Parkinson’s Queensland is pleased to support current research into Parkinson’s. Please find below a list of the research projects we are currently aware of.
Investigating the effectiveness of smart shoes in enhancing walking and overall mobility in people with Parkinson’s
One of our PhD Grant Recipients Shanshika Maddumage Dona is conducting a study that investigates the effectiveness of smart shoes and the vibrations they produce in enhancing walking and overall mobility in people with Parkinson’s disease. Your participation, whether as someone directly affected or as a caregiver, is crucial in making a positive impact.
They are looking for people who,
- Are aged between 40-85 and have received a diagnosis of Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease (PD) confirmed by a neurologist, or are caregivers of individuals with Parkinson’s disease between the ages of 40-85
- Are able to walk independently without an assistive device
- Are able to read, write and understand English
- Do not have any confounding medical (e.g. severe blood pressure abnormalities), neurological (e.g. stroke), musculoskeletal (e.g. recent musculoskeletal injuries, fractures or surgeries), cardiovascular (e.g. recent cardiac surgeries) or respiratory abnormalities (e.g. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, asthma)
- Do not have any contraindications to wearing smart shoes such as severe peripheral neuropathy or open wound on the feet
- Have not undergone deep brain stimulation or any other brain injury
If you would like to participate and need more information, please contact Shanshika at shanshika.dona@hdr.qut.edu.au
Please note that this study has been approved by the QUT Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number 7473).
Acute Perturbation training for Parkinson’s Disease
Do you have Parkinson’s disease? Can you walk and stand independently? Would you like to improve your balance and walking?
If yes, The University of the Sunshine Coast are seeking volunteers to trial a simple device that may help your mobility and walking. The purpose of this research project is to evaluate the effects of wearing a novel balance training device, similar to a small backpack, to improve balance, mobility and walking in people with Parkinson’s. If you are over 18 years and have Parkinson’s Disease Hoehn & Yahr Stage 1 to 4, you are invited to participate in this research project. You must be able to stand and walk unassisted by another person to participate (mobility aids/devices are OK)
For more information or to participate in this research study, click ‘Find out more’ below.
Contact: Dr Sue Broadbent
Email: sbroadbe@usc.edu.au Ph: 07 5459 4545
Ethics Approval Number: A231987
The Australian Parkinson’s Pain Study (APPS)
The purpose of the APPS is to investigate the characteristics and treatment of pain in Parkinson’s. This information will be used to develop a set of patient centred recommendations that may be used to advance the provision of pain care services.
Who can participate and what does participation involve?
People of 18 years of age that have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s and have experienced pain symptoms in the past month. Participation involves completing an online survey.
Funding and Ethics
This study is funded through an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and The Hospital Research Foundation Group – Parkinson’s and has been approved by the University of South Australia’s Human Research Ethics Committee (Ethics Protocol 205671).
Click the button below to find out more information or to complete the survey.
Experiences in the Heat with Parkinson’s Disease
Start Date: Now
Investigators: Dr Andrew Hunt, Prof Ian Stewart and Prof Graham Kerr
Ethics Approval: 2000000718
Parkinson’s disease may present with non-movement symptoms including the way the body responds to changes in temperature. However, many aspects of how people with Parkinson’s disease experience the heat, such as their perceptions of heat, its effects on day-to-day activities and quality of life, and whether they experience symptoms of heat-related illness, are not well understood.
There are two aims for this study: 1. To increase knowledge and understanding of how people with Parkinson’s disease experience the heat. 2. To develop a scale for the assessment of heat sensitivity in people with Parkinson’s disease.
You can find out about eligibility and further details by clicking here.
GRIDD Queensland Parkinson’s Project
No person with Parkinson’s disease is the same and finding answers to some of the pertinent questions requires a lot of information and biological samples from many different individuals. The Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery (GRIDD) Queensland Parkinson’s Project (QPP) aims to get information and samples from around 250 new volunteers on a yearly basis.
They are not only looking for people with a neurological disorder, but also welcome those without, who can serve as a control group for comparison analyses. They welcome everyone who wants to participate in this worthwhile research endeavour. It only takes a moment of your time to fill out a questionnaire and the donation of a small blood sample.
Because it is important to know what changes during the course of the disease, they will contact you every year so you can provide them with an update of your situation by completing a short questionnaire.
Driving With Parkinson’s National Survey
A call-out for anyone of any age with Parkinson’s who is still driving or no longer driving.
During national consultations undertaken for the Young Onset Parkinson’s Exchange (YOP-X), driving experiences were highlighted as an area to consider for further investigation. Current information on driving with Parkinson’s in Australia and internationally can assume that Parkinson’s is a condition for older people for whom driving may no longer be a priority. Members of the Young Onset Parkinson’s Working Group have developed a list of topic areas around driving safely and maintaining independence, and additional information collected through this short survey will form the basis of a new driving resource for people with Parkinson’s. Please click on the link below to complete the survey, or direct enquires to Katie at khawtin@hospitalresearch.org.au
UQ: Oral prebiotic to improve symptoms of constipation in Parkinson’s Disease
We are looking for people with Parkinson’s Disease who suffer from constipation. The study involves trialling an oral prebiotic which improves the health of the gut microbiome.
Your participation may lead to the improvement of care for people with Parkinson’s disease.
Keeping time with Parkinson’s Research – The TemPo Studies
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, you or your loved one may be interested in participating in one of the TemPo Studies. They are a suite of three clinical research studies evaluating an oral investigational drug (tavapadon) to see if it may help improve Parkinson’s Disease symptoms that impact movement and daily activities.
Uncovering a Novel Therapeutic Target to Reduce Dementia Risk in Parkinson’s disease
Start Date: Now
Investigators: Dr Nadeeka Dissanayaka, and Dana Pourzinal
Ethics Approval: The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research
Dementia is common at advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease. With it comes lower quality of life, increased financial burden, and early institutionalisation. Yet unfortunately, there are currently no known effective treatments to reduce the risk of dementia in Parkinson’s disease. This study is investigating the use of a drug traditionally used for epilepsy to treat early-stage memory problems in Parkinson’s disease. The end goal is to reduce the risk of dementia in people living with Parkinson’s disease, who have a significantly greater chance of developing dementia than the average older adult.
You can find out about eligibility and further details by clicking here.
QUT Light4PD – Photoreceptor-directed light therapy in Parkinson’s disease
Start Date: Now
Investigators: A/Prof Beatrix Feigl, Pro Andrew J Zele, Prof Graham Kerr, Drew Carter, Manuela Russo, Subodh Gnyawali, Prof Simon Lewis, Dr Daniel Schweitzer, and Dr Lucy Burr
Ethics Approval: 2000000435
This research from QUT is seeking to determine the effect of a daily, short duration (30 min) artificial light exposure on sleep and movement in people with Parkinson’s disease. Your participation will involve three laboratory visits to QUT Kelvin Grove and four short home visits from one of the research team members during a period of 6 weeks.
You can find out about eligibility and further details by clicking here.
Speak Out Speech Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease.
SPEAK OUT is a therapy program designed for people with Parkinson’s Disease. You will work together with a speech pathologist for 12 weeks completing speech, voice and cognitive exercises. This program emphasizes speaking with intent and changes speech from an automatic function to an intentional act.
QUT: Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on gait in people with Parkinson’s disease
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is widely used in neuroscientific and clinical research and is known to improve movement abilities in people with and without Parkinson’s disease (PD). The aim of this research project is to examine whether gait and balance can be improved in people with and without PD using transcranial Direct Current Stimulation.
QUT: Improving postural stability and reducing falls risk in people with Parkinson’s disease using textured insoles.
You are invited to participate in a study that will improve our understanding of how to prevent falls in older people and people with Parkinson’s disease.
A Non-Drug Treatment Trial for Anxiety in Parkinson’s disease – Participants required
We invite persons with Parkinson’s disease and their partner/caregiver to consider participating in our Parkinson’s disease research study examining a non-drug treatment to reduce anxiety. If you don’t have a caregiver/partner or if your caregiver/partner declines to participate, you can still participate in this clinical trial.
QUT: Would you like to take part in a study to measure the impact of dance on people with Parkinson’s disease?
We are looking for:
Independently living, ambulatory men or women who are diagnosed as having idiopathic Parkinson’s disease; aged between 30 to 85 years; and who have not participated in a dance programme in the past six months.
University of Sydney: Discipline of Speech Pathology: Online Survey
You are invited to participate in a study that will evaluate the validity of a Parkinson’s disease specific questionnaire that is currently used by speech pathologists. In this study, you are invited to complete an online survey. All identifying personal information will not be collected and responses will remain anonymous. The questions in the survey will include a range of relevant topics such as personal characteristics, physical and emotional well-being.
Young Onset Parkinson’s exchange: Survey on difficulties in sleeping and fatigue
We are looking for people with a young onset of Parkinson’s Disease who suffer from sleep difficulties. We are aiming to deepen our understanding of the issue and consequently create ways to improve sleep quality. The study consists of a quick survey that is anonymous.
You can access the survey here:
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