In vivo investigations of familial Parkinson’s disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
In vivo investigation of familial Parkinson’s disease as presymptomatic and symptomatic models of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease
IRAS ID
172651
Contact name
Oliver Howes
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological condition mainly characterized by motor impairment. Before the development of motor symptoms, several structures in the nervous system undergo progressive damage. Very little is known about the mechanisms underlying the development of symptoms and disease progression. If more information was available, drugs could be devised with the aim of delaying or arresting the progression of the disease. This kind of information could be obtained studying people with familial form of Parkinson’s disease. Familial Parkinson’s disease patents are ideal for understanding the mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease due to the similar nature of the symptoms with the vast majority of Parkinson’s disease patients who develop the sporadic form.
We will ask the participants to undertake three types of brain scan: two positron emission tomography (PET) scan, one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and two single photon emission tomography (SPECT) scans. These techniques will give us information about structures in the nervous system, which are damaged before the development of overt symptoms.
We will analyse the results from the PET, MRI and SPECT scans with advanced computer software. The investigators of this study have world-class experience with this type of computer image analysis.
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0363
Date of REC Opinion
6 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion