Impulse control behaviour in Parkinson's
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Prevention is Better than Cure: A Proof of Concept Study Investigating Vulnerability Factors for Impulse Control Behaviour in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease.
IRAS ID
150548
Contact name
Simon Ellis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital of North Staffordshire Trust Research and Development Department
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Research summary
The movement problems that accompany Parkinson’s Disease (PD) are caused by the death of brain cells which produce a chemical called dopamine. The brain has several distinct dopamine systems, one of which is involved in motor control (hence the motor symptoms in PD), another is involved in reward /pleasure. In PD, dopamine-replacing drugs for example “dopamine agonists” are effective in remediating the motor symptoms. But in around 14% of patients, agonists can cause an impulse control disorder (ICD) e.g. pathological gambling, hypersexuality, compulsive eating/shopping. ICD cause major emotional distress and can also have health and financial implications both for patients and spouses/family members (personal communication with members of our local Staffordshire PD association), and resource implications for the NHS (emergency outpatient appointments/in-patient admissions). Current NHS practice is to manage ICD once they arise, however, the over-arching aim of our research programme, of which this proof-of-concept study represents the first step, is to identify the risk factors for ICD-development. With this knowledge, clinicians will be able to make informed decisions/choices about their patients’ care. This small study will take place over 4 months, and will provide information about recruitment and drop-out rates which are necessary for a larger study.
REC name
West Midlands - Edgbaston Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/WM/1097
Date of REC Opinion
24 Sep 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion