Parkinsonās Disease Research
Improving the lives of those with Parkinsonās and accelerating the search for a cure
Every hour, two more people are diagnosed with Parkinsonās
More than one million people in the UK are affected by Parkinsonās disease including families and friends of people with a diagnosis.
There are currently around 145,000 people with Parkinsonās disease and it is estimated that the UK prevalence of Parkinsonās will increase by a fifth by 2025.
Currently, there is no cure but the understanding of Parkinsonās and its symptom management is advancing.
A diagnosis of Parkinsonās disease can be a life-altering event for an individual and their loved ones. There can be motor symptoms such as tremor, rigidity or stiffness and slowness of movement and there can be non-motor symptoms including anxiety, depression, pain, memory loss or even dementia that can change the accessibility and quality of life of an individual.
Parkinsonās disease is known to be progressive and symptoms can change and get worse over time.
Working together to improve treatment and wellbeing
āParkinson's is a horrible condition and I would not wish it upon anyone. I was diagnosed at 40, and it has robbed me of an active and productive middle age, and it will deny me a happy retirement. It has also stopped me from being the dad that I wanted to be to my three children, and it has taken away from my wife the happy, sociable, active man that she married 30 years ago.
It's not just the physical symptoms that are so cruel, but the unseen non-motor ones like anxiety, depression and poor sleep that impacts so heavily on myself and all of my family.
There is currently no cure for Parkinson's on the horizon, but I consider myself to be lucky because I have had some great therapy from all sorts of healthcare professionals, and with their help, and the love and support from my family and friends I know that I can lead as normal a life as my condition allows.ā
Mark Hoar, diagnosed at 40 and video with John Whipps, diagnosed at 54
āWe want to help people with Parkinsonās to live the best lives they can for as long as they can.ā Dr Camille Carroll, Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant NeurologistWorking with patients, our scientists, clinicians and expertise from across the spectrum of scientific discovery, medical research and health technology, they are conducting world-class laboratory clinical and applied health research.
This includes investigating new interventions, therapies and approaches to improve and personalise current therapies and care practice, support early disease detection, monitor disease progression and ultimately grant patients a better quality of life.
An important area of this work has been in the development of a Parkinsonās Disease DNA bank with 2,700 samples, overseen by Dr Camille Carroll and a regional Parkinsonās clinical research register.
Parkinson's Research Group
Professor Edgar Kramer leads the Universityās Parkinsonās Research Group that looks at the development and maintenance of the nervous system at a molecular and cellular level. This is crucial to understanding Parkinsonās, a disease characterised by the premature death of dopamine-producing cells in the brain. Professor Kramer and his team are seeking to understand the causes and mechanisms that lead to nerve cell deaths. Through a project funded by the charity BRACE, they focus on applying new knowledge to inform novel treatments or Parkinsonās disease in order to improve current practices and grant patients a better quality of life.
Find out more about the Neurodegenerative Disease ā Parkinsonās Research Group.
Applied Parkinsonās Research Group
Dr Camille Carroll leads the Applied Parkinsonās Research Group that focuses on clinical trials of neuroprotective interventions in Parkinsonās, digital innovation for care and research, and genetic aspects of Parkinsonās.
Intrinsic to their work is the person-centred care approach. Dr Carroll and her team collaborate with an engaged and eternally optimistic community of Parkinsonās patients. Engaging with them from the very beginning, they provide research and health interventions that challenge the āstatus quoā bio-medical approach to treating the illness and place as much control and influence over decisions on health and care in the hands of patients, care partners and the community. These co-designed pathways provide choices to patients and treatments that are sustainable in the long-run.
Find out more about the Applied Parkinsonās Disease Research Group.
In the news
- Ā£6.5m project aims to revolutionise mental health treatment using ultrasound 21 January 2025
- Targeted ultrasound can change brain functions for up to an hour after intervention 12 September 2023
- Global company working with University to test new app for MS patients 24 February 2022
- New facility opens to transform brain research in South West 10 February 2022
- New research sheds light on how ultrasound could be used to treat psychiatric disorders 15 December 2021
Parkinson's researchers
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![Professor Edgar Kramer Professor of Neurodegenerative Diseases]( "Professor Edgar Kramer")
Professor Edgar Kramer
Professor of Neurodegenerative Diseases
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![Professor Camille Carroll Professor of Clinical Neuroscience]( "Professor Camille Carroll")
Professor Camille Carroll
Professor of Clinical Neuroscience
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![Dr Stephen Mullin Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant in Neurology]( "Dr Stephen Mullin")
Dr Stephen Mullin
Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant in Neurology
Key publications
Carroll C, Webb D, Stevens ??? KN, Vickery J, Eyre V, Ball S, Wyse R, Webber M, Foggo A & Zajicek J 2019 'Simvastatin as a neuroprotective treatment for Parkinsonās disease (PD STAT): protocol for a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled futility study' BMJ Open,
Carroll CB, Wyse RKH & Grosset DG 2019 'Statins and Parkinson's: A complex interaction' Movement Disorders 34, (7) 934-935,
Carroll CB & Wyse RKH 2017 'Simvastatin as a Potential Disease-Modifying Therapy for Patients with Parkinsonās Disease: Rationale for Clinical Trial, and Current Progress' Journal of Parkinson's Disease ,
Carroll C, Kobylecki C, Silverdale M & Thomas C 2019 'Impact of Quantitative Assessment of Parkinsonās Disease-Associated Symptoms Using Wearable Technology on Treatment Decisions' Journal of Parkinson's Disease 9, (3) 601-601, .
The doctor wonāt see you now: the role of technology to support participatory health care ā Dr Terry Gorst
Read Dr Terry Gorst's take on the role of technology to support participatory health care as seen in Times Higher Education. Dr Gorst discusses the Home Based Parkinson's Care project in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering technology and empowerment of patients, care partners and families as one of the solutions to decrease the pressure on stretched health services and provide effective care pathways for individuals with Parkinson's.
Part of The Old Normal: Our Future Health series
To collaborate on Parkinson's research, please contact:
Professor Edgar Kramer, Professor of Neurodegenerative Diseases: edgar.kramer@plymouth.ac.uk
Dr Camille Carroll, Associate Professor and Honorary Consultant Neurologist: camille.carroll@plymouth.ac.uk
Brain Research & Imaging Centre
The Brain Research & Imaging Centre (BRIC), the most advanced multi-modal brain imaging facility in the South West, will provide the sea-change to enhance the quality of our research in
human neuroscience
.
With seven cutting-edge human research laboratories, BRIC will include an MRI suite with the most advanced 3-Tesla scanner in the region. It will critically advance our enquiry toward the most advanced brain research, improved radiological diagnostics and better patient care.
Ā鶹“«Ć½ Institute of Health and Care Research
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