Staff Profile
Alison Killen
Research Assistant
- Email: alison.killen@ncl.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 1340
- Address: Institute of Neuroscience
Newcastle University
Campus for Ageing and Vitality
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 5PL
Academic background
2014 Current 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
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 around assessment and 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
2017-present ‘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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.