GASTROINTESTINAL DYSFUNCTION IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
GASTROINTESTINAL DYSFUNCTION IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE:\nINTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE GUT, IMMUNE MARKERS AND DISEASE OUTCOME\n
IRAS ID
259904
Contact name
Caroline Williams-Gray
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Although Parkinson’s disease (PD) is commonly characterized as a movement disorder, it is also associated with important movement related symptoms. Gastrointestinal dysfunction in PD (GID-PD) may include constipation, weight loss, difficulty swallowing, drooling, and reflux. These GI symptoms are often present before the onset of motor symptoms and have a significant impact on the patient’s quality of life. Accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein aggregates in the gut in early stages of the disease has lead the theory that PD pathology may begin in the gut before spreading to connected areas of the nervous system. Moreover, these gut changes may trigger an immune activation response which accelerates disease progression. However, despite the growth of research efforts on the mechanisms of the gut-brain axis’role in PD, a comprehensive characterization of GID-PD and an understanding of its significance in driving the disease is lacking. We plan to study this through 2 inter-related studies. Firstly, we will develop a new PD-specific questionnaire to characterize GID in more detail. Secondly, we will study 3 groups over time: an ’at risk of PD’ group, a newly diagnosed PD group and healthy controls. We will assess gut symptoms, blood markers of microbial translocation and immune activation, and stool samples to study their relationship with progression to key milestones in the disease including balance problems, dementia and death. Our study will help clarify whether GID is present in the earliest stages of the disease and whether it drives immune activation and degeneration in the brain. This will pave the way for future intervention studies targeting GI function and associated immune changes in PD, with the goal of delaying disease progression.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/YH/0198
Date of REC Opinion
2 Sep 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion