Understanding pathological pathways in atypical parkinsonian disorders
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding pathological pathways in atypical parkinsonian disorders
IRAS ID
113356
Contact name
Michele Hu
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Churchill Hospital, Joint Research Office
Research summary
Atypical parkinsonian disorders (APD) comprise a heterogenous group of disorders including multiple system atrophy (MSA), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). APDs are characterised by progressive and treatment refractory parkinsonism associated with a range of distinctive atypical features that set them apart from idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (iPD). APDs remain incurable and, to date, research into the disease development and potential treatments has been hampered by the fact that the dopaminergic neurons within the brain, the principal cells affected in these diseases, are not assessable to researchers during the lifetime of the patient. Post-mortem studies, although possible, are limited as they are restricted to end-stage changes. Clinical studies, therefore, are necessary to enable improved diagnosis and generation of better experimental models for identifying the underlying disease mechanisms and potential therapies.
Patients attending specialist MSA/PSP/CBD clinic in Oxford will be invited to undergo a series of clinical assessments allowing the collection of baseline diagnostic information and longitudinal data. All patients will be asked to give consent for a blood sample to be taken in clinic which will allow the extraction and analysis of DNA, peripheral blood lymphocytes, plasma and serum. Patients will also be invited to undergo more detailed investigations including a lumbar puncture and a skin biopsy. A proportion of patients will be invited to have a brain scan. Samples will be analysed to identify new tests (biomarkers) that can be used to improve the diagnosis and prognostication of APDs. Any changes identified in patients with APDs will be compared to the changes seen in patients with Parkinson’s disease and healthy individuals already tested as part of the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Discovery Project. We anticipate that this will advance our understanding of disease development, and thus accelerate drug discovery for these incurable degenerative diseases of the nervous system.
REC name
South Central - Oxford B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SC/0005
Date of REC Opinion
19 Feb 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion