Newcastle University

Qualifications

BSc (hons) Human Biology. 

Msc Neuroscience.

PhD Applied Neuroscience (Neuropharmacology).

Previous Position

Medical writer.

Memberships

British Neuroscience Association.

International College of Geriatric Psychoneuropharmacology. 

Selected Publications

Khundakar AA and Thomas AJ. The possible applications (and pitfalls!) of stereological analysis in post-mortem brain research. In Mouton, P (Ed.) Neurostereology. Holboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. In Press

Khundakar A, Zetterström T. Effects of GABA(B) ligands alone and in combination with paroxetine on hippocampal BDNF gene expression. European Journal of Pharmacology 2011, 671(1-3), 33-38.

Khundakar A, Morris C, Oakley A, McMeekin W, Thomas AJ. Morphometric analysis of neuronal and glial cell pathology in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life depression. British Journal of Psychiatry 2009, 195(2), 163-169.

Awards and Invited Presentations 

2009 IAH 'Excellence with Impact' Award - 1st prize.

2011 International College of Geriatric Psychoneuropharmacology - Junior Researcher Award.

2011 'Evaluating the Vascular Depression Hypothesis: A Review of Cellular Morphometry Studies'; Vascular Dementia Congress October 20-23, Riga, Latvia. 

2011 'Morphometric Analysis of Brain Circuitry in Late-Life Depression'; International College of Geriatric Psychoneuropharmacology November 2-5, Irvine, California, US.  

Research Interests

My research at the Institute for Ageing and Health (IAH), Newcastle University aimed to elucidate the anatomical correlates of late-life depression by examining morphological cellular changes in post-mortem brain tissue using unbiased three-dimensional stereology. The results acquired from these experiments revealed differential effects of late-life depression on neuronal morphology, dependent on affective area examined. Specifically, significant changes were found in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and caudate nucleus, but not orbitofrontal or anterior cingulate cortices, in patients with late-life depression. Intriguingly, no changes were found in glial cell populations in any area examined, contrasting with previous studies in younger depressed patients.

My PhD research in neuropharmacology focused on the mechanistic effect of antidepressant treatment on neurotrophic factors within the rat hippocampus. It was found that a ‘biphasic’ effect occurred on hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression after antidepressant therapy. Acute administration of various antidepressant drugs resulted in inhibition, whereas chronic treatment resulted in an upregulatory effect on BDNF. The initial inhibitory effect on BDNF was discovered to be regulated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA; specifically GABA_B) receptor-mediated activation. 

Other Expertise

Neuropharmacology of depression

The involvement of neurotrophic factors in depression

Medical/scientific writing, proofreading and editing

Current Work

Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is characterised by recurrent visual hallucinations often leading to disorientation and distress in patients. The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and primary visual cortex (BA17) are first and second neuronal systems after the eyes which process visual information. I am therefore currently examining the possible pathological changes present within the LGN and primary visual cortex in the post-mortem tissue of patients with DLB using stereological and immunohistochemical  analysis. This novel study is very important in establishing whether the visual hallucinations experienced in DLB patients are a result of pathological changes in the visual system within the brain, providing a greater understanding of the pathophysiological processes behind DLB.

• Khundakar AA, Thomas AJ. The Possible Applications (And Pitfalls!) Of Stereological Analysis In Postmortem Brain Research. In: Mouton, P, ed. Neurostereology. Holboken, New Jersey: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013. In Press.
• Gemmell E, Bosomworth H, Allan L, Hall R, Khundakar A, Oakley AE, Deramecourt V, Polvikoski TM, O'Brien JT, Kalaria RN. Hippocampal Neuronal Atrophy and Cognitive Function in Delayed Poststroke and Aging-Related Dementias. Stroke 2012, 43(3), 808-814.
• Khundakar AA, Morris CM, Oakley AE, Thomas AJ. Cellular pathology within the anterior cingulate cortex of patients with late-life depression: A morphometric study. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 2011, 194(2), 184-189.
• Khundakar A, Zetterström T. Effects of GABA(B) ligands alone and in combination with paroxetine on hippocampal BDNF gene expression. European Journal of Pharmacology 2011, 671(1-3), 33-38.
• Khundakar A, Morris C, Thomas AJ. The immunhistochemical examination of GABAergic interneuron markers in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of patients with late-life depression. International Psychogeriatrics 2011, 23(4), 644-653.
• Khundakar A, Morris C, Oakley A, Thomas AJ. Morphometric analysis of neuronal and glial cell pathology in the caudate nucleus in late-life depression. American Journal Geriatric Psychiatry 2011, 19(2), 132-141.
• Khundakar A, Morris C, Slade J, Thomas AJ. Examination of glucose transporter-1, transforming growth factor-β and neuroglobin immunoreactivity in the orbitofrontal cortex in late-life depression. Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 2011, 65(2), 158-164.
• Khundakar A, Morris C, Oakley A, Thomas AJ. A morphometric examination of neuronal and glial cell pathology in the orbitofrontal cortex in late-life depression. International Psychogeriatrics 2011, 23(1), 132-140.
• Khundakar A, Morris C, Oakley A, McMeekin W, Thomas AJ. Morphometric analysis of neuronal and glial cell pathology in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life depression. British Journal of Psychiatry 2009, 195(2), 163-169.
• Khundakar AA, Thomas AJ. Morphometric changes in early- and late-life major depressive disorder: evidence from postmortem studies. International Psychogeriatrics 2009, 21(5), 844-854.
• Banerjee PS, Aston J, Khundakar AA, Zetterstrom TSC. Differential regulation of psychostimulant-induced gene expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor and the immediate-early gene Arc in the juvenile and adult brain. European Journal of Neuroscience 2009, 29(3), 465-476.
• Khundakar AA, Zetterström TS. Biphasic change in BDNF gene expression following antidepressant drug treatment explained by differential transcript regulation. Brain Research 2006, 1106(1), 12-20.
• Khundakar AA, Oakley AE, Morris CM, Thomas AJ. A stereological examination of neuronal and glial cell density in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in late-life depression. In: Journal of Psychopharmacology: BAP Summer Meeting. 2007, Harrogate: Sage Publications Ltd.
• Foster V, Oakley AE, Slade J, Khundakar A, Kalaria RN. Selective neuronal changes in prefrontal cortex of post-stroke dementia and ageing-related dementias. In: 114th Meeting of the British Neuropathological Society: Symposium on Advances in Motor Neuron Diseases. 2013, London: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.