Thrombotic risk and neurodegenerative disease

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The connection between the increased thrombotic risk and neurodegenerative disease

• IRAS ID

  326766

• Contact name

  Caroline Kardeby

• Contact email

  caroline.kardeby@aston.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Aston Universtiy

• Duration of Study in the UK

  4 years, 11 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Today, more than 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s; a brain disorder that affects the nerve cells of the body. People who have Parkinson's typically have symptoms that include an unwanted tremor which is worse at rest, as well as muscle stiffness and slowness of movement. However, there are also a number of invisible symptoms such as dementia that affects the memory. Both movement- and memory- related symptoms are caused by the death of nerve cells in the deep parts of the brain, and each individual may experience them differently.

  What is less commonly known is that those suffering with Parkinson's also experience a higher risk of suffering blood clots in their legs or brain, which can have profound life altering changes, such as strokes. What causes the increased risk for blood clots is still unknown. However, we do know is that blood clots increase the risk for the Parkinson's symptoms to get worse and they also increase the risk of death.

  In this study we will collect blood samples from patients with Parkinson’s and healthy volunteers and compare their blood’s ability to form clots and the levels of inflammation.
  
  From this study we want to understand if it would be useful to conduct future studies where we evaluate the beneficial effects of giving medicines to the patients that prevent blood clots from happening. We also want to understand which, if any, medicines might be useful to prevent the symptoms from getting worse. We hope that our results will give new understanding of how Parkinson’s occurs, gets progressively worse, and why there is an increased risk for blood clots. Through gaining this new knowledge, we want our results to contribute to new potential treatments and ways to identify who might be at risk of blood clots and stroke.

• REC name

  London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  23/PR/1152

• Date of REC Opinion

  23 Nov 2023

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion