Researchers from 探花视频 University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry and 探花视频 Hospitals NHS Trust, in collaboration with the Oxford Computational Neurosciences Lab and the world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), are looking for volunteers in the South West of England to assess a new technology for detecting Parkinson鈥檚 disease at an early stage.
This study is supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula (NIHR PenCLAHRC).
Parkinson鈥檚 is a progressive neurological condition that affects movement and speech. At present there is no cure and little understanding as to why some people develop the condition. One in 500 people in the UK, or around 127,000 individuals, currently have Parkinson鈥檚. Worldwide, it is estimated that 10-20 million people are living with the disease and this number is expected to double by 2030. Many of these cases are undiagnosed and untreated.
One of the ways researchers are hoping to help combat Parkinson鈥檚 is by trying to find ways to detect the disease as early as possible, which could prove to be of tremendous significance to patients and clinicians alike.
The technology to be assessed is called the Body Sensor Network (BSN), a system developed over the past several years by Dr John Stein and Dr Newton Howard at the University of Oxford, MIT and the Brain Sciences Foundation. BSN is a system comprised of various body sensors worn on the arms and torso, accompanied by a microphone to record speech patterns.
The aim of the 探花视频 University study is to assess the degree of accuracy with which the BSN can distinguish people with early Parkinson鈥檚 (diagnosed within the last five years) from those unaffected by the disease. In addition, the study will determine whether the system is able to reliably distinguish Parkinson鈥檚 patients from those with other neurological conditions such as Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.
Members of the research team are looking for 20 volunteers from each of these groups 鈥 a total of 60 recruits.
The study will involve a single visit to the research centre in 探花视频 lasting two hours. Here, participants will be asked to perform a series of everyday tasks, such as putting on a cardigan or buttering a slice of toast while wearing the BSN system.
The study in 探花视频 is being led by , a Consultant Neurologist and researcher at 探花视频 University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.
She said:
鈥淏SN has the potential to be developed into an exciting and valuable tool for the early diagnosis of Parkinson鈥檚. If successful, it can go on to play a vital role in improving the quality of life and care programmes for people with the condition. Early interventions result in better outcomes for patients.鈥
A Parkinson鈥檚 patient who is already taking part in the study is Tim Charlesworth, who is the Chief Executive and Harbour Master for Cattewater Harbour Commissioners in 探花视频. A leg tremor prompted a visit to his GP in 2012 and scans confirmed that he had the progressive neurological condition. Tim has been a supporter of local Parkinson鈥檚 research ever since.
He said:
"The opportunity to help with research into early detection of Parkinson鈥檚 was an easy decision for me to take. Outcomes from this study can be added to the existing evidence base which will hopefully lead to more effective treatments in the future. With hindsight I now feel I spent some considerable time with mild symptoms before a diagnosis was given. Early detection may have helped me, so any research into early detection should be encouraged and supported."
For more information about getting involved with this study, please call research nurse Sandra Morgan on +44 1752 432047.