Introduction

The Neurological Foundation is a registered charity formed in 1971 to reduce the level of suffering and premature death from diseases of the brain and nervous system through research, education and information.

The primary focus of the Foundation is medical research and twice each year the Foundation makes medical grants to doctors and scientist involved in the neurological field. The Foundation is almost totally funded by individual New Zealanders, with over 95% of our funds coming from donations and bequests. The national office is in Auckland and there are 14 divisions serving communities throughout New Zealand. Our supporters number approximately 35,000 people.

The Neurological Foundation quarterly newsletter Headlines is sent to supporters free of charge.

MISSION STATEMENT: The Neurological Foundation of New Zealand

• "To alleviate suffering from diseases and disorders of the brain and nervous system through research and education".

Origins of the Foundation

A group of parents and health professionals set up the Foundation in 1971. They wanted to set up a research organisation that specialised in neurological disorders.

During its establishment the founders, joined by the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Epilepsy Association, concluded that the only way to improve the outlook for people with neurological disorders was by finding out the cause of problems and then how best to treat or, even better, prevent them. This meant research. That was the principal focus of the Foundation on its formation and remains so today.

History of the Foundation
(based on "Notes on the Formation and Original Aims of the Neurological Foundation" by Philip Wrightson MBE, FRCS, FRACS)

With the development of neurological and neurosurgical services at Auckland Hospital in the 1960s, it became desirable to have some encouragement for development and research; this was strengthened by the establishment of the Medical School in the early 1970s. Colleagues at the University of Otago and other neurological and neurosurgical treatment centres throughout New Zealand were also enthusiastic about the concept - the demands of neurological research including high cost and a lengthy time- frame necessitated a centralised, national funding and evaluation system.

In l970, Professor Val Chapman of the University of Auckland's Botany Department started the process to form a neurological research organisation. He was joined by Mr John Seabrook of the long-established Auckland car importer Seabrook Fowldes Motors, the Mayor of Auckland Sir Dove-Meyer Robinson, Wellington surgeon Roland O'Regan and others.

A scientific steering committee was set up in 1971 comprising Professor Chapman, Professor John Carman of the University of Auckland's Anatomy Department, neurologists Dr Barry Cant and Dr Gavin Glasgow and neurosurgeon Philip Wrightson. It was decided that the proposed organisation would focus on research into neurological areas, leaving patient support and advocacy to others (the Epilepsy Association and the MS Society were involved in the formation process) and that assessment of research applications would be rigorous.

The founders decided that the Neurological Foundation would be a true foundation - all invested and projects would be funded from the interest. The Bryant Trust of Hamilton initiated the Foundation's funds with a donation of $45,000 (perhaps $350,000 in today's money). It is a tribute to the forethought of those pioneers and the unstinting generosity of thousands of New Zealanders who want to see improved treatment for neurological disorders, or even better, prevention, that 35 years later the Foundation's Council was able to announce the commitment of $.5 million a year to this essential component of the "knowledge society".


The Foundation's achievements

The nature of medical research is such that it is not easy to detail results in a way which would meet an accountant's audit. At least some of the results are proof that a proposal may not contribute to successful treatment but add to our knowledge and therefore be still worthwhile. However, there are some outstanding, major research achievements:

• Professor Goddard's work on epilepsy in Dunedin, in producing a model of the development of seizures, which could then be used to show what the chemical mechanism of their origin is, how they develop and how they can be modified in experimental animals.
  
  
• Professor Faull's work on the 'chemical anatomy' of the brain, working out the various specific chemical substances which are responsible for the activity of brain cells and localising them in the various parts of the brain. This leads to better understanding of conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's Chorea, Alzheimer's disease and other conditions. There may also be potential for treatment by cell transplantation to restore neurotransmitters where they are deficient. It may become possible to detect some specific biochemical changes in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. This work has also been supported by the Foundation's Human Brain Bank. People with the above diseases may instruct their relatives that their brains should be made available to Professor Faull after their death and these can be stored and examined as needed, as well as material being made available to other investigators.
  
• Many other projects have added to the general understanding of neurological disease and treatment. There is a great advantage in having a body of people concerned with asking questions, submitting 'accepted' doctrine to scrutiny, and investigating the less well known. This increases the effectiveness and quality of medical management. The education of first-class neurologists and neurological scientists.