Leading schizophrenia researcher Prof. Sonia Dollfus visits MAPrc

 

On Thursday 4th March we were fortunate enough to have leading psychiatry researcher Prof. Sonia Dollfus visit MAPrc and present her work as part of the “Research Forum” fortnightly seminar series.
 
Prof. Dollfus is Professor of Psychiatry at University Hospital, Caen, France. She leads a research team dedicated to brain stimulation and neuroimaging studies of psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, and has published over 100 peer-review journal articles, 20 book chapters, and 2 books.
 
 
Prof. Dollfus spoke about her current clinical research, which involves administering high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the superior temporal gyrus (a brain region associated with auditory hallucinations) among individuals with schizophrenia. Preliminary results suggest that this technique may be effective in reducing auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia, with some participants experiencing these benefits for many months after treatment. Prof. Dollfus’ team is now conducting a large scale randomised controlled trial of high-frequency rTMS in schizophrenia.
 
Also presented was Prof. Dollfus’ neuroimaging work in schizophrenia, where functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has revealed that individuals with schizophrenia reveal fundamental brain differences in language processing and the comprehension of social stories.
 
This is important research that not only helps us better understand schizophrenia, but also provides strong targets for developing and implementing new treatments for schizophrenia. We thank Prof. Dollfus for her fascinating presentation, and look forward to hearing about the results of her current trial.

 

 MAPrc Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Level 4, 607 St Kilda Road, Melbourne 3004

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