Parkinson’s UK grants funding of up to nearly £450,000 to four new research projects

The globally fast-growing progressive neurological condition affects around 153,000 people in the UK

Parkinson’s UK has announced that it is funding four new research projects, totalling £446,305, to explore ways to better manage Parkinson’s disease (PD) symptoms and improve everyday life for patients.

Focusing on cutting-edge technologies, the new projects aim to tackle some of the highest-priority symptoms for people living with the neurodegenerative condition.

Currently the fastest-growing neurological condition globally and affecting around 153,000 people in the UK, PD is a progressive condition that affects the brain, causing problems like shaking and stiffness.

In an effort to combat tremors in PD patients, the University of Nottingham has been awarded £141,780 to investigate a wrist-worn device with a small electrical pulse, usually used in people with Tourette’s syndrome, to determine whether this method could help manage tremors in this group of patients.

A total of £124,461 has been awarded to the London Metropolitan University to combat movement symptoms in PD patients by developing and testing a headset that uses virtual reality to encourage patients to move their facial muscles and improve facial masking.

The Robert Gordon University in Glasgow has been awarded £105,666 to improve mobility in PD by investigating a new approach using an augmented reality device, Reality DTx by Stroll, to help improve these symptoms for patients.

Lastly, researchers at King’s College London will use funding of £74,398 to explore the effects of deep brain stimulation, which is usually used to control PD symptoms when medication is not working, on impulsive behaviours in PD patients to determine whether it could help control these behaviours.

Last October, Parkinson’s UK funded several projects, including a total of £400,000 for two projects at the University of Edinburgh to investigate the potential causes of PD, as well as a further £1.83m in funding for nine new projects, including University College London, Cardiff University and Imperial College London, to explore understandings of PD and new drugs for the future.