Hand-eye coordination in mild cognitive impairment
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Within our grasp: Visually-guided reaching in prodromal Alzheimer's disease
IRAS ID
261010
Contact name
Robert D McIntosh
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
The changes in the brain that cause Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can start many years before the person knows that anything is wrong. One of the first brain regions to be affected is called the precuneus. This region is important for guiding our hands to things we can see, especially if we have to reach for something without looking straight at it. So we suspect that one of the first changes in AD might be that people get worse at reaching for things in their side vision. It takes a special test to show this up, but such tests are not usually given in dementia clinics, which are more concerned with memory and other mental abilities. We will test for this reaching problem in 30 people with a diagnosis of AD, and 30 people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), who may go on to develop AD. These people will be recruited via clinics in NHS Lothian and the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. Each person will take part in one test session, with an optional second session, each lasting no more than 90 minutes. The main test will use a touchscreen to measure their accuracy of pointing at dots presented in their side-vision. We will compare their performance against that of adults of a similar age, but with no cognitive symptoms. This will allow us to see how common this reaching problem is amongst people with AD and MCI. If it is common, then our test may ultimately help to detect dementia in its early stages. Early detection can allow people to get support and treatment before more disabling problems develop. This project is a collaboration between researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and East Anglia, and is funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/EE/0170
Date of REC Opinion
13 Jun 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion