Saccadic biomarkers in Parkinson's disease
2007 Research Project Grant Round
Approved for funding by CMRF
Researcher 1 - Professor Tim Anderson
University of Otago, Christchurch
Amount funded: $74,394.00 over a 12 month period
Researcher 1 - Professor Tim Anderson
University of Otago, Christchurch
Researcher 2 - Professor John Dalrymple-Alford
University of Canterbury
Researcher 3 - Dr Michael MacAskill
University of Otago, Christchurch
Researcher 4 - Dr Richard Watts
University of Canterbury
Researcher 5 - Saskia van Stockum
University of Otago, Christchurch
Researcher 6 - Dr Ross Keenan
Christchurch Radiology Group
Specific Objective(s)/Aims for this research.
1. To demonstrate that key saccadic performance parameters in PD correlate with established motor, non motor and cognitive measures of disease severity, thereby confirming proof of principle that saccadic parameters may be useful biomarkers of PD disease status (n=100).
2. To establish a cohort of “early PD” patients (n=30) which can later be added to, followed, and studied serially with saccadic, clinical, cognitive and MRI measures, thereby verifying the potential utility of saccadic measures as biomarkers in PD research and disease modifying clinical trials.
3. To demonstrate in these “early PD” patients, that saccade parameters correlate with MRI measures.
If these (primarily Objective 1) can be achieved then we will have provided a strong platform for the use of saccadic measures as biomarkers of PD disease status. The results will allow for a substantial grant application to other bodies (e.g. HRC) for a comprehensive longitudinal validation study.
