Research News and Articles - Dystonia Network of Australia Inc

Patientworthy

This is a useful health website that publishes short articles, stories and information about rare health conditions. There are many articles and stories about dystonia. Read them here.

2022 – Using laser based diamonds to detect early brain changes

Whilst not specifically about dystonia, this article describes a breakthrough in using diamonds in mapping the brain to detect early changes. Some of the researchers involved are Australian. Read more here.

2022 – Wireless neuro-stimulator to revolutionise patient care

Researchers at the University of Queensland conducted a trial of remote care of people with brain stimulation devices. The trial involved adjusting stimulators remotely, alleviating the need for patients to have to attend appointments in person. It is hoped this technology may extend in the future to people with neurological disorders, including dystonia, who have brain stimulators. Read the University of Queensland press release here.

2021 – Drug repurposing approaches reveal HIV drug holds promise for DYT1 dystonia

Research conducted in the United States has shown that a HIV drug may be useful in correcting the results of a genetic mistake that causes the inherited DYT1 dystonia. Read about it here.

2021 – New Dystonia Drug Candidates Discovered

Read this interesting article published by the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (United States) on potential new drug treatments for dystonia here.

October 2021 – Dystonia Coalition

The Dystonia Coalition is a collaboration of medical researchers and patient advocacy groups from all over the world including Australia, that is working to advance the pace of research into dystonia to find better treatments.

DNA is listed as a patient support and advocacy group on the Dystonia Coalition website here. An interesting summary of the Dystonia Coalition and their work can be found here.

July 2019 – Interview with Margot Chiverton

You may recall our request for members to be interviewed by the media department of Deakin University to add a human voice to their media release regarding Daniel Corp’s journal article on dystonia being accepted by the prestigious journal “Brain”. Below is the link for the media release and an article in the Adelaide Advertiser featuring Margot Chiverton, one of our members and a patient advocate on the Advisory Board. Many thanks Margot for agreeing to be interviewed and for her articulate and informative comments on dystonia. Doctor Daniel Corp is also a DNA member. We congratulate him on this research and wish him well on his next research project on dystonia.

Deakin University – Brain Mapping Study

With permission of Doctor Daniel Corp, Elise Snashall – Woodhams from Deakin University and Margot Chiverton.

2015 – Neurologist Dr Kishore Kumar’s interview with the Dubbo Weekender

The interview talks about the Paul Ainsworth Family Foundation, donation to fund research at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, for two of the most common types of dystonia which affect the (neck) Cervical Dystonia and the (vocal cords) Spasmodic Dysphonia. Dr Kishore Kumar Dubbo Weekender 2015