tACS and fMRI in PD - Version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Noninvasive investigation of synchronous oscillations in Parkinson’s Disease
IRAS ID
128686
Contact name
Peter Brown
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Oxford
Research summary
Parkinson is a common, disabling and progressive condition that is characterised by severe problems with movement for which medical treatment can eventually become unsatisfactory. At present the diagnosis is based on clinical features, but the neurodegenerative process starts well before the onset of clinical symptoms.
The goals of the present study are:
1. the development of a non-invasive method to investigate abnormalities in brain circuits that underlie movement problems in Parkinsons and
2. to investigate if such changes occur in Parkinsons of very recent onset in order to provide a possible tool to facilitate the early diagnosis of PD. This will improve an early access to quality treatment and patient care.One method to examine patterns of activity in brain circuits is to invasively record signals from brain structures in patients undergoing surgery for deep brain stimulation. In our approach we will use a non-invasive method by combining a non-invasive brain stimulation technique (transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a controlled group design.
More precisely participants (PD patients and healthy controls) will perform different simple tasks while a non-invasive brain stimulation technique is applied over the motor area and the changes in brain activity will be recorded via functional magnetic resonance imaging.
The study will be based at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and is funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Dr. Werner Jackstaedt Foundation (Germany).REC name
South Central - Berkshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/SC/0413
Date of REC Opinion
16 Sep 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion