One in five Kiwis are affected by a neurological condition – a series of events are being held around the country to educate and inform us all about the brain, conditions that affect it, and what current research is discovering.

March is Brain Awareness month and each year, Aotearoa New Zealand’s Neurological Foundation uses the month to promote greater understanding of how our brain works, different conditions one in five Kiwis suffer that affect our brains, and the research that is currently being undertaken here.

There are many research projects currently being funded by the Neurological Foundation. A few of these include ways to improve outcomes for children with epilepsy, several different research teams investigating potential therapeutic targets for Parkinson’s disease, and a team looking for early warning signals before blood clots block brain arteries and cause strokes.

Two studies on Alzheimer’s disease are also being funded, one trying to uncover the connection between immune response and damage to brain cells in Alzheimer’s sufferers, and another investigating how neurons communicate in Alzheimer’s sufferers, with a view to improving therapies.

Stroke Foundation of NZ statistics show approximately 9,000 Kiwis experience a stroke each year – an average of one Kiwi every hour. Research indicates that within the next decade, this is projected to rise by 40%.

A study currently being funded by the Neurological Foundation is looking at ways to get stroke victims treated faster and explore any impact COVID-19 might have on how quickly blood flow is restored to organs after a stroke occurs.

2021 is the 50th year the charity has supported brain research in New Zealand. To celebrate, they are taking researchers from the Universities of Otago and Auckland on the road to celebrate research happening right here in New Zealand, with free events happening throughout the country. (Continue reading below).

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An event in Queenstown will feature Professor Cliff Abraham, Professor of Psychology at the University of Otago and founding director of Otago’s Brain Health Research Centre.

He will talk about his work on brain plasticity and Alzheimer’s disease. Through his research, he has made some promising breakthroughs into potential therapies for Alzheimer’s disease.

Otago museum in Dunedin is also going to host an event celebrating the wonders of the human brain. This is a day designed for all ages and levels of interest.

Along with kids’ activities and presentations on genetics and the brain for adults, there will be a large inflatable brain on display to teach people more about the brain itself.

For information on events throughout the South Island during March, visit the Neurological Foundation website.

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