Neck and Head Research Unit
This research team investigates the physiological and psychosocial features associated with head, neck and jaw pain in the general population, the working population, those who have suffered head, neck or jaw trauma and recognition of those with serious pathology related to the head or neck.
Findings assist in the development of innovative approaches and clinically relevant measures to assist differential diagnosis and management of pain and features associated with persistent head, neck or jaw problems such as headache, dizziness, visual disturbances, postural instability, vascular or autonomic disturbances.
Key research activities
Our research looks at the inter-relationships between pain processing, motor and kinematic function, sensorimotor function and psychosocial responses in traumatic and idiopathic models of neck, head or jaw pain including:
- whiplash associated disorders
- insidious onset neck pain
- cervical and axio-scapular muscle function
- nerve mechanosensitivity
- temporomandibular disorders
- cervicogenic headache
- migraine/ tension type headache/ vestibular migraine
- cervicogenic dizziness
- concussion/ mild traumatic brain injury
- cervical artery dissection
- vertebrobasilar insufficiency
- work-related/occupational neck conditions - prevention and management
- neck pain and dysfunction in the elderly
- neck pain and dysfunction in head and neck cancer
- neck pain and dysfunction in peripheral and central vestibular conditions
- neck pain and dysfunction and visual disorders
- recognition of red flag disorders
- safety in manual therapy
- translational education research
- development of physiotherapy interventions for cervical spine (neck) and temporomandibular disorders.
Research methods
Self-reported
- Questionnaires- pain, disability, pain on movement, other symptoms, psychosocial factors, trauma related factors
- Qualitative studies/ Focus groups
- Risk criteria- clinical decision tool
- Pain diary/ Pain mapping
Musculoskeletal measures
- Cervical kinematics- range, velocity and accuracy
- Posture
- Manual examination
- Neuromuscular control
- Strength and endurance testing
Sensorimotor
- Proprioception - Joint position sense
- Movement sense
- Force sense
- Balance - Static, Dynamic, Gait and Functional
- Oculomotor
- Smooth pursuit.
- Gaze stability
- Nystagmus
- NPC/Accommodation
- Stereognosis
- Reaction time
- Eye head co-ordination
- Trunk head co-ordination
- Neck jaw co-ordination
- Vestibular suite of measures
Sensory
- Pressure, vibration, thermal pain thresholds/detection
- Laterality
- Two point discrimination
- Cold pain modulation
- Temporal summation
- Exercise induced analgesia
Others
- Cadaver anatomical studies
- Vascular ultrasound elastography
- MRI studies
- Autonomic/Physiological -Heart rate variability, Buffalo concussion treadmill test
Equipment available
- EMG
- Virtual reality
- Strength gauges
- Pressure sensors
- Ultrasound
- CPM
- PPT
- Thermal testing
- Force Bite sensors
- ENG
- VNG
- RAF rule
- Motion sensors
- Laser
- Force plates/ Wii board
- HRV
- Treadmill
Group members
Team leaders
The major theme of my research to date has been in the role of the cervical spine in producing symptoms other than pain such as dizziness and visual disturbances and the cervical spine’s role in head and eye movement control and postural stability. I am particularly interested in differential diagnosis and investigating clinical tests that can help physiotherapists identify when the cervical spine is implicated in these symptoms and signs. This research has led me to consider populations with neck pain, headache, concussion, visual and vestibular impairments. My research and it’s translation to clinical practice have gained the attention of clinicians and researchers internationally and has had a significant impact on, and uptake in, clinical practice internationally. I have a consistent publishing record in quality journals in the musculoskeletal and related multidisciplinary and professional fields. Since 2008, I have received over one half a million dollars in competitive research funding from agencies including Queensland Health (HMR), ARC and University of Queensland funding. I have sought and been sought for several international and national collaborations with leading researchers in the areas of neck pain, whiplash, concussion and proprioception. These collaborations have resulted in several publications with the majority of the collaborators with the others currently in progress. To date I have supervised 3 PhDs to completion, I currently supervise 2 PhD students, and have supervised over 100 honours, GEMS and/or Masters research students to project completion.
Team members
Dr Lucy Thomas
Dr Julia Treleaven
A/Prof Shaun O’Leary
Dr Zhiqi Liang
Dr Viana Vuvan
Katrina Williams
Alana Dinsdale
Dr Elise Gane
Team founder
Emeritus Professor Gwendolen Jull
Research Higher Degree Candidates:
Candidate | Degree | Supervisor/s | Project Title/Description |
Michelle Cottrell | PhD | Professor Trevor Russell, Dr Shaun O’Leary, Dr Annie Hill | Evaluation of a telerehabilitation model of care for the multidisciplinary management of patients with chronic musculoskeletal conditions within N/OPSC & MDS. |
Khalid Jaber | MPhil | Dr Shaun O’Leary, Dr Michael MacAuliffe, Professor Michelle Sterling | Psychological, social and sensory predictors of a poor response to total knee replacement. |
Alan Wan | PhD | Dr Shaun O’Leary, Professor Michael Sullivan, Professor Michelle Sterling | An investigation of Sensitivity to Movement-Evoked Pain in Whiplash Injury. |
Olivia Galea | PhD | Dr Shaun O’Leary, Dr Julia Treleaven | Do impairments exist beyond expected recovery time following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and what is their relationship with self-reported symptoms. |
Zhiqi Liang | PhD | Dr Julia Treleaven Dr Lucy Thomas E/Prof Gwen Jull | The Nature of Neck Pain in Migraine.
|
Yanfie Xie | PhD | A/Prof Venerina Johnston Dr Brooke Coombes Dr Lucy Thomas | Characterization of muscle, sensory and psychosocial features of idiopathic neck pain among sonographer.
|
Ameer Alhusuny | PhD | A/Prof Venerina Johnston Dr Margaret Cook | Neck/Shoulder and Vision Problems in Surgical Team Performing Minimally Invasive Surgeries. |
Michael Donovan | PhD | A/Prof Venerina Johnston A/Prof Asad Khan | Addressing work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the Queensland poultry meat processing industry. |
Alyssa Welch | PhD | A/Prof Venerina Johnston A/Prof Genevieve Healy | Understanding the individual and organisational factors associated with adherence to a workplace-based exercise program for office workers. |
Recently completed Research Higher Degree Candidates:
Candidate | Degree | Supervisor/s | Project Title/Description |
Deokhoon Hun | PhD | Dr Shaun O’Leary, A/Prof Venerina Johnston | A longitudinal study of risk factors for non-specific neck pain in office workers. https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:690540 |
Xiaoqi Chen | PhD | A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Dr Shaun O’Leary, | Prevention and reduction of neck pain in office workers: characteristics, contributing factors, and impact of a workplace-based exercise and ergonomic intervention https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:690623 |
Michelle Pereira | PhD | A/Prof Venerina Johnston, A/Prof Tracy Comans | Workplace intervention for productivity enhancement of office workers |
Yaheli Bet-or | MPhil / PhD | A/Prof Venerina Johnston, Dr Shaun O’Leary, | Characteristics of scapula-thoracic kinematics in a healthy population and those with chronic non-specific neck pain. |
June Quek | PhD | Dr Julia Treleaven Professor Sandy Brauer Dr Ross Clark | The Influence of Cervical Spine Dysfunction on Postural Control. https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:721150
|
Peter Window | PhD | Dr Shaun O’Leary, Dr Kylie Tucker, Professor Paul Hodges | Can Kinematic based measures of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex detect differences in motor function in individuals with chronic low back pain and healthy controls? |
Elise Gane | PhD | Dr Shaun O’Leary, Dr Steven McPhail, Dr Anna Hatton | Identifying risk factors for poor functional recovery of the neck and shoulder (neck/shoulder) after neck dissection surgery in patients with head and neck cancer. |
Research Projects:
Project Title | Funding | Investigators | Contact |
A workplace-based exercise intervention to prevent and reduce the economic and personal burden of non-specific neck pain in the office personnel | NHMRC project grant | Johnston V, Straker L, Comans T, Sjogaard G, O’Leary S, Melloh M. | A/Prof Venerina Johnston v.johnston@uq.edu.au Completed 2017 |
Mediating the negative impact of standing for the office worker transitioning to a sit-stand workstation | UQ HABS Faculty Research Collaboration Seeding Grant | Johnston V, Gilson N, Smith M, Brown W, Vicenzino B. | Completed 2017 |
A longitudinal study of risk factors for neck pain in office workers | Office Ergonomic Research Committee | Jun H, Johnston V, O’Leary S. | Completed 2017 |
| Is there a difference in scapular kinematics between healthy controls and people with chronic neck pain? | Physiotherapy Research Foundation seeding grant | Bet-or Y, Johnston V, O’Leary S. | Completed 2017 |
| Remote kinematic e-training/healthcare for patients with chronic neck pain, a randomised clinical trial | Health and Medical Research Queensland Health 2014 HMR | Treleaven J, Sarig-Bahat H. | Completed 2017 |
| Factors associated with laterality/ implicit motor imagery performance in chronic neck pain and whiplash | Treleaven J, Reebeck T, Stanton T. | j.treleaven@uq.edu.au | |
| An investigation of the mechanical properties of the cervical arteries using ultrasound and magnetic resonance elastography | SHRS New staff Research Set-Up Fund | Thomas, L | l.thomas2@uq.edu.au |
| Identifying risk factors for poor functional recovery of the neck and shoulder after neck dissection surgery in patients with head and neck cancer | Physiotherapy Research Foundation 2015 Seeding Grant | Gane E, O'Leary S, McPhail S, Hatton A, Panizza B. | |
| Validation of a diagnostic support tool for the early recognition of cervical arterial dissection in patients with acute onset of neck pain or headache | Thomas L, Wong A, Holliday E, Attia J | l.thomas2@uq.edu.au | |
| Optimising patient selection and resource utilization for the non-surgical management of common orthopaedic conditions | RBWH Research Grant | O’Leary, McPhail, Comans, Raymer, Khan. | An investigation of the mechanical properties of the cervical arteries using ultrasound and magnetic resonance elastography |
| Review of the 2006 APA Guidelines for Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency | Australian Physiotherapy Association | Thomas L, Shirley D, Refshauge K, Rivett D |
Volunteer for a research study
The Nature of Neck Pain in Migraine
Media Comment:
- Virtual reality research to help neck pain: Queensland Researchers. Sydney Morning Herald
- Professor Gwen Jull on being made an Officer in the Order of Australia
- Neck pain and office workers: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-02/simple-exercises-to-reduce-neck-pain-for-office-workers/9283044
International Collaborators
- Professor Gisela Sjøgaard, Institute of Sport Sciences and Clinical Biomechanics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense
- Professor Markus Melloh, Director Centre for Health Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Science
- Professor Anneli Peolsson, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Physiotherapy, Linköping University, Sweden
- Dr Hilla Sarig Bahat, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Haifa
- Dr Jinny Uthaikup, Chaing Mai University Thailand
- Dr Ulrik Ulrik Röijezon, Department of Health Sciences Lulea University Sweden
- Dr Peter Michaelson, Department of Health Sciences, Lulea University Sweden
- Dr Martin Björklund, Umeo University, Sweden
- Dr Nicholas Clark, St Marys University London
- Dr Alison Rushton, University of Birmingham
- Dr Markus Ernst ZHAW School of Health Professions, Switzerland
National Collaborators
- Professor James Elliott, Allied Health NSLHD The University of Sydney
- Professor Leon Straker, NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, Curtin University of Technology, Perth
- Dr Ross Clark, University of Sunshine Coast
- Dr Trudy Reebeck, University of Sydney
- Dr Tasha Stanton, University of South Australia
- Dr Sue Reid, ACU Sydney
- Professor Julie Hides, Deputy Head of School Allied Health Griffith University Nathan Brisbane.
- Dr Joanne Bullock- Saxton, Research Co-ordinator Active Rehabilitation, Brisbane
- Dr Angelo Basteris, Post doc fellow, Griffith University
- Professor Nancy LowChoy, ACU and PCH
- Professor Chris Levi, Hunter Medical Research Unit, John Hunter Hospital, The University of Newcastle
- Professor John Attia, Hunter Medical Research Unit, The University of Newcastle
- Dr Elizabeth Holliday, Hunter Medical Research Unit, The University of Newcastle
- Professor Philip Bolton, The University of Newcastle
- Professor Darren Rivett, The University of Newcastle
- Dr Andrew Wong, Director of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital
- Dr Rebecca Crawford Adj. Assoc. Prof. Curtin University, Perth, Australia
The University of Queensland
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Collaborators:
- Professor Michele Sterling, RECOVER Injury Research Centre,
- Professor Sandy Brauer - Physiotherapy
- Katrina Williams - Physiotherapy
Inter-School/Faculty Collaborators
- Professor Katie McMahon, Centre for Advanced Imaging
- Gail Durbridge, Centre for Advanced Imaging
- Professor Deborah Theordoros, Director of RECOVER Injury Research Centre
Contact the Neck Pain and Whiplash Research Group
Volunteer for a research study
Contact the Neck and Head Research Unit for information on studies currently recruiting participants.