Translational Neuropsychology Group

The Translational Neuropsychology group conducts research on the neuroscientific, clinical and behavioural aspects of neurodegenerative and neurological disorders. While there is a main focus on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, we also study other disorders such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and multiple sclerosis. The group is led by Professor Annalena Venneri whose research interests include:

• Early and differential diagnosis of dementia
• Evaluation of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of Alzheimer´s disease with neuroimaging techniques
• Clarifying the premorbid biological, personality and cognitive mechanisms underlying psychotic symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases

The group also conducts research in a variety of areas including:

• Neuropsychological tests predicting conversion from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer’s Disease and response to treatment in Alzheimer’s disease
• Cross-cultural assessment of dementia
• Cognitive and physical stimulation, genetic risk and cognitive decline
• Neurobiological correlates of neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
• Cross-cultural standardisation and validation of norms of neuropsychological tests used in the early identification of dementia of Alzheimer type in British Pakistanis
• Identifying the biological determinants of cognitive efficiency in ageing
• Biological correlates of cognitive impairment associated with fatigue in ME/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
• Clinical and neuroimaging approach to the evaluation of the effectiveness of virtual reality interventions for upper limb recovery following stroke
• Identifying deficits in executive and automatic language in Alzheimer’s disease
• Intensive cognitive stimulation in cognitive decline
• Procedural skills in cognition and ageing
• Refining dementia screening tools