Dorothy Bruck

Dorothy Bruck, BA (Hons) (Uni Tas), PhD (La Trobe), MAPS, is a professor at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. Her academic interests include sleep/wake behaviour, mental health, chronic fatigue, arousal thresholds, human behaviour in emergencies and the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Books

 * 2017, Chapter 31 - Sleep, Cognitive and Mood Symptoms in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, in The Handbook of Stress and Health: A Guide to Research and Practice"'Abstract - Sleep abnormalities, neurocognitive disturbances and comorbid depressive symptoms are some of the particularly debilitating symptoms experienced by patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). This complex condition with currently evasive etiology involves a multisystemic symptom presentation that can reflect dysfunction in several organs and biological systems. The microbiota-gut-brain axis provides one possible pathway where dysfunction in communication between enteric microbiota, the gastro-intestinal system, and the brain may precipitate some ME/CFS symptoms. Sleep, neurocognitive and depressive symptoms are examined with recent microbiome research highlighting the potential etiological role of dysfunction in gut-brain communication. Treatment alternatives are reviewed with a focus on addressing underlying pathophysiology and possible causal mechanisms. The burgeoning field of microbiota research across diverse health fields provides an avenue of hope for future therapeutic advances and improved health outcomes for patients with ME/CFS."

Notable Studies

 * 2016, Support for the Microgenderome: Associations in a Human Clinical Population
 * 2015, Sleep quality and the treatment of intestinal microbiota imbalance in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A pilot study.
 * 2012, Sleep Abnormalities in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Review, Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine