Dr Deborah Apthorp
Unlocking the secrets of Parkinson's disease
A University of New England team could be one step closer to solving the mystery of how Parkinson's disease progresses, thanks to Impact Philanthropy funding from the Perpetual Foundation.
Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurological disease in Australia, affecting some 80,000 Australians. The number of people living with the disease is predicted to increase by 30-50% over the next decade and it's rare to find a family that hasn't been touched by the condition.
Symptoms of Parkinson's disease include slow movements, muscle rigidity, instability, tremors, depression and anxiety - all caused by the death of cells that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. Diagnosing and treating the disease has always been complicated by the fact that there are at least two (and possibly more) subsets of Parkinson's disease - namely early onset and late onset. Unfortunately, by the time many people are diagnosed, 70% of their dopamine-producing neurons have already died.
Researchers at UNE’s School of Psychology are determined to advance the early diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson's, and they're taking cuttingedge technology into rural and regional Australia to further their research.
"Currently, when someone is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, it can be difficult to determine what type of Parkinson’s they have or how quickly the condition will progress," said Dr. Deborah Apthorp, who is heading the study. "If we could diagnose Parkinson's earlier, we might be able to slow the progress of the disease, but first of all we have to better understand its progression. Then we can tailor the treatment more appropriately."
The Impact Philanthropy grant from the Perpetual Foundation will go towards getting a van and partially equipping it for use as a mobile research lab, powered by the sun and based at UNE. It will enable Dr Apthorp to extend a previous study into Parkinson's, also funded by Perpetual, that she began while at the Australian National University.
The latest funding will allow us to extend our reach into rural and regional NSW and southern Queensland
"That's something I am very passionate about. Big research studies tend to get funded in big clinics in major cities. People in rural and regional Australia rarely get the opportunity to participate in research. This is taking the research to the people, and underlines the importance of a regional university and what it contributes to its community."
The team will continue to collaborate with colleagues at the Australian National University, tapping the expertise of clinicians and data scientists at The Canberra Hospital and ANU’s Research School of Computer Science. In addition to more traditional clinical measures, the research will rely on brain imaging EEG techniques, eye-tracking, visual perception, simple finger-tapping tests, and postural sway to monitor research participants. A person with Parkinson’s disease finds it harder and harder to maintain their upright posture.
As the disease progresses, they start to fall or have difficulty walking. There is also some evidence that speed of eye movement is related to parts of the brain that are impacted by Parkinson’s.
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