Sharon L. Naismith

Sharon Linda Naismith is an Australian clinical neuropsychologist who researches aging, dementia, and cognitive decline. She is the Leonard P. Ullman Chair in Psychology at the University of Sydney School of Psychology. In 2023, Naismith was elected to the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia.

Naismith earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a D.Psych. from Macquarie University. Her 2004 dissertation was titled, Implicit Sequence Learning in Depression Relationship to Neuropsychological, Clinical, Vascular and Genetic Risk Factors. One project, the REducing Sleep Apnoea for the PrEvention of Dementia (REShAPED) trial, received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

Selected publications

Naismith, S. L., Duffy, S. L., Cross, N., Grunstein, R., Terpening, Z., Hoyos, C., D'Rozario, A., Lagopoulos, J., Osorio, R. S., Shine, J. M., & McKinnon, A. C. (2020). Nocturnal hypoxemia is associated with altered parahippocampal functional brain connectivity in older adults at risk for dementia. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 73(2), 571-584. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-190747 Naismith, S. L., & Mowszowski, L. (2018). Sleep disturbance in mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review of recent findings. Current opinion in psychiatry, 31(2), 153-159.https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0000000000000397 Naismith, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Terpening, Z., Rajaratnam, S. W., Hodges, J. R., Bolitho, S., Rogers, N. L., Lewis, S. J. W. (2014). Circadian misalignment and sleep disruption in mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 38(4), 857-866. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-131217 Naismith, S. L., Mowszowski, L., Diamond, K., & Lewis, S. J. (2013). Improving memory in Parkinson's disease: a healthy brain ageing cognitive training program. Movement Disorders, 28(8), 1097-1103. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.25457 Naismith, S. L., Hermens, D. F., Ip, T. K. C., Bolitho, S., Scott, E., Rogers, N. L., & Hickie, I. B. (2012). Circadian profiles in young people during the early stages of affective disorder. Translational Psychiatry, 2(5), e123-e123. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2012.47 Naismith, S. L., Norrie, L. M., Mowszowski, L., & Hickie, I. B. (2012). The neurobiology of depression in later-life: clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging and pathophysiological features. Progress in neurobiology, 98(1), 99-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.05.009 Naismith, S. L., Diamond, K., Carter, P. E., Norrie, L. M., Redoblado-Hodge, M. A., Lewis, S. J., & Hickie, I. B. (2011). Enhancing memory in late-life depression: the effects of a combined psychoeducation and cognitive training program. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 19(3), 240-248. https://doi.org/10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181dba587 Naismith, S. L., Rogers, N. L., Lewis, S. J., Terpening, Z., Ip, T., Diamond, K., Norrie, L., & Hickie, I. B. (2011). Sleep disturbance relates to neuropsychological functioning in late-life depression. Journal of affective disorders, 132(1-2), 139-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2011.02.027 Naismith, S. L., Lewis, S. J., & Rogers, N. L. (2011). Sleep-wake changes and cognition in neurodegenerative disease. Progress in brain research, 190, 21-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53817-8.00002-5 Naismith, S. L., Shine, J. M., & Lewis, S. J. (2010). The specific contributions of set‐shifting to freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders, 25(8), 1000-1004. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.23005 Naismith, S. L., Redoblado-Hodge, M. A., Lewis, S. J., Scott, E. M., & Hickie, I. B. (2010). Cognitive training in affective disorders improves memory: a preliminary study using the NEAR approach. Journal of Affective Disorders, 121(3), 258-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2009.06.028 Naismith, S. L., Rogers, N. L., Hickie, I. B., Mackenzie, J., Norrie, L. M., Lewis, S. J. G. (2010). Sleep well, think well: Sleep-wake disturbance in mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 23(2), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891988710363710 Naismith, S. L., Glozier, N., Burke, D., Carter, P. E., Scott, E., & Hickie, I. B. (2009). Early intervention for cognitive decline: is there a role for multiple medical or behavioural interventions?. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 3(1), 19-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7893.2008.00102.x Naismith, S.L., Longley, W.A., Scott, E.M., & Hickie, I. B. (2007). Disability in major depression related to self-rated and objectively-measured cognitive deficits: a preliminary study. BMC Psychiatry, 7(32), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-7-32 Naismith, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Ward, P. B., Scott, E., & Little, C. (2006). Impaired implicit sequence learning in depression: a probe for frontostriatal dysfunction? Psychological Medicine, 36(3), 313–323. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291705006835 Naismith, S. L., Winter, V. R., Hickie, I. B., & Cistulli, P. A. (2005). Effect of oral appliance therapy on neurobehavioral functioning in obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 1(04), 374-380. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.26365 Naismith, S. L., Winter, V., Gotsopoulos, H., Hickie, I. B, & Cistulli, P. (2004). Neurobehavioral Functioning in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Differential Effects of Sleep Quality, Hypoxemia and Subjective Sleepiness. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 26(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.1076/jcen.26.1.43.23929 Naismith, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Turner, K., Little, C. L., Winter, V., Ward, P. B, Wilhelm, K., Mitchell, P., & Parker, G. (2003). Neuropsychological performance in patients with depression is associated with clinical, etiological and genetic risk factors. Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 25(6), 866-877. https://doi.org/10.1076/jcen.25.6.866.16472 Naismith, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Ward, P. B., Turner, K., Scott, E., Little, C., Mitchell, P., Wilhelm, K., & Parker, G. (2002). Caudate nucleus volumes and genetic determinants of homocysteine metabolism in the prediction of psychomotor speed in older persons with depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(12), 2096-2098. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.159.12.2096 Naismith, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Scott, E. M., & Davenport, T. A. (2001). Effects of mental health training and clinical audit on general practitioners' management of common mental disorders. Medical Journal of Australia, 175, S42-S47. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143789.x