Using visual dysfunction to understand dementia in Parkinson’s disease
Award Number
205167/Z/16/ZAward Type
Clinical Research Career Development FellowshipsStatus / Stage
ActiveDates
12 June 2017 -12 September 2023
Duration (calculated)
06 years 03 monthsFunder(s)
Wellcome TrustFunding Amount
£1,223,282.00Funder/Grant study page
Wellcome TrustContracted Centre
University College LondonContracted Centre Webpage
Principal Investigator
Dr Rimona WeilPI Contact
r.weil@ucl.ac.ukPI ORCID
0000-0002-5092-6325WHO Catergories
Tools and methodologies for interventionsUnderstanding risk factors
Understanding Underlying Disease
Disease Type
Parkinson's DementiaCPEC Review Info
| Reference ID | 303 |
|---|---|
| Researcher | Reside Team |
| Published | 12/06/2023 |
Data
| Award Number | 205167/Z/16/Z |
|---|---|
| Status / Stage | Active |
| Start Date | 20170612 |
| End Date | 20230912 |
| Duration (calculated) | 06 years 03 months |
| Funder/Grant study page | Wellcome Trust |
| Contracted Centre | University College London |
| Contracted Centre Webpage | |
| Funding Amount | £1,223,282.00 |
Abstract
Dementia affects half of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) but there are no robust measures to predict who is at highest risk. Visual hallucinations are highly distressing to patients and carers but are poorly understood. This Fellowship will use visuo-perceptual dysfunction to predict dementia and understand hallucinations in PD.
I have developed a novel test using skewed images to detect visuo-perceptual deficits in Parkinson’s patients. I have also developed a web-based platform to enable this and other visual tests to be accessed by large numbers of patients with PD.
Aims
In this proposal I will use visual perceptual tests combined with neuroimaging over time to determine the sequence of visuo-perceptual deficits in PD. I will relate these to changes in hallucinations. I will use my web-based platform to identify clinical and genetic associations with visual deficits and determine their role in predicting dementia in PD. Goals:
1. Characterise changes in visuo-perception as PD progresses and correlate deficits with brain atrophy.
2. Relate MRI structural connectivity changes with disease progression.
3. Examine clinical and genetic associations of visual dysfunction in PD.
4. Test whether transcranial stimulation can improve visuo-perceptual function in PD.
5. Determine how visual hallucinations become distressing as PD advances.