Staff Profile
Dr Alison Killen
Research Associate
- Address: Translational and Clinical Research Institute
Faculty of Medical Sciences
Newcastle University
Campus for Ageing and Vitality
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 5PL
Background
Academic background
- 2020 HCPC registered Practitioner Psychologist - registration number PYL38978
- 2020 Chartered Psychologist (Health) - British Psychological Society registration number 158191
- 2020 Professional doctorate in Health Psychology
- 2014-20 Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology trainee
- 2013 MSc Health Psychology (Distinction), Sheffield Hallam University
- 2005 BSc Psychology (Honours First Class), Open University
- 1997 BSc Social Sciences (Honours First Class), Open University
- 1989 Registered Sick Children’s Nurse (RSCN), Westminster Children’s Hospital,
- 1986 Registered General Nurse (SRN) Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge
Expertise
- Memory loss and dementia awareness psychoeducation
- Planning, organising and conducting a large battery of neuro-psychological and physical assessments
- Interviewing older adults with dementia and carers individually and in groups
- Conducting clinic based memory assessments
- Supporting patients and relatives pre and post diagnosis
- Database design, data management and statistical analysis using SPSS and EXCEL
- Questionnaire design
- Design of 3D cognitive testing equipment for visually impaired patients
- Design and compilation of study newsletters for participants
- Leading focus groups
- Service evaluation
- Health related consultancy
Research
- 2023 - present PPIE Co-lead BRC Dementia and Mental Health themes
- 2020 COBALT clinical trial PPIE facilitator
- 2017 ‘Development and Evaluation of a Lewy Body Disorder Support and Information Group’ Funded by Lewy Body Society £50,000
- 2013-2017 ‘Visual Hallucinations, an EEG and non-invasive Stimulation’
- 2010-2013 ‘Cognitive and Attentional function in Lewy Body Disease’
- 2008-2010 ‘Cognition in Visually Impaired Older Adults’
- 2007-2008 ‘Vision in Parkinson’s disease’
SCOPUS: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=24481271500
Publications
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Articles
- Killen A, Flynn D, O'Brien N, Taylor JP. The feasibility and acceptability of a psychosocial intervention to support people with dementia with Lewy bodies and family care partners. Dementia 2022, 21(1), 77-93.
- Mehraram R, Peraza LR, Murphy NRE, Cromarty RA, Graziadio S, O’Brien JT, Killen A, Colloby SJ, Firbank M, Su L, Collerton D, Taylor J-P, Kaiser M. Functional and structural brain network correlates of visual hallucinations in Lewy body dementia. Brain 2022, awac094 / corrected proof.
- Killen A. Psychosocial support for people with dementia with Lewy bodies. Nursing and Residential Care 2021, 23(5).
- Murphy N, Killen A, Gupta RK, Graziadio S, Rochester L, Firbank M, Baker MR, Allan C, Collerton D, Taylor J-P, Urwyler P. Exploring Bottom-Up Visual Processing and Visual Hallucinations in Parkinson's Disease With Dementia. Frontiers in Neurology 2021, 11, 579113.
- Killen A, Macaskill A. Positive Ageing: to What Extent can Current Models of Wellbeing Categorise the Life Events Perceived as Positive by Older Adults?. International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology 2020, 5, 99-119.
- Mehraram R, Kaiser M, Cromarty R, Graziadio S, O'Brien JT, Killen A, Taylor J-P, Peraza LR. Weighted network measures reveal differences between dementia types: An EEG study. Human Brain Mapping 2019, 41(6), 1573-1590.
- Cromarty RA, Schumacher J, Graziadio S, Gallagher P, Killen A, Firbank MJ, Blamire A, Kaiser M, Thomas AJ, O'Brien JT, Peraza LR, Taylor J-P. Structural Brain Correlates of Attention Dysfunction in Lewy Body Dementias and Alzheimer’s Disease. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience 2018, 10, 347.
- Firbank MJ, Parikh J, Murphy N, Killen A, Allan CL, Collerton D, Blamire AM, Taylor JP. Reduced occipital GABA in Parkinson disease with visual hallucinations. Neurology 2018, 91(7), e675-e685.
- Stylianou M, Murphy N, Peraza LR, Graziadio S, Cromarty R, Killen A, O'Brien JT, Thomas AJ, LeBeau FEN, Taylor J-P. Quantitative electroencephalography as a marker of cognitive fluctuations in dementia with Lewy bodies and aid to differential diagnosis. Clinical Neurophysiology 2018, 129(6), 1209-1220.
- Peraza LR, Cromarty RA, Kobeleva X, Firbank MJ, Killen A, Graziadio S, Thomas AJ, O'Brien JT, Taylor J-P. Electroencephalographic derived network differences in Lewy body dementia compared to Alzheimer’s disease patients. Scientific Reports 2018, 8, 4637.
- Killen A, Flynn D, De Brún A, O'Brien N, O'Brien J, Thomas AJ, McKeith I, Taylor JP. Support and information needs following a diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies. International Psychogeriatrics 2016, 28(3), 495-501.
- Firbank M, Kobeleva X, Cherry G, Killen A, Gallagher P, Burn DJ, Thomas AJ, O'Brien JT, Taylor JP. Neural correlates of attention-executive dysfunction in lewy body dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Human Brain Mapping 2016, 37(3), 1254-1270.
- Urwyler P, Nef T, Muri RM, Killen A, Collerton D, Burn D, McKeith I, Mosimann UP. Patient and Informant Views on Visual Hallucinations in Parkinson Disease. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2015, 23(9), 970-976.
- Urwyler P, Nef T, Killen A, Collerton D, Thomas A, Burn D, McKeith I, Mosimann UP. Visual complaints and visual hallucinations in Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders 2014, 20(3), 318-322.
- Killen AJ, Firbank MJ, Collerton D, Clarke MP, Jefferis J, Taylor J-P, McKeith IG, Mosimann U. The assessment of cognition in visually impaired older adults. Age and Ageing 2013, 42(1), 98-102.
- Mosimann UP, Collerton D, Dudley R, Meyer TD, Graham G, Dean JL, Bearn D, Killen A, Dickinson L, Clarke MP, McKeith IG. A semi-structured interview to assess visual hallucinations in older people. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2008, 23(7), 712-718.
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Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)
- Cromarty R, Graziadio S, Colloby S, Killen A, Peraza LR, Elder G, Firbank M, Thomas A, McKeith I, O'Brien J, Taylor J-P. Electrophysiological Correlates of Attentional Dysfunction in Dementia with Lewy Bodies. In: International Dementia with Lewy Bodies Conference 2015. 2015, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA: American Journal of Neurodegenerative Disease.
- Murphy N, Killen A, Graziadio S, Peraza LR, Firbank M, Baker M, Elder G, Thomas A, McKeith I, Rochester L, Taylor J-P. Early Bottom-Up Visual Information Processing in Hallucinating Patients with Parkinson’s Disease with Dementia: A Preliminary Visual Evoked Potential Study. In: International Dementia with Lewy Bodies Conference 2015. 2015, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA: American Journal of Neurodegenerative Disease.
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Note
- Killen A, Olsen K, McKeith IG, Thomas AJ, O'Brien JT, Donaghy P, Taylor J-P. The challenges of COVID-19 for people with dementia with Lewy bodies and family caregivers. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2020, 35(12), 1431-1436.