Newcastle University

Research Interests

Neuroimaging particularly in the aging brain
functional and diffusion MRI

Projects

• A novel study investigating visual cortex function in Dementia with Lewy Bodies using transcranial magnetic stimulation and magnetic resonance imaging
  Project Leader(s): Dr John-Paul Taylor
• A Study of the clinical Utility, patient preference and cost benefit of SPECT and PET-CT brain imaging in the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease (SUSPECTED-AD)
  Project Leader(s): Professor John T O'Brien
• Cognitive Function After Stroke (COGFAST) study
  Project Leader(s): Professor Raj N Kalaria
• Effects of intensive BP lowering on cerebral blood flow in older people with hypertension
  Project Leader(s): Prof. Gary Ford
• Investigating attentional function and cognitive fluctuations in Lewy body disease: a functional magnetic imaging and electrophysiological study
  Project Leader(s): Dr John-Paul Taylor

• Sinha N, Firbank M, O'Brien JT. Biomarkers in dementia with Lewy bodies: a review. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2012, 27(5), 443-453.
• Boccardi M, Bocchetta M, Apostolova L, Barnes J, Bartzokis G, Corbetta G, DeCarli C, DeToledo-Morrell L, Firbank M, Ganzola R, Gerritsen L, Henneman W, Killiany R, Malykhin N, Pasqualetti P, Pruessner J, Redolfi A, Robitaille N, Soininen H, Tolomeo D, Wang L, Watson C, Wolf H, Duchesne S, Jack C, Frisoni G. Delphi Consensus on Landmarks for the Manual Segmentation of the Hippocampus on MRI: Preliminary Results from the EADC-ADNI Harmonized Protocol Working Group. In: 64th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). 2012, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Nombela C, Rowe J, Hampshire A, Owen A, Breen D, Winder-Rhodes S, Khoo T, Firbank M, Yarnall A, Duncan G, O'Brien J, Burn D, Brooks D, Barker R. Inefficiency of fronto-parietal networks in incident Parkinson’s disease. In: 8th Forum of Neuroscience. 2012, Barcelona, Spain.
• Wood JS, Watson R, Firbank MJ, Mosimann UP, Barber R, Blamire AM, O'Brien JT. Longitudinal testing of visual perception in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer’s disease. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2012, (epub ahead of print).
• Firbank MJ, Allan LM, Burton EJ, Barber R, O'Brien JT, Kalaria RN. Neuroimaging predictors of death and dementia in a cohort of older stroke survivors. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2012, 83(3), 263-267.
• Taylor JP, Firbank M, O'Brien J. Occipital transcranial magnetic stimulation in dementia with Lewy bodies Reply. British Journal of Psychiatry 2012, 200(4), 345-346.
• Lopes MA, Firbank MJ, Widdrington M, Blamire AM, Kalaria RN, O'Brien JT. Post-stroke dementia: the contribution of thalamus and basal ganglia changes. International Psychogeriatrics 2012, 24(4), 568-576.
• Colloby SJ, Firbank MJ, He JB, Thomas AJ, Vasudev A, Parry SW, O'Brien JT. Regional cerebral blood flow in late-life depression: arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance study. British Journal of Psychiatry 2012, 200(2), 150-155.
• Vasudev A, Saxby BK, O'Brien JT, Colloby SJ, Firbank MJ, Brooker H, Wesnes K, Thomas AJ. Relationship Between Cognition, Magnetic Resonance White Matter Hyperintensities, and Cardiovascular Autonomic Changes in Late-Life Depression. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2012, 20(8), 691-699.
• Firbank MJ, Teodorczuk A, van der Flier WM, Gouw AA, Wallin A, Erkinjuntti T, Inzitari D, Wahlund LO, Pantoni L, Poggesi A, Pracucci G, Langhorne P, O'Brien JT, LADIS Grp. Relationship between progression of brain white matter changes and late-life depression: 3-year results from the LADIS study. British Journal of Psychiatry 2012, 201(1), 40-45.
• Nombela C, Rowe J, Hampshire A, Owen A, Breen D, Khoo T, Firbank M, Yarnall A, Duncan G, O'Brien J, Burn D, Brooks D, Barker R. Spatial planning ability in early stage Parkinson’s disease patients (ICICLE-PD). In: The Movement Disorders Society 16th International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders. 2012, Dublin, Ireland.
• Killen AJ, Firbank MJ, Collerton D, Clarke MP, Jeffries J, Taylor J-P, McKeith IG, Mosimann U. The assessment of cognition in visually impaired older adults. Age and Ageing 2012, (epub ahead of print).
• Taylor JP, Firbank MJ, He JB, Barnett N, Pearce S, Livingstone A, Vuong Q, McKeith IG, O'Brien JT. Visual cortex in dementia with Lewy bodies: magnetic resonance imaging study. British Journal of Psychiatry 2012, 200(6), 491-498.
• Firbank MJ, He J, Blamire AM, Singh B, Danson P, Kalaria RN, O'Brien JT. Cerebral blood flow by arterial spin labeling in poststroke dementia. Neurology 2011, 76(17), 1478-1484.
• Colloby SJ, Firbank MJ, Vasudev A, Parry SW, Thomas AJ, O'Brien JT. Cortical thickness and VBM-DARTEL in late-life depression. Journal of Affective Disorders 2011, 133(1-2), 158-164.
• Wood JS, Firbank MJ, Mosimann UP, Taylor JP, O'Brien JT. Development of a Novel fMRI Compatible Visual Perception Prototype Battery to Test Older People With and Without Dementia. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology 2011, 24(2), 73-83.
• Firbank MJ, Blamire AM, Teodorczuk A, Teper E, Mitra D, O'Brien JT. Diffusion tensor imaging in Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 2011, 194(2), 176-183.
• Narayan SK, Firbank MJ, Saxby BK, Stansby G, Hansrani M, O'Brien JT, Ford GA. Elevated plasma homocysteine is associated with increased brain atrophy rates in older subjects with mild hypertension. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders 2011, 31(5), 341-348.
• Harron EC, Firbank MJ, McKenna J, McCallum HM, Mohanraj R. Evaluation of MRI Distortion Correction for Use in Radiotherapy Treatment Planning [abstract]. Clinical Oncology 2011, 23(3), S38.
• Allan LM, Rowan EN, Firbank MJ, Thomas AJ, Parry SW, Polvikoski TM, O'Brien JT, Kalaria RN. Long term incidence of dementia, predictors of mortality and pathological diagnosis in older stroke survivors. Brain 2011, 134(12), 3713-3724.
• Narayan SK, Saxby BK, Firbank MJ, O'Brien JT, Harrington F, McKeith IG, Hansrani M, Stansby G, Ford GA. Plasma homocysteine and cognitive decline in older hypertensive subjects. International Psychogeriatrics 2011, 23(10), 1607-1615.
• Colloby SJ, Vasudev A, O'Brien JT, Firbank MJ, Parry SW, Thomas AJ. Relationship of orthostatic blood pressure to white matter hyperintensities and subcortical volumes in late-life depression. British Journal of Psychiatry 2011, 199(5), 404-410.
• Taylor JP, Firbank M, Barnett N, Pearce S, Livingstone A, Mosimann U, Eyre JA, McKeith IG, O'Brien JT. Visual hallucinations in dementia with Lewy bodies: transcranial magnetic stimulation study. British Journal of Psychiatry 2011, 199, 492-500.
• Colloby SJ, Firbank MJ, Thomas AJ, Vasudev A, Parry SW, O'Brien JT. White matter changes in late-life depression: A diffusion tensor imaging study. Journal of Affective Disorders 2011, 135(1-3), 216-220.
• Colloby S, Firbank M, Thomas A, O'Brien J, Vasudev A, Parry S. White matter changes in late-life depression: A diffusion tensor imaging study. In: International Psychogeriatrics: 15th International Congress of the International Psychogeriatric Association Reinventing Aging through Innovation. 2011, The Hague, The Netherlands: Cambridge University Press.
• Firbank MJ, Barber R, Burton EJ, O'Brien JT. Validation of a fully automated hippocampal segmentation method on patients with dementia. Human Brain Mapping 2008, 29(12), 1442-1449.
• Firbank MJ, Blamire AM, Krishnan MS, Teodorczuk A, English P, Gholkar A, Harrison R, O'Brien JT. Atrophy is associated with posterior cingulate white matter disruption in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease. NeuroImage 2007, 36(1), 1-7.
• Firbank MJ, Blamire AM, Krishnan MS, Teodorczuk A, English P, Gholkar A, Harrison RM, O'Brien JT. Diffusion tensor imaging in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 2007, 155(2), 135-145.
• Teodorczuk A, O'Brien JT, Firbank MJ, Pantoni L, Poggesi A, Erkinjuntti T, Wallin A, Wahlund L-O, Gouw A, Waldemar G, Schmidt R, Ferro JM, Chabriat H, Bazner H, Inzitari D. White matter changes and late-life depressive symptoms: Longitudinal study. British Journal of Psychiatry 2007, 191(3), 212-217.
• O'Brien JT, Firbank MJ, Krishnan MS, Van Straaten ECW, Van Der Flier WM, Petrovic K, Pantoni L, Simoni M, Erkinjuntti T, Wallin A, Wahlund L-O, Inzitari D. White matter hyperintensities rather than lacunar infarcts are associated with depressive symptoms in older people: The LADIS study. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2006, 14(10), 834-841.
• O'Brien JT, Firbank MJ, Mosimann UP, Burn DJ, McKeith IG. Change in perfusion, hallucinations and fluctuations in consciousness in dementia with Lewy bodies. Psychiatry Research - Neuroimaging 2005, 139(2), 79-88.
• Firbank MJ, Molloy S, McKeith IG, Burn DJ, O'Brien JT. Longitudinal change in 99mTcHMPAO cerebral perfusion SPECT in Parkinson's disease over one year. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2005, 76(10), 1448-1451.
• Firbank MJ, Burn DJ, McKeith IG, O'Brien JT. Longitudinal study of cerebral blood flow SPECT in Parkinson's disease with dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2005, 20(8), 776-782.
• Firbank MJ, O'Brien JT, Pakrasi S, Pantoni L, Simoni M, Erkinjuntti T, Wallin A, Wahlund L-O, van Straaten I, Inzitari D, Scheletens P, Barkhof F, Velderman AK, Nagy Z, May Z, Ovary C, Barsi P, Pataky I, Waldermar G, Garde E, Rostrup E, Ryberg C, Vogel A, Paulson O, Hejl AM, Jakobsen O, Klimkowicz A, Bosak M, Szwabowska D, Basile AM, Bartolini L, Salvatori E, Moretti M, Mascalchi M, Pracucci G, Trallori P, Jonsson M, Gustavsson K, Nordlund A, Rolstad S, Edman A, Lind K, Ekholm S, Ribbelin S, Fazekas F, Schmidt R, Trummer U, Ropele S, Petrovic K, Pihanen P, Pohjasvaaran T, Somerkoski M-M, Iiovonen E, Mantyla R, Ylikoski R, Crisby M, Ryden E, Amberla K, Bronge L, Pettersson A, Eidehall A, Bogousslavski J, Ghika J, Ferro J, Madureira S, Verdelho A, Garcia C, Morgado C, Hennerici M, Baezner H-J, Blahak C, Grass A, Fassbender K, Mielke O, Gaa J, Hirsch J, Behrens S, Wiarda Mr, Minnett T, Harrison P, Gholkar A, Chanriat H, Benoist L, Hernandez K. White matter hyperintensities and depression - Preliminary results from the LADIS study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2005, 20(7), 674-679.
• Firbank MJ, Lloyd AJ, Ferrier N, O'Brien JT. A volumetric study of MRI signal hyperintensities in late-life depression. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2004, 12(6), 606-612.
• Minett TS, Dean JL, Firbank M, English P, O'Brien JT. Cerebral white matter lesions and subjective memory complaints in the elderly. In: 9th International Conference on Alzheimers Disease and Related Disorders. 2004, Philadelphia, PA: Neurobiology of Aging: Elsevier.
• Coulthard EJ, Firbank M, English PT, Birchall D, Welch J, O'Brien J, Griffiths D. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool in frontotemporal dementia. In: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry: Annual Meeting of the British Neuropsychiatry Association. 2004, London, UK: BMJ Group.
• Firbank MJ, Minett T, O'Brien JT. Changes in DWI and MRS associated with white matter hyperintensities in elderly subjects. Neurology 2003, 61(7), 950-954.
• Firbank MJ, Colloby SJ, Burn DJ, McKeith IG, O'Brien JT. Regional cerebral blood flow in Parkinson's disease with and without dementia. NeuroImage 2003, 20(2), 1309-1319.
• Firbank MJ, Harrison RM, O'Brien JT. A comprehensive review of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies in dementia and Parkinson's disease. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders 2002, 14(2), 64-76.
• Firbank MJ, Harrison RM, Williams ED, Coulthard A. Measuring extraocular muscle volume using dynamic contours. Magnetic Resonance Imaging 2001, 19(2), 257-265.
• Firbank MJ, Coulthard A. Evaluation of a technique for estimation of extraocular muscle volume using 2D MRI. British Journal of Radiology 2000, 73(876), 1282-1289.
• Firbank MJ, Harrison RM, Williams ED, Coulthard A. Quality assurance for MRI: practical experience. British Journal of Radiology 2000, 73(868), 376-383.
• Firbank MJ, Coulthard A, Harrison RM, Williams ED. A comparison of two methods for measuring the signal to noise ratio on MR images. Physics in Medicine and Biology 1999, 44(12), N261-N264.
• Firbank MJ, Coulthard A, Harrison RM, Williams ED. Partial volume effects in MRI studies of multiple sclerosis. Magnetic Resonance Imaging 1999, 17(4), 593-601.