Projects
Uncovering a novel therapeutic target to reduce dementia risk in Parkinson's disease (TRIP study)
2021 RBWH and RBWH Foundation Research Project Grant
Share this project
Project description
This study is investigating a drug traditionally used for epilepsy to treat early-stage memory problems in Parkinson’s disease.
The study aims to:
- use advanced neuroimaging of the brain to develop a marker for future dementia risk in Parkinson’s disease
- test whether low doses of an anti-epileptic drug (levetiracetam) can improve memory problems and reduce dementia risk in people living with Parkinson’s disease.
The study will investigate the brain mechanisms behind the memory problems experienced by many people living with Parkinson’s disease.
People with Parkinson’s disease and memory problems will have two rounds of treatment – one where they take the drug (levetiracetam) and one where they take a placebo (an inactive ingredient, like sugar). At the end of each treatment, they will complete a memory test during an MRI scan. We will compare these finding to results from 15 healthy controls, from an older population without memory impairment, who have completed cognitive and psychological assessments along with an MRI.
Why this work is needed
Dementia is common at advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease, and people living with Parkinson’s disease have a greater risk of developing dementia compared with the general older population. 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.
Expected outcomes
Through this research we hope to produce evidence for a new therapy to reduce dementia risk in Parkinson’s disease.
If this initial trial is successful, this will lead to a larger international trial to develop levetiracetam as a treatment in Parkinson’s disease.
The end goal is to provide a treatment option that will reduce the risk of dementia in people living with Parkinson’s disease.
Meet the researcher
Associate Professor Nadeeka Dissanayaka
Lead researcher
Associate Professor Nadeeka Dissanayaka
Associate Professor Nadeeka Dissanayaka is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Woman’s Hospital (RBWH).
She is also a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Boosting Dementia Research Leadership Fellow and heads the Dementia and Neurology Mental Health Research Unit at the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR).
Her expertise include multidisciplinary areas ranging from basic science (eg: pharmacology, genetics, cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging) to clinical science and medicine (eg: psychology, psychiatry, neurology, clinical trials and implementation science).
Ageing, Mental Health, and Neurodegenerative diseases such as Dementia and Parkinson's disease are key areas of Associate Professor Dissanayaka's research.
Associate Professor Dissanayaka is the principal investigator of the Mental Health Benchmarking Industry Tool for Residential Aged Care (MHICare), Improving Diagnosis and Treatment of Anxiety in Parkinson’s disease (IDATA-PD), Technology assisted Psychotherapy for residential aged care (Tech-VR AgedCare), Parkinson's disease (VRAPD/ Tech-CBT-PD) and dementia (Tech-CBT-Dementia), and Uncovering a Therapeutic Marker to Reduce the Risk of Dementia in Parkinson's disease (TRIP).
She is the developer of a new Parkinson’s disease-specific anxiety inventory (PDSAI) and co-author of five new psychotherapy manuals including technology assisted cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness therapy.
Associate Professor Dissanayaka is the co-chair of the Australian Dementia Network (ADNet) Early/ Mid career researcher Accelerator group, and chair of the UQCCR Consumer & Community Involvement (CCI) Committee.
