Mechanisms of Movement, Balance and Orientation in Health & Disease
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Neural mechanisms of movement, balance and spatial orientation in health and disease
IRAS ID
214976
Contact name
Barry Seemungal
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Imperial College London
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN16535836
Duration of Study in the UK
6 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The brain controls our balance and spatial orientation enabling us to effortlessly walk on a crowded pavement or walk around in the dark. To balance, the brain uses information from the inner ear vestibular and auditory organs, our joints and muscles (providing limb movement information), our eyes, and our memory, e.g. our memory of a room’s layout helps us to navigate when we get out of bed at night. This project assesses how the brain combines these different aspects to help our balance in health and disease. Patients with injury affecting brain functioning will be recruited in the acute stage, typically whilst still in hospital. We will focus on aspects that predict recovery of balance. Patients will be serially tested over a follow up period of 6 months (i.e. we will invite patients to return for additional testing after being discharged from hospital). There are three types of tests: (1) MRI scanning of the nervous system structures important for balance; (2) clinical and behavioural testing assessing the basic mechanisms of nervous functioning that may affect balance – these tests typically occur while seated and include testing of the functions contributing to balance control, as well as their brain connections, i.e. the inner ear balance and hearing organs, the eye and limb muscle and joint position information; (3) formal tests of balance which will take place when standing or walking (for safety, patients will either be harnessed or accompanied by a researcher). All the tests are well tolerated and involve non-invasive testing. Although there are no direct benefits for any of the participants taking part in the study, we expect the data obtained from the participants will provide valuable information to enable the future development of effective therapies for patients suffering with imbalance and spatial disorientation.
REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0434
Date of REC Opinion
8 Jun 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion