Parkinson's Disease
Most patients with rigid akinesia have idiopathic Parkinson's Disease (iPD). However, a small proportion have one of the atypical syndromes, such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) or multi-systems atrophy (MSA). Differential diagnosis of these syndromes is currently very difficult in the early stages of the disease. This causes uncertainty for patients, as the prognosis of the different Parkinsonian syndromes is very different. In addition, it is impossible to develop treatments for MSA or PSP when they cannot be reliably identified early on.
In the Movement Laboratory, we are applying a battery of electrophysiological tests to Parkinsonian patients to determine whether an objective differential diagnosis can be made.
A new collaboration with Prof David Burn will investigate neurotransmitter changes in the cortex of Parkinson’s patients using transcranial magnetic brain stimulation.
People involved in this project
- Karen Fisher (PhD Student)
- Dr Ming Lai
- Prof Stuart Baker (Supervisor)
- Dr Mark Baker
Sponsors of this study
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