Mapping Touch
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Spatiotemporal Mapping of Mechanosensation
IRAS ID
203387
Contact name
Susan Francis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Nottingham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Dystonia is a disabling neurological condition characterised by abnormal, involuntary movement. However, in addition to motor abnormalities, there are also known to be changes within the sensory system, and in particular changes in the sensory "maps" of the body, within the brain. There is evidence suggesting that this abnormal sensory processing is the cause of the movement disorder. In carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), median nerve injury also leads to altered sensory processing, which in turn leads to changes within the sensory system. Ultra high field (7Tesla) MRI has been developed a the University of Nottingham with particular focus on functional MRI, sensitive to local changes in blood flow due to neural activity to provide detailed brain mapping with sub-millimetre resolution. This is combined with magnetoencephalopathy (MEG) to add very high (millisecond) temporal resolution. We will use these techniques during non-invasive tactile stimulation of the hand, to obtain high resolution maps of primary and secondary sensory cortex. We will compare healthy subjects to patients with focal hand dystonia (writers cramp) before and after their usual Botulinum toxin injections and patients with carpal tunnel syndrome before and after nerve decompression surgery in order to elucidate these abnormalities and the extent to which they correct with treatment.
REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/EM/0368
Date of REC Opinion
1 Nov 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion