Acceptability of functional MRI
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Is functional MRI feasible and acceptable to people with chronic refractory breathlessness?
IRAS ID
181653
Contact name
Andrew Wilcock
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Breathlessness is a common, distressing, symptom in advanced disease, causing considerable disability for patients, and anxiety and social isolation for them and their family often for long periods. Over 75 million people worldwide experience breathlessness, especially those with severe chronic lung disease and cancer, but also in heart, renal and liver failure, neurological conditions, HIV/AIDS and many autoimmunine diseases. It is associated with poor clinical outcomes: poor survival, admission to hospital from the emergency department and an increased likelihood of adverse events if in hospital. More than one in four people have moderate to severe breathlessness in the months before death despite symptomatic treatment by specialist staff using best evidence-based interventions and support. Thus, breathlessness represents a huge unmet need and research is required to develop better ways of managing it.
We want to see if a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain is practical and acceptable to adults who, despite treatment, have ongoing breathlessness from a variety of causes, i.e. it is chronic and refractory. This is the first step in exploring if chronic breathlessness is associated with particular changes in the activity and structure of the brain. Ultimately, this information may help us to develop better ways to treat breathlessness.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0322
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jul 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion