Edith Cowan University
Parkinsons Centre

People

Dr Romola Bucks (BSc, PhD, MSc Clin Psych)

Biography

Romola qualified as a Clinical Neuropsychologist in the UK, subsequently taking a PhD in Cognitive Psychology, both at Bristol. For 8 years she managed the Bristol Research into Alzheimer’s and Care of the Elderly (BRACE) Research Centre and the Bristol Memory Disorders Clinic (BMDC) for the diagnosis and management of dementia. After Bristol, she moved to the University of Southampton where she became involved in training Clinical Psychologists, Medics and Nurses. Throughout her career she has sought to conduct clinically relevant research.

Research Interests

A core theme of Dr Romola Bucks research has been the study of awareness of cognitive function in ageing and dementia. Awareness of function impacts on quality of life, coping, capacity, decision making and consent. A related theme is the study of emotion processing changes in later life and in dementia.

Dr Bucks is also interested in the development and validation of psychometric tools for the assessment of ageing and dementia (e.g. BADLS, Location Learning Test, Butt Non-Verbal Reasoning Test).

Selected Publications

  1. Bucks, R.S., Garner,M., Tarrant,L., Bradley,B.P.,and Mogg, K. (2008).  Interpretation of Emotionally Ambiguous Faces in Older Adults. Journal of Gerontology B: Psychological Sciences. In press. IF=1.757
  2. Meadmore, K., Dror, I.E. Bucks, R.S. (2008). Lateralisation of spatial processing and age. Laterality. In press. IF=1.364
  3. Bucks, R.S., Gidron, Y., Harris, P., Teeling, J., Wesnes, K.A., & Perry, V.H. (2008). Selective effects of upper respiratory tract infection on cognition, mood and emotion processing: a prospective study, Brain, Behaviour and Immunity, 22, 399-407. IF=3.757
  4. Hogan A.M. & Hill C.M., Bucks R., Telfer, P., and Kirkham F.J. (2007). Increased Cerebral Blood Flow Velocity in Children With Sickle Cell Disease: Adenotonsillectomy or Transfusion Regimens?: In Reply. Report invited by Pediatrics, 120, 236-237. IF=5.012
  5. Preston, L., Marshall, A., & Bucks, R.S. (2007). Investigating the ways that older people cope with dementia: a qualitative study. Aging and Mental Health, 11, 131-143. IF=1.197
  6. Astell, A. J., & Bucks, R. S. (2006). Strategy prompts increase verbal fluency in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Brain and Language, 99,151-2. IF=2.317
  7. Ansell, E.L. & Bucks, R.S. (2006). Mnemonic Anosognosia in Alzheimer's disease: A Test of Agnew and Morris (1998). Neuropsychologia, 44, 1095-1012. IF=3.924
  8. Adams, G., Turner, H., & Bucks, R.S. (2005). The experience of body dissatisfaction in men. Body Image, 2, 271-283. IF=NA
  9. Bucks, R.S., & Maguire, N. (2005). Creating ethical research: Understanding ethics committee decision making. Workshop materials for teaching the principles of ethical research. The Higher Education Academy: Psychology Network. Department of Psychology, University of York. ISBN 0-9544704-8-6. http://www.psychology.heacademy.ac.uk/docs/pdf/p20050608_Ethical_Research.pdf .
  10. Cooper, M., Turpin, G., Bucks, R.S., & Kent, G. (2005). Good Practice Guidelines for the Conduct of Psychological Research within the NHS. British Psychological Society: Leicester. http://www.bps.org.uk/document-download-area/document-download$.cfm?file_uuid=E615A15A-1143-DFD0-7E9F-60808ED2875D&ext=pdf.
  11. Butt, P., & Bucks, R.S. (2004). The Butt Non Verbal Reasoning Test (BNVR). Speechmark Publishing Limited: Bicester. ISBN 0-86388-472-5
  12. Bucks, R.S. & Radford, S.A. (2004). Emotion processing in Alzheimer’s disease. Aging and Mental Health, 8, 222-232. IF=1.197
  13. Tian, J., Bucks, R.S., Wilcock, G.K., & Haworth, J. (2003). Neuropsychological prediction of conversion to dementia from questionable dementia: statistically significant but not yet clinically useful. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 74, 433-438. IF=3.630
  14. Joffres, C., Bucks, R.S., Haworth, J., Wilcock, G.K., & Rockwood, K. (2003). Patterns of clinically detectable treatment effects with galantamine: A qualitative analysis. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 15(1), 26-33. IF=2.511
  15. Singh, S., Bucks, R.S., & Cuerden, J.M. (2001). Evaluation of an objective technique for analysing temporal variables in DAT spontaneous speech. Aphasiology, 15, 571-583. IF=0.882
  16. Baddeley, A.D., Baddeley, H.A., Bucks, R.S., & Wilcock, G.K. (2001). Attentional Control in Alzheimer’s disease. Brain, 124, 1492-1508. IF=7.617
  17. Ballard, C., O’Brien, J., Gray, A., Cormack, F., Ayre, G., Rowan, E., Thompson, P., Bucks, R.S., McKeith, I., Walker, M., & Tovee, M. (2001). Attention and fluctuating attention in dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer s disease. Archives of Neurology, 58, 977-982. IF=5.204
  18. Byrne, L.M.T., Wilson, P.M.A., Bucks, R.S., Hughes, A.O., & Wilcock, G.K. (2000). The sensitivity to change of the Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15, 656-661. IF=0.882
  19. Bucks, R.S., Willison, J.R., & Byrne, L.M.T., (2000). The Location Learning Test (LLT). Thames Valley Test Company: Bury St Edmunds. ISBN 1-874261-563.
  20. Bucks, R.S., & Loewenstein, D.A. (1999). Neuropsychological Assessment. In Wilcock, G.K., Bucks, R.S., & Rockwood, K. (Eds.) Diagnosis and Management of Dementia: A Manual for Memory Disorders Teams (pp. 102-123). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  21. Wilcock, G.K., Bucks, R.S., & Rockwood, K. (Eds.) 1999. Diagnosis and Management of Dementia: A Manual for Memory Disorders Teams. OUP, Oxford.
  22. Byrne, L.M.T., Bucks, R.S., & Cuerden, J.M. (1998). Validation of a new scoring system for the Weigl Colour Form Sorting Test in a memory disorders clinic sample. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 20(2), 286-292. IF=1.689
  23. Bucks, R.S. & Willison, J.R. (1997). Development and Validation of the Location Learning Test (LLT): A Test of Visuo-spatial Learning Designed for use with Older Adults and in Dementia. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 11, 273-286. IF=1.279
  24. Bucks, R.S., Singh, S., Cuerden, J.M. & Wilcock, G.K. (1997). Linguistic analysis of spontaneous, conversational speech in probable Alzheimer’s disease: A comparison with normal older adults. In W. Ziegler & K. Deger (Eds.). Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics (Proceedings of the International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association (ICPLA ‘96), 5th Annual Conference. Munchen, September 16-18, 1996, 316-324.
  25. Amar, K., Bucks, R.S., Lewis, T., Scott, M. & Wilcock, G.K. (1996). The effect of white matter low attenuation on cognitive performance in dementia of the Alzheimer type. Age and Ageing, 25, 443-448. IF=1.919
  26. Bucks, R.S., Ashworth, D.L., Wilcock, G.K., & Siegfried, K. (1996). Assessment of Activities of Daily Living in Dementia: Development of the Bristol Activities of Daily Living Scale. Age and Ageing, 25, 113-120. IF=1.919
  27. Bucks, R.S., Scott, M.S., Pearsall, T.P. & Ashworth, D. (1996). The short NART: Utility in a memory disorders clinic. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 35, 133-141. IF=2.062
  28. Amar, K., Lewis, T., Wilcock, G.K., Scott, M., Bucks, R.S. (1995). The relationship between white matter low attenuation on brain CT and vascular risk factors: a memory clinic population. Age and Ageing, 24, 411-415. IF=1.919
  29. Hogan A.M, Hill, C.M., Bucks, R., Telfer, P., Kirkham, F.J. (2007). Increased cerebral blood flow velocity in children with sickle cell disease: adenotonsillectomy or transfusion regimes? (In Reply to Bader-Meunier and colleagues.). Pediatrics. 120, 236-237. IF=5.012
  30. Bucks, R.S., Byrne, L., Haworth, J., Emmerson, C., & Spaull, D. (2002). Interventions in Alzheimer’s disease. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17, 492-3. IF=0.882
  31. Byrne, L. M. T., Bucks, R.S., & Wilcock, G.K. (2000). Mini-mental state. Lancet (L), January 22, 9200, 314-15. IF=25.800

Contact Details

Mail:   
Dr Romola Bucks
School of Psychology
Mailbag M304
The University of Western Australia
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009

Telephone   +61 8 6488 3232
email: romola.bucks@uwa.edu.au

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