CORLID
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cortical markers of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias
IRAS ID
278274
Contact name
John C Rothwell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2020/02/69, UCL Data Protection Registration number
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects about 1% of the population over 55. Initial treatment is usually very successful using the drug L-DOPA. However after 5 years or less of treatment, side effects begin to occur. One of the most common is known as L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID), which can be seen in up to 80% of patients. LIDs often occur several minutes after taking each dose of L-DOPA, and consist of involuntary movements of the legs and arms that may persist for many minutes and can cause anxiety to patients when outside their own homes. There is little effective treatment for dyskinesias since total withdrawal of L-DOPA is difficult.
The aim of this research is to try to find markers that could identify individuals who are likely to develop dyskinesias with the eventual goal of developing new treatment protocols that could reduce or even avoid this challenging problem before it occcurs. To do this we will study a group of patients who already have dyskinesias and a matched group (age, medication) of patients without dyskinesias, in order to identify markers that distinguish between the groups and to compare these with those observed in healthy normal age-matched volunteers. We focus on markers of brain activity and connectivity using electrical recordings of brain activity (EEG, electroencephalography), non-invasive methods of brain stimulation (TMS, transcranial magnetic stimulation), and behavioural testing. Our hypothesis is that long-term treatment with L-DOPA can, in susceptible individuals, slowly and irreversibly change the pattern of brain activity associated with movement, and that this will be observable in our tests.REC name
East Midlands - Leicester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/EM/0182
Date of REC Opinion
10 Aug 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion