New research into swallowing problems in Parkinson's
16 February 2010
We have awarded an innovation grant
of nearly £16,000 for research investigating why people with
Parkinson's have trouble swallowing.
Swallowing problems in Parkinson's are a major clinical challenge, and one which often gets little attention in medical research.
Dr Shaheen Hamdy, University of Manchester
The grant has been awarded to Dr Shaheen Hamdy from the
University of Manchester.
As Parkinson's develops, many people find that everyday
activities like swallowing become more difficult due to changes in
how throat muscles work.
Difficulties in swallowing can lead to serious complications,
from problems with breathing, to not getting enough nutrition and
developing pneumonia.
A new way of stimulating the brain
Little research has taken place into why swallowing is affected
in Parkinson's. But we know that drugs like levodopa, which is used
to treat the symptoms of the condition, don't seem to help.
Dr Hamdy has been researching how a new way of stimulating the
brain, called 'transcranial magnetic stimulation' (TMS), affects
swallowing.
By turning on a magnetic field above a particular part of the
brain that helps control movement, it's possible to make specific
throat muscles respond.
What the researchers will do
We hope that this research will help increase understanding of swallowing problems, which will lead to better treatment options.
Dr Kieran Breen, Director of Research
40 people with Parkinson's will take part in the research over 2
days, both on and off medication.
Using TMS, researchers will measure how active the muscles that
control swallowing are by recording the throat responses to a
series of magnetic brain pulses.
The study will also look at how areas of the brain that control
swallowing are affected by Parkinson's drugs.
Dr Hamdy comments:
"Swallowing problems in Parkinson's are a major clinical
challenge, and one which often gets little attention in medical
research.
"We are delighted that the Parkinson's Disease Society has
decided to fund our research."
Funding cutting edge research
Dr Kieran Breen, our Director of Research and Development,
adds:
"We hope that this research will help increase awareness and
understanding of swallowing problems in people with Parkinson's,
which will lead to better treatment options.
"This is only a small study, but it could give us enough
information to know whether TMS is a new treatment worth
pursuing.
"We are passionate about funding cutting edge research to find a
cure and better treatments, which is what our innovation grant
programme is all about."
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