Take part in Parkinson's research - list of UK studies
Our list highlights Parkinson's research projects in the UK that
are looking for participants.
Anyone with Parkinson's who is considering taking part in a research study should consult their neurologist.
Although some studies involve testing new Parkinson's
treatments, many focus on helping us understand the condition
better.
Our list is provided for information only. It should not be
treated as advice or a recommendation to participate in any of the
studies.
If you have Parkinson's and you're
considering taking part in a research study, consult your
neurologist and speak to the healthcare professionals managing the
study.
Find UK studies by region
To find out more about getting involved in a study please
contact the researchers directly.
Can't find a suitable research study?
For opportunities in your area, talk to your consultant and
Parkinson's nurse, or contact your local DeNDRoN network
if you live in England or NeuroDem Cymru if you live in
Wales.
Fox Trial Finder
Fox Trial Finder is a new web-based
clinical trial matching tool developed by the Michael J Fox
Foundation.
To use Fox Trial Finder you'll need to create an account with
some information about yourself - such as your postcode, date of
birth and a brief medical history - and the trial finder will
find studies to match.
Find out more about Fox
Trial Finder
Web-based studies
23andme Parkinson's genetics study
This web-based study, supported by Google co-founder Sergey
Brin, aims to uncover vital changes in genes that affect risk of
developing Parkinson's.
Taking part involves providing a sample of spit (for DNA
analysis) and completing online surveys.
Who: 10,000 people with Parkinson's with access
to the internet
Need more information?
Visit the 23andme website
Contact
pd-help@23andme.com
UK-wide studies
UK-wide research studies are conducted at more than one medical
centre or clinic. Most large clinical trials are conducted across a
number of clinical research centres. This helps to recruit a wider
diversity of participants and produce a better study.
Tracking Parkinson's
This ambitious 5-year project, fully funded by Parkinson's
UK - and launched in Parkinson's Awareness
Week 2012 - aims to speed up our search for a cure by finding
'biomarkers'. We need thousands of people with Parkinson's
across the UK to get involved to make this project a success.
- Where: Hospitals across all UK regions
- Who: People diagnosed with Parkinson's within
the last 3 years or diagnosed before the age of 50
- Deadline: April 2013
- Funded by: Parkinson's UK
Need more information?
More about Tracking Parkinson's,
including a short film and how to take part
Non-motor symptoms in early Parkinson's
This international study is investigating when symptoms such as
sleep problems, fatigue, pain and depression occur during the
condition, how they develop and how they respond to treatments.
- Where: Hospitals in London, Kent, Norwich,
Yeovil, Harrogate, Lincoln, Macclesfield and Grantham
- Who: 1,000 people diagnosed with Parkinson's
for 5 years or less
- Deadline: February 2016
- Funded by: Parkinson's Disease Non-Motor
Group
Need more information?
Non-motor
symptoms in early Parkinson's - study information sheet (PDF,
80KB)
Contact
Ms Alex Rizos, King's College Hospital, London
020 3299 7153
a.rizos@nhs.net
MUSTARDD-PD: testing a drug for early dementia in
Parkinson's
This study will test whether a drug called donepezil
hydrochloride can improve memory and thinking in people with
Parkinson's who have mild dementia following 24 months of
treatment. The team will also investigate whether this can improve
quality of life for people with Parkinson's and their families, and
if the medication is cost-effective.
- Where: This study has centres in all UK
regions except Yorkshire and Humber and Northern Ireland
- Who: 500 people with Parkinson's who have
developed some memory and thinking problems
- Deadline: March 2014
- Funded by: NIHR and the Michael J Fox
Foundation
Contact
Mrs Sharon Erb, Newcastle University
0191 222 5364
sharon.erb@ncl.ac.uk
Clinical and genetic features of early onset Parkinson's
The researchers are studying people with early onset Parkinson's
to understand more about the symptoms and genetics of the
condition.
- Where: UK-wide
- Who: 500 people diagnosed with Parkinson's
before the age of 45
- Deadline: Ongoing
- Funded by: Parkinson's UK
Contact
Dr Huw Morris, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff
02920 743660
morrishr@cf.ac.uk
TRANSEURO: an observational Parkinson's study
This international observational study will ultimately test
whether we can repair the Parkinson's brain.
- Where: Cambridge and London
- Who: 150 people aged 30-65 who have had
Parkinson's for less than 10 years
- Deadline: January 2013
- Funded by: FP7 European Commission Health
programme
Need more information?
TRANSEURO study information
(Word, 126KB)
Contact
Danielle Daft, Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair
01223 331160
dmj34@cam.ac.uk
Assistive technology for people with Parkinson's: what is there and
is it useful?
This study will use focus groups to investigate how useful
assistive equipment or devices such as wall rails,
kitchen and bath aids, and walking aids are to people living with
Parkinson's.
- Where: Across the UK, excluding London and the
South East coast
- Who: People with Parkinson's and people who
care for people with Parkinson's
- Deadline: May 2012
- Funded by: Parkinson's UK
Need more information?
Assistive technology
study information sheet (PDF,28KB)
Contact
Dr Nadine Geddes, King's College London
020 7848 6349
nadine.geddes@kcl.ac.uk
PD COMM - comparing Lee Silverman voice treatment to standard
speech and language therapy for Parkinson's
This study will compare 2 types of speech and language therapy:
Lee Silverman voice treatment and standard NHS speech and language
therapy commonly used for people with Parkinson's. At the moment,
we don't know if speech and language therapy is helpful, and if it
is, which treatment works best.
- Where: City Hospital Birmingham, Royal Devon
and Exeter Hospital, Fairfield Hospital Bury and Southern General
Hospital Glasgow
- Who: 60 people with Parkinson's who experience
speech problems but have not received speech and language therapy
in the last 2 years
- Deadline: June 2013
- Funded by: Dunnhill Medical
Trust
Contact
Dr Caroline Rick, University of Birmingham
0121 415 9129
c.e.rick@bham.ac.uk
Can we personalise treatment for Parkinson's?
This project is measuring brain activity in people with
Parkinson's who have recently had deep
brain stimulation surgery.
- Where: London and Oxford
- Who: 40 people with Parkinson's who have
recently had deep brain stimulation surgery in London or
Oxford
- Deadline: August 2013
- Funded by: Parkinson's UK
Need more information?
Can we personalise
treatment for Parkinson's? - participant information sheet (PDF,
41KB)
Contact
Dr Ashwani Jha, University College London
020 3108 0075
a.jha@ion.ucl.ac.uk
East Midlands
There are currently no research studies based exclusively in the
East Midlands. Please check our list of UK-wide studies for opportunities
to take part.
Eastern England
As well as the studies listed below, please check our list of
UK-wide studies for other
opportunities to take part.
The emotional and psychological symptoms of Parkinson's
Many people with Parkinson's experience emotional or other
psychiatric symptoms related to the condition. This project is
investigating what may trigger these symptoms, using a combination
of interviews and brain imaging techniques.
- Where: Participants will need to be able to
travel to Cambridge
- Who: 30 people with Parkinson's who have
hallucinations, paranoid thoughts or suspicious feelings, 30 people
with Parkinson's who do not experience these things, and 30
healthy people without any neurological or psychiatric
conditions
- Deadline: December 2012
- Funded by: Medical Research Council
Need more information?
Contact
Miss Azucena Justicia, Addenbrooke's Hospital,
University of Cambridge
01223 331134
aj365@cam.ac.uk
Understanding cognition and action in Parkinson's
This project will investigate mental processing in Parkinson's.
The researchers will study how people with Parkinson's choose the
right thing to do at the right time compared to people without the
condition.
- Where: Eastern England
- Who: 40 people with Parkinson's and 40 people
without any neurological condition
- Deadline: December 2014
- Funded by: The Wellcome Trust
Contact
Dr James Rowe, University of Cambridge
01223 273630
james.rowe@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk
London
As well as the studies listed below, please also check our list
of UK-wide studies for
opportunities to take part.
Visual hallucinations in Parkinson's
This study is investigating whether
changes in how people with Parkinson's process visual information
affect tasks like time management, concentration and organisation.
The study does not involve taking any drugs. Participants will be
asked to complete questionnaires and tests which involve looking at
pictures and diagrams.
- Where: East London.
Participants must be able to travel to the University of
Westminster. Only one visit is required.
- Who: 30 people aged 60-75
with Parkinson's who are living independently. 30 people without
Parkinson's for the comparison or 'control' group.
- Deadline: 15
June 2012
- Funded by: University of
Westminster
Need more information?
Visual
hallucinations study - information for participants (PDF,
23KB)
Contact:
Shahera Khatun, University of Westminster
07818 169102
shahera.khatun@my.westminster.ac.uk
A pilot clinical trial with the iron chelator Deferiprone
(Ferriprox) in Parkinson's
This small clinical trial is investigating whether the drug
deferiprone (also known as Ferripox) can treat some of the symptoms
of Parkinson's or even slow the progression of the condition.
- Where: Greater London
- Who: 36 people aged 50-75 who have had
Parkinson's for 5 years or less, and have a stable response to
Parkinson's medication. And 12 people without any neurological
condition aged 50-75 for the comparison or 'control' group.
- Deadline: November 2012
- Funded by: Imperial College London Healthcare
NHS Trust and Imperial NIHR Biomedical Research Centre
Need more information?
Contact
Dr David Dexter, Imperial College London
020 7594 6665
d.dexter@imperial.ac.uk
Living with Parkinson's and its problems: a couple's
perspective
This study is investigating a couple's perspective of living
with Parkinson's and its problems.
- Who: 30 couples where one member has had
Parkinson's for at least 2 years
- Where: Greater London
- Deadline: 31 December 2012
- Funded by: King's College London
Need more information?
A couple's perspective
of living with Parkinson's - participant information sheet (PDF,
57KB)
Contact
Dr Anna Janssen, King's College London
07545 565550
anna.janssen@kcl.ac.uk
North East
As well as the studies listed below, please also check our list
of UK-wide studies for
opportunities to take part.
Day care and rehabilitation for people with long-term health
conditions
The purpose of the study is to find
out what day care and rehabilitation services people with long-term
health conditions in Northumberland want, and how they would like
these services to be delivered.
- Where: Northumberland, North East England
- Who: 15 people with Parkinson's who live in
Northumberland. Although the research is not age restricted, the
researchers are particularly interested in speaking to people under
the age of 65.
- Deadline: 13 May 2012
- Funded by: Department for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the European Union
Need more information?
Day care
and rehabilitation study - participant information sheet (PDF,
24KB)
Contact
Kelly Heartshorne, Horse Power for Ability
07968 024 726
kheartshorne@hotmail.com
Interpreting tone of voice in Parkinson's
This study will investigate whether Parkinson's affects the
ability to judge another person's feelings through their tone
of voice - and whether the side of the body most
affected by Parkinson's has any effect.
- Where: Durham and Middlesbrough, North
East
- Who: 39 people with Parkinson's whose movement
is more affected on one side of the body than another. 17
people without Parkinson's to act as a comparison group.
- Deadline: 28 February 2013
- Funded by: Durham University
Need more information?
Interpreting
tone of voice study - participant information sheet (PDF,
30KB)
Contact
Sophie Hodgetts, Durham University
07794851304
s.l.hodgetts@dur.ac.uk
North West
As well as the studies listed below, please also check our list
of UK-wide studies for
opportunities to take part.
Representing action in Parkinson's
This study is investigating how people with Parkinson's react to
different objects and movements in their environment, and how well
they can communicate.
- Where: Greater Manchester
- Who: 25 people with Parkinson's and 25
people without Parkinson's, all aged 50-75
- Deadline: April 2014
- Funded by: The University of Manchester
Need more information?
Contact
Ellen Poliakoff, University of Manchester
0161 275 7333
Ellen.Poliakoff@manchester.ac.uk
Why do people with Parkinson's have trouble swallowing?
This study is investigating how and why swallowing problems
develop in people with Parkinson's. The researchers want to know
how Parkinson's medication affects the areas of the brain and
muscles that control swallowing.
- Where: Salford Royal Hospital, Greater
Manchester
- Who: 40 people with Parkinson's aged 35-80 who
have a good response to Parkinson's drug levodopa: 20 people who
have swallowing problems and 20 who do not
have swallowing problems
- Deadline: June 2012
- Funded by: Parkinson's UK
Need more information?
Swallowing study
- participant information sheet (PDF,109KB)
Contact
Dr Emilia Michou, University of Manchester
0161 206 1510
emilia.michou@manchester.ac.uk
Northern Ireland
As well as the studies listed below, please also check our list
of UK-wide studies for
opportunities to take part.
How people with Parkinson's manage occupation in their daily
lives
The researchers are investigating how people with Parkinson's
manage 'occupation' - the daily activities a person does and the
value of those activities to that person - in daily life.
- Where: Northern Ireland
- Who: 15 people diagnosed with Parkinson's more
than 2 years ago who are living at home
- Deadline: 18 May 2012
Need more information?
Managing
occupation in daily life - participant information sheet (PDF,
46KB)
Contact
Carolyn Murdock, University of Ulster
07703 313 864
murdock-c3@email.ulster.ac.uk
Scotland
As well as the studies listed below, please also check our list
of UK-wide studies for
opportunities to take part.
Abdominal massage for the relief of constipation in
Parkinson's
This study aims to find out whether abdominal massage could be a
practical treatment for people with Parkinson's who have trouble
with constipation.
- Where: Glasgow
- Who: 30 people with Parkinson's who experience
constipation
- Deadline: June 2012
- Funded by: Parkinson's UK
Need more information?
Constipation study -
participant information sheet (PDF,132KB)
Contact
Dr Doreen McClurg, Glasgow Caledonian University
0141 331 8105
doreen.mcclurg@gcal.ac.uk
South of
England
As well as the studies listed below, please also check our list
of UK-wide studies for
opportunities to take part.
Monument Discovery project: Understanding the early pathological
pathways in Parkinson's
This study, part of the £5million
Monument Discovery Award, aims to find new ways to diagnose and
monitor Parkinson's.
- Where: Amersham, Ascot, Banbury, Kettering,
Milton Keynes, Newbury, Northampton, Oxford, Reading, Stoke
Mandeville
- Who: 1,500 people diagnosed with Parkinson's
in the last 3 years
- Deadline: December 2014
- Funded by: Parkinson's UK
Need more information?
Monument Discovery study
- participant information sheet (PDF, 78KB)
Contact
Joanna Glennon, Thames Valley Dementias and Neurodegenerative
Diseases Clinical Research Network (DeNDRoN)
01865 234892
Parkinsons.Discovery@nhs.net
Exercise programmes for Parkinson's
This study will test the effect of long-term exercise on the
symptoms, fitness, health and wellbeing of people with Parkinson's.
The study will also explore participants' views on the
sustainability of community provision of exercise over longer
periods of time.
- Where: Oxfordshire and Berkshire
- Who: 100 people with Parkinson's who expect to
maintain a stable medication regime for the course of the study and
are able to walk more than 100 metres
- Deadline: June 2013
- Funded by: NIHR Research for Patient
Benefit
Need more information?
Exercise study - participant
information sheet (Word, 72KB)
Contact
Dr Johnny Collett, Oxford Brookes University
01865 483272
jcollett@brookes.ac.uk
Examining eye movements in people with Parkinson's
In this study, the research team will explore whether eye
movement responses to different stimuli are affected in people with
Parkinson's.
- Where: Oxford - anyone willing to
travel to Oxford can take part
- Who: 400 people diagnosed with Parkinson's for
5 years or less and 200 people who do not have Parkinson's (or any
other neurodegenerative condition)
- Deadline: January 2014
- Funded by: The Wellcome Trust
Contact
Dr Chrystalina Antoniades, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford
University
01865 234728
chrystalina.antoniades@clneuro.ox.ac.uk
South East
As well as the studies listed below, please also check our list
of UK-wide studies for
opportunities to take part.
What people with Parkinson's think about medical research
The researchers are carrying out a study to find out what people
with Parkinson's think about medical research. They are interested
in how people discuss research and how they see it fitting into
their lives after being diagnosed with Parkinson's.
- Where: South East - specifically Brighton,
Hove, East or West Sussex, Surrey and Kent
- Who: 30 people with Parkinson's
- Deadline: 30 September 2012
- Funded by: The Wellcome Trust
Need more information?
What people
with Parkinson's think about medical research - participant
information sheet (PDF, 129KB)
Contact
Jane Peek, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of
Sussex
07557 376 626
j.peek@bsms.ac.uk
South West
As well as the studies listed below, please also check our list
of UK-wide studies for
opportunities to take part.
A drug trial to improve walking and balance and prevent falls
in Parkinson’s
The team are investigating whether a drug called Rivastigmine
can improve walking and balance difficulties in Parkinson's - and
if this ultimately helps to prevent falls. Rivastigmine is
currently used to help with memory problems in Parkinson's.
- Where: Bristol, South West - but anyone
willing to travel to Bristol for 2 sessions can take part
- Who: 130 people with Parkinson's who have
fallen in the past year and are not already taking Rivastigmine. 30
people without Parkinson's to act as a comparison group.
- Deadline: Ongoing
- Funded by: Parkinson's UK
Contact
Dr Emily Henderson, University of Bristol
07531 943106
the-respond-trial@bris.ac.uk
Wales
As well as the studies listed below, please also check our list
of UK-wide studies for
opportunities to take part.
Does bilingualism protect against neurodegenerative conditions
This project will investigate people who are bilingual in Welsh
and English and their risk of developing age-related
neurodegenerative conditions compared to people who are not
bilingual.
Need more information?
Contact
Dr Pam Martin-Forbes, University of Wales, Bangor
01248 388719 ext. 8719
p.martin@bangor.ac.uk
West Midlands
There are currently no research studies based exclusively in the
West Midlands. Please also check our list of UK-wide studies for opportunities to
take part in research.
Yorkshire and Humber
There are currently no research studies based exclusively in
Yorkshire and Humber. Please also check our list of UK-wide studies for opportunities to
take part in research.
Find out more about clinical trials
- healthtalkonline
discusses the importance of clinical research and features personal
stories and experiences of participants.
- Clinical
trials - a patient perspective features videos and stories from
people who have participated in clinical research studies.
-
How do drug trials
work? This short video explores the drug's journey from early
lab tests to final approval and looks at the obstacles it faces
along the way.
- email
-
Share