Professor David Burn
Newcastle University
United Kingdom
Predicting dementia in Parkinson's: A genotypic and phenotypic study
Parkinson's UK
236,625
01/06/2014
3
This award is an extension to the ICICLE-PD study. The primary aims are to determine phenotypic and genotypic markers to identify people with Parkinson’s at high risk of developing dementia, and to better understand the anatomical, biochemical and genotypic mechanisms determining the transition from Parkinson’s disease (PD) to dementia associated with PD (PDD).
These aims have clinical relevance but will also provide an essential platform for improved targeting of future drug treatments for cognitive impairment associated with PD. Our baseline cohort comprises 263 people with incident PD and 100 age-matched controls. Each participant has undergone a range of tests and assessments at baseline and is being reviewed every 18 months. The reason for the extension is to provide additional time for more study participants to reach the end-point of dementia (or death) which will greatly enhance the power and significance of this study.
Whilst some results from ICICLE-PD will validate (or otherwise) previous findings from other studies our dataset is unique in terms of its size, the fact that it encompasses two distinct geographical areas, enrols patients at diagnosis, and its depth and breadth of assessments including cerebrospinal fluid, imaging, neurophysiological, detailed gait and sleep analysis. Ultimately, clinicopathological correlation will also be possible, since brain tissue donation is being requested routinely.