FDG-PET/MRI to study gait V1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Developing a dynamic FDG-PET/MR imaging methodology to study gait in ageing and neurodegenerative disease
IRAS ID
257805
Contact name
Lynn Rochester
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Problems with walking are common in older age as well as neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and can increase the risk of falls, with negative consequences to quality of life, independence and increased health care costs. Neural activity within the brain is required to co-ordinate the contraction of multiple muscles in order to successfully navigate complex environments. The ability to cognitively process and move around the surrounding environment can become compromised with ageing and in PD. Recording the activity within the brain during the completion of complex tasks is critical to enhance our understanding of the control of human locomotion and also age- and PD-related changes in mobility. Studies imaging the brain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have relied upon participants imagining they are walking and important components related to gait control are therefore, missed in fMRI studies, such as muscle activity and sensory input from movement. Current knowledge of the networks controlling gait most likely underestimate the involvement of sensory and cognitive processes such as vision, integration and processing of relevant sensory, vestibular and visual information. There is need for a greater understanding of the neural correlates of walking in order to understand age related decline in mobility, identify features that are protective against decline and to use this as a baseline to understand mal-adaptation in ageing and age related disease such as PD. This study will utilise novel methods that allow brain function to be studied using a combination of imaging techniques (namely positron emission tomography and fMRI) and the usage of glucose (a fuel used to perform cognitive and motor tasks) while participants are engaged in real walking tasks.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 1 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EM/0212
Date of REC Opinion
17 Sep 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion