this the largest global headache patient event of its kind.

The Summit was well received by patients:

“Thank you. This had a profound impact on me. Thank you for your words, empathy and commitment. I feel less alone” – Sheila K. “This is fascinating, thank you!” – Cindy R. “This was an absolutely fabulous talk.”

The talks are still available for preview but require payment to view in full. The 2019 Summit is now being planned with topics and calls for expert questions.

To submit your question or topic visit www.migraineworldsummit.com

– Shoshana L.

Do you think you could be more Appy? Well, have a look at these . . .

If you aren’t using a migraine app to track your migraines, stop what you are doing and get a download. Knowing what triggers your migraine is the first step to reducing the frequency of your migraine attacks.

ARE YOU A HEADACHE REGISTER MEMBER?

Which migraine tracking app is the best? While app store reviews are nice, having people test and try multiple apps can give us better insight into

which app to choose.

We asked 4 migraineurs to use and compare three of the bestselling migraine apps on android and iOS.

The TGA concluded that the risks are simply too high without oversight from a doctor.

If you suspect that may be overusing or addicted to codeine speak to your doctor or pharmacist. Your pharmacist will be able to provide advice on appropriate alternatives. If the pain is ongoing then your doctor can help ensure you are receiving the best possible treatment options to manage your condition.

HEADACHE AWARENESS WEEK 2018 10 TO 14 SEPTEMBER Look out for emails outlining online events for our Register members.

Cefaly for Trial Don’t forget that Headache Australia has Cefaly devices for “trial before you buy”.

The waiting list is quite long – probably to the end of the year, but it is good to see if it works for you. At least 50% of people say it does – so it is worth a go.

You can also purchase Cefaly from us. The package is now $345 including electrodes and postage (there has been a cost reduction from the supplier).

THERE IS A SUMMARY OF THEIR FINDINGS AT: www.axonoptics.com/2017/02/ top-5-migraine-tracking-apps/ Have a look – they may be just what you are looking for to help your migraine management, but do check that they are available in Australia.

Our Register Members receive regular email updates of current information as we receive it.

We send information about new research trials that you can choose to be involved with.

All donations made by Register Members go only to Headache research.

Your email address is required. Register at headacheaustralia.org.au

Disclaimer: Headache Australia is not a medical office and cannot offer medical advice. We stress the importance of discussing any issues you have with your medical practitioner.

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2018 Progress Reports Unravelling the rose of microRNAs in glioblastoma Chief Investigator: Mr Walter Muskovic

Despite decades of intensive research, a patient diagnosed with glioblastoma, a devastating form of brain cancer, still faces a dismal prognosis of only 1518 months’ survival. Trials of targeted therapies, while successful in other cancers, have proven ineffective for glioblastoma. This is thought to be largely due to differences between cancer cells within tumours. While some cells are sensitive to treatment and die, other, resistant cells remain and continue to grow. This scenario is like the evolution of bacterial resistance to modern antibiotics.

To overcome this challenge and cure glioblastoma, alternative therapeutic candidates are needed.

One such candidate is a type of genetic material called microRNA, which regulates gene expression. Growing evidence suggests that dysregulation of microRNA regulatory networks is a key driver of glioblastoma pathogenesis, suppression of differentiation (normal cell development) and drug resistance.

Processes affected by microRNAs include invasion into normal brain tissue, disrupted programmed-cell death and cell cycle regulation. However, the precise role played by microRNAs in these processes has remained enigmatic. The aim of this project was to provide insights into the nature of microRNA–target gene interactions in glioblastoma, and into the potential of microRNA as a therapeutic target in glioblastoma.

MicroRNAs, unlike messenger RNAs, do not code for proteins. Instead they interact directly with tens, or even hundreds, of genes, regulating their expression.

Because many genes are abnormally expressed in cancer cells, targeting a

DYSTONIA SUPPORT GROUP

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global regulator like microRNA rather than a particular mutation (which may only be present in a portion of glioblastoma cells), may be an effective way to overcome resistance to therapy. To do this it is critical to identify which microRNA, out of the several thousand already known, would be the best therapeutic target. This requires knowing the functional role of individual microRNAs, i.e. which genes they regulate; not an easy task.

Computational predictions of microRNA target genes can be notoriously hard to interpret and often do not take actual biological conditions into account. We developed an innovative bioinformatics approach which successfully identified microRNAs that affect glioblastoma biology. Analysis revealed that, as expected, these microRNAs are interacting with multiple genes simultaneously.

Unexpectedly, our results suggested that microRNAs, contrary to current thinking, are activated at precisely the same moment as the genes they regulate. This result initially appeared contradictory.

Activation of a gene accompanied by the simultaneous activation of a microRNA to turn off that gene is counterintuitive.

Figure 1 summarises this finding.

2016 Brain Foundation Grant

over a seven-hour period, then extracted and counted the number of each RNA species over time, using RNA-sequencing technology (RNA-seq).

we achieved in capturing the dynamics of gene expression. This precision gives us confidence in the output of our computational model.

RNA-Seq enables the identification of all the genes that are activated in a cell, and measurement of the levels to which each is activated. Unlike the older, microarraybased approaches, RNA-Seq does not require advance knowledge of which microRNAs or genes are activated. Genes and microRNAs can all be captured across a large dynamic range of detection, allowing accurate quantification with high resolution.

With a small pilot time-series experiment of eight time points we confirmed the validity of this approach, and determined that the quality of the data was excellent and suitable for our purposes.

Hypothesis vs Findings Analysis of gene and microRNA expression profiles in glioblastoma cells using our model is confirming our hypothesis that microRNAs are co-expressed with their target genes.

Furthermore, the unprecedented timeresolution of this experiment enabled detection of a much larger number of genes involved in these processes than had been previously identified.

Unanswered Questions The RNA-seq time series experiment enabled us to link expression of microRNAs and their target genes, and thus infer functional interactions. We are currently investigating these microRNAtarget gene relationships further using a more sophisticated modelling approach.

This will enable us to connect individual microRNAs to their target genes. By mapping this network of interactions throughout the glioblastoma cell cycle, we hope to design rational therapies to disrupt these relationships.

What these research outcomes mean

Figure 1. microRNAs are activated at the same time as the genes they regulate

The Brain Foundation grant enabled us to further investigate this finding and its biological significance. We designed a time-series experiment using cultures of synchronised cells. By tightly controlling growth conditions, we caused glioblastoma cells to proceed through the cell cycle in tight synchrony, so that every cell expressed the same genes and same microRNAs at the same time. We harvested cells at ten-minute intervals

Figure 2: Gene expression profiles from the higher time-resolution RNAseq experiment

We have recently completed the higher time-resolution RNA-seq experiment.

Examples of the gene profiles we obtained are shown in Figure 2. They demonstrate the high degree of precision

This work has provided a key insight into the nature of microRNA–target gene interactions in glioblastoma.

Comparing our own analysis to published observations, we have shown that while all microRNAs repress gene expression, in the context of a dynamic network of genes a more nuanced view is required.

Rather than simply switching off target genes, individual microRNA-target interactions fine-tune the timing and level of target gene expression. These novel findings have yet to be presented as they are being prepared for peer review publication where the support of the Brain Foundation will be acknowledged.

Dystonia is the third most common movement disorder worldwide.

The cause, while neurological in origin, is unknown.

ADSG Website: australiandystoniasupportgroup.wordpress.com/ ADSG Community Page: facebook.com/AustralianDystoniaSupportGroup ADSG Closed Support Group on Facebook: facebook.com/groups AustralianDystoniaSupportGroup/

The Newsletter of the Brain Foundation

The effect of high-intensity exercise on Alzheimer’s disease-related gene expression?

Chief Investigator: Dr Belinda Brown Blood samples from the Intense Physical Activity and Cognition (IPAC) study will be utilised for this study. These blood samples are collected pre-intervention (before the delivery of any exercise) and postintervention (after 6 months of exercise intervention or control period). As a team, we have made the decision to conduct the gene expression analyses once all of the blood samples have been collected; this is vital in ensuring comparability of the results between subjects and across time points. Unfortunately a delay in recruitment contributed to a 6 month delay in all IPAC project related activities. Thus, we have not yet run the gene expression analyses on our samples. Nevertheless, the issue we were experiencing with recruitment has been overcome and, currently we have collected 90 baseline blood samples (target n = 105), and 20 post-intervention samples (target n = 105). We anticipate that all of our blood samples will be collected and analysed for Alzheimer’s disease related gene expression by mid-2018.

The primary aim of the funded project is to evaluate changes in gene expression (i.e. whether a gene is turned ‘on or off’) following a six month high-intensity exercise intervention, compared with a moderate-intensity exercise intervention and control group. More specifically, we will be examining gene expression that is related to the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and thus hope to determine whether exercise plays a role in altering genes that may play a vital role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

2016 Brain Foundation Grant Following this analysis we will be able to share with you whether differing levels of exercise intensity are associated with changes in Alzheimer’s disease-related gene expression in a group of adults aged 60 – 80. We will also be able to determine whether these changes in gene expression are reflected in improvements in memory and thinking, and other changes to the brain, such as increases in brain volume and/or brain network connectivity.

It is important to note that preliminary analyses of our fitness and exercise data suggests that our participants are reaching their required intensities of exercise (as per the study design) and are also receiving significant dose-dependent increases in fitness and functional capacity following their prescribed interventions.

This preliminary data is evidence that our exercise intervention is reaching the desired physiological outcomes that we had initially aimed for. This is vitally important in this field, as many previous studies have

been criticised for being unable to provide evidence that their exercise interventions provided sufficient stimulus to significantly alter physical fitness.

Hypotheses vs Findings Our hypotheses are: 1.

A six month high-intensity exercise

intervention will upregulate AD protective gene expression, and downregulate AD risk gene expression, compared with a low-intensity exercise intervention and control group.

2. Changes in AD-related gene expression will mediate any improvements observed in cognitive function and increased brain volume and activation, following a six month high-intensity exercise intervention.

As per the above, we have been unable to test our hypotheses until all blood samples are available for analysis (due mid-2018).

We look forward to sharing these results with you.

Computational mechanisms of fatigue in Parkinson’s disease Chief Investigator: Dr Trevor Chong to identify the shared and separate neural mechanisms that may underlie fatigue in each domain. The general approach was to combine techniques in the related fields of computational modelling, neuroeconomics and cognitive neuroscience, to measure the dynamic effect of fatigue accumulation on individuals’ willingness to exert effort in return for reward.

Fatigue is pervasive across all medical specialities, and is particularly common and debilitating in Parkinson’s disease. It can be experienced in both the cognitive and physical domains, and is associated with profound disruption of daily function.

Despite its prevalence and impact, fatigue remains ill-defined and poorly understood. Furthermore, the objective evaluation of fatigue in clinical practice is challenging because of numerous confounding factors that can impair its assessment (e.g., depression). The goals of this research were to develop a methodology that is able to objectively quantify both physical and cognitive fatigue in Parkinson’s disease, in order

This study tested the hypothesis that the pathological fatigue experienced by patients with Parkinson’s disease is fundamentally a motivational disorder, in which the costs of exerting effort outweigh the subjective value of continuing on a given course of action in pursuit of a reward. The broad approach was to apply a neuroeconomic framework that has proven to be highly effective in dissecting the neural correlates of motivation.

Based on this framework, motivation is characterised as a series of costbenefit decisions, in which the rewards associated with acting are devalued by the effort that must be exerted. Recently a number of studies have suggested that patients with Parkinson’s disease are less

2016 Brain Foundation Grant willing to exert effort to obtain rewards (Chong et al. (2015). Cortex). However, it is unclear whether or how fatigue might lead to changes in the willingness to exert effort over time.

Findings In this study, we developed a novel costbenefit decision-making task in which participants made choices about whether they would rather ‘work’ and exert a level of effort (grip force) for high rewards, or ‘rest’ and exert no effort for a low reward. Using computational modelling approaches, we parameterised fatigue accumulation according to three factors: 1. The short-term effect of fatigue, which is the result of increased effort exertion in recent trials. A characteristic of this short-term fatigue is that it improves with short periods of rest; 2. The long-term effect of fatigue, which is the result of accumulated effort exertion over the course of the entire experiment. A characteristic of this long-term fatigue is that it does not improve with short periods of rest; and

3. The total amount of effort exerted over time.

We then asked which combinations of these parameters accounted for fatigue accumulation in patients with Parkinson’s disease and in healthy individuals.

Thus far, our results indicate that patients with Parkinson’s disease show a specific pattern of fatigue-related deficits compared to healthy agematched controls. Although fatigue in both the patient and control groups was responsive to rest, there were two key differences. First, short-term Parkinsonian fatigue recovered at a slower rate compared to healthy agematched controls. In addition, however, there was greater accumulation of longterm fatigue in patients with Parkinson’s disease relative to controls. A hallmark of Parkinsonian fatigue therefore seems to be greater accumulation of fatigue in both the short- and long-terms, which is only partially remediable by rest. These data therefore offer a mechanistic basis for the anecdotal observations that rest does not improve subjective fatigue ratings in patients.

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Brain Foundation + Community Brain Foundation in South Australia Support for the Brain Foundation from South Australia has always been very strong. We thank residents and community groups for their continuous strong donation history.

The Brain Foundation is Trustee for the Penfold Simpson Prize Fund named in honour of Elizabeth ( Bardie ) Simpson. The Fund provides a prize, usually of the order of $20,000, for the best published neuroscientific research that was completed in SA within the last two years. Our Scientific Committee will judge applications later this year.

We also support the Sir Charles Bright Scholarship along with other S.A. charities and community groups, such as Rotary, the Royal society for the Blind, Guide Dogs SA/NT, Paraplegic-quadraplegic association, the Brain Foundation for those recovering from a brain disorder or injury, SCOSA and Multiple Sclerosis Society, together with 5RPH 1197AM, have provided scholarships, designated for particular students. The Sir Charles Bright Scholarship is administered by a Board of Trustees of which Rotarian John Seaton is Chairman.

The Sir Charles Bright Scholarship was established in 1985 in memory of Sir Charles Bright, a former judge of the Supreme Court, Chancellor of the University of Adelaide, and Chairman of Minda Homes. Sir Charles was noted for his support of disadvantaged younger persons.

When Sir Charles died in 1983, Malcolm Penn OAM, a blind lawyer, thought there should be something to memorialise Sir Charles.

Malcolm asked the family if they would be happy for a scholarship for students with a disability to be established in his honour. The family gave their approval and contributed funds. By 1985, the first two scholarships of $400 each were presented.

Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Careers expo in Adelaide Thanks to the wonderful support of Jacinta and her colleague Dorsa, Brain Foundation and Headache Australia were once again represented at this event. Thank you so much for your time and effort.

2018 Scholarship The scholarships are awarded to disabled persons undertaking education, whether at University, Technical and Further education or other recognised post – secondary educational institutions.

Scholarships, each valued at $1500, are currently presented annually during February/March. 2018 Scholarship The Brain Foundation Scholarship this year went to Ashley Duffield of Whyalla Stuart SA. Ashley suffers from severe anxiety which leads to paranoia and occasional auditory and visual hallucination. She has problems forming and maintaining interpersonal relationships. Her studies are impacted by anxiety and stress.

Despite these problems she is studying at the University of SA on the Whyalla Campus for a Bachelor of Social Work. She enjoys swimming and bushwalking and is a member of the zoo. She enjoys music and cooking. We wish Ashley the very best with her studies and future work.

As more students applied for scholarships, major organisations were invited to be involved. For many years now Service Clubs have also provided scholarships such the Prospect/Blair Athol Lions, the Rotary Clubs of Adelaide and Brighton, and the Lions Club of Edwardstown and private donors. The Trust is a registered as a taxdeductible charity and it also receives support from Arts SA and the Dept. of Employment, Higher Education and Skills. The Trust has now been able to help around 343 students, and awarded scholarships approaching $380,000.

For our readers in South Australia who know of potential applicants, applications for scholarships can be accessed by phoning (08) 8261 6171 or at rphadelaide.org.au/scholarship.htm

What the beautiful Ambre did next Ambre Hammond, internationally renowned pianist and long time Brain Foundation supporter, has found herself surrounded by the joyous children of Ujamaa Children’s Home, Tanzania.

With her ‘travelling piano’, she loves to entertain and introduce under privileged children to the wonders of music.

Ambre is a generous and kind person who gives so much to help others in need. We are so grateful for her support.

Thanks for the great photo!

You can enjoy Ambre's extremely talented performances and support her uplifting work using the power of her music by purchasing her CDs. Some are available from our office.

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The Newsletter of the Brain Foundation

Healthy brain Don’t take a back seat – be a leading supporter We are delighted to have secured the ambassadorial services of Swans (retired) superstar player, Ted Richards. Ted played AFL professionally for 16 years - 5 years at Essendon and 11 years at the Sydney Swans for a total of 261 AFL games.

Ted could see how being an ambassador is a wonderful opportunity to give something back to the fans who supported him and the teams as well as the whole community. He could see how important it is to fund new research into different brain diseases and disorders. A healthy brain is so important to the quality of life for everybody, but there’s still so much we don’t know about it.

With all the recent talk about brain health and management in contact sports, the Brain Foundation is excited to announce an upcoming collaboration with the Sydney Swans. This will be released to the public after July this year the aim being to promote and fund research into this specific area.

The Brain Foundation now has a relationship with the Sydney Swans too, and helped by Ted will further raise awareness of the good work that The Brain Foundation does.

Ted used his time in football wisely to gain post-graduate qualifications in Finance and since retiring from football he joined a

For those of you who like your daily brain workout . . .wrap your mind around these riddles!

A

A hundred brothers lie next to each other; Each white and fine – they've only one spine.

I am the tongue that lies between two.

Remove me to gather their wisdom to you.

What am I?

B

I move, I step, as silent as snow.

C

I never was, am always to be,

I grow, I flick, from lit candle wick.

No one ever saw me, nor ever will

I leap, I bound, yet don't leave the ground.

And yet I am the confidence of all

I've arms, I've hair, less substantial than air.

To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball.

What am I?

I pass, I go, with someone I know.

MSA OR MULTIPLE SYSTEMS ATROPHY

After many happy years living in Sydney, Ted now lives in Melbourne with his wife Ella, and their two children Beau and Poppy. Ted is looking forward to the year ahead helping the Brain Foundation.

We look forward to working with Ted and involving the public in this exciting new project for the Brain Foundation.

If you’ve managed to solve these riddles, here’s another one from super fundraiser Max Rolls Max, from Sydney, recently completed a NON-STOP SUPER SWIM beginning in NSW waters, proceeding to South Australian waters and finishing the swim in Victoria waters.

All of this was achieved on ONE DAY, and as Max is aged 82, was quite an achievement.

Can you guess accomplished?

how

this

was

See Page 8

I dash, I tumble, but it's never my fumble.

What am I?

business called Six Park. They are a roboadvisor, in that they provide professional investment advice online. They invest clients into their own globally diversified portfolio for a fraction of the price that advisors typically change. Their client’s investments are overseen by an investment committee which features the former Chairman of JP Morgan and former Minister of Finance for the Australian Government Lindsay Tanner. If you’re interested in finding out more please check them out at www.sixpark.com.au.

Solutions: back page

Max is raising donations for research into Huntington’s Disease for which we are most grateful. If you wish to donate directly to us in support of Max, please note this on your donation.

MSA is a little know neuro-degenerative condition with no known cure. For those supporters who have a loved one suffering or know of someone who is, there is a closed Facebook page you can join. www.facebook.com/groups/MSAOZNZ/ or look up the travelling MSA shoe – it’s been (nearly) everywhere, man – https://msashoe.org/

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Get Involved

Find us on Facebook.

Like us today!

Want some BIG FUN?

IN MEMORIAM

We have packaged this event to make it easy for you to have participants register and enjoy.

The Brain Foundation would like to extend a very sincere thank you to the families of the following who supported our research programme at a time of great sadness and loss.

Please ring our office for all the information and support you need.

Marie CROCOMBE

Then you should try BIG TRIVIA If you want to host a fun family and friends event, then consider Big Trivia by Brain Foundation.

Carol POLULACH

A good Zombie lives forever

Tamworth Christmas Fair

I know it is hard to plan when you don’t have a brain….. but all Zombies should contact the Brain Foundation office for proposed gatherings in 2018.

The 2018 Fair will be held on November 18th 2018 at the Tamworth Racecourse.

The market features unique products that are not widely available elsewhere.

Like to help? Fundraising is easy Fundraising for a cause close to you heart is made easy by the following sites.

You can create your own event – as you have seen earlier in this newsletter – or you can join a community event such as a fun run or swim. These sites make it easy for you to raise money without the hassle of collecting funds and issuing receipts.

See: mycause.com.au : gofundraise.com.au : everydayhero.com.au and select the one which suits you best.

Claire CARTER Stephen MANN Shelley CLARKE Betty WARD Evelyn Mary HIGHAM Michael Patrick O’SULLIVAN Robert ‘Bob’ SCHOFIELD Scott Robert PEACH

Our thanks to the following fundraising champions

Irene Hazel MILLER

My Cause – Lois Snellgrove and Lloyd Collier doing the Tandem World Cycle 2018, Claudia VanGerven, Shave away brain disease.

IN CELEBRATION

Go Fundraise – Stephen Nelson, Clare Classic Cycle and Abbey Taylor Everyday Hero – Annie Black and Alice Powell who did the Cole Classic, Claire Laaja and Dion Abel

Regular Giving Would making small, regular donations suit you better than one bigger donation per year?

Perhaps you should think about making a regular monthly or quarterly donation.

Contact our office or download a form and we will do the rest for you.

Workplace Giving is an easy alternative and your company may even match your donation. Speak to your paymaster for further information.

Estate Planning and Bequests: Our benefactor, Australian Executor Trustees offers reduced rates for Brain Foundation supporters. For more information, please call Gerald in our office on 1300 886 660.

good2give.ngo is a new site which makes workplace giving a breeze. Have a look and see if it is for you.

THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES FOR THEIR SUPPORT:

Thank you for supporting brain research through the Brain Foundation To make a donation please visit our website brainfoundation.org.au/donate or use the donation form on the letter enclosed.

It is with pleasure that we congratulate Serafin Martinez and Thai Loi on their recent wedding.

They have donated to our research programme in Memory of Fernando Martinez and Sinh Luu.

Healthy Brain Solutions a) A bookmark b) A shadow c) The future Max Rolls’ Tri-State, Swim against Huntingtons was in the Murray River, starting near MacCabe Corner in New South Wales, he then swam into South Australia before rounding a buoy and finishing near the starting point, but on the Victorian side of the river. Max is pictured at two of the State borders.