Recovery from Parkinson's gives hope to all

Dec 10 2008 by Paul James, The Journal

Unit will help in earlier diagnosis of diseases

NEWCASTLE University’s Clinical Ageing Research Unit officially opened yesterday and is the first centre of its kind dedicated to patients, such as Andrew Gilmore, with conditions associated with ageing including Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

There are already more than 20 studies about to start or already under way in the unit, one of which is a five-year study looking at identifying predictors of dementia in Parkinson’s disease, funded by the Parkinson’s Disease Society.

It is the latest addition to Newcastle’s Science City project, which will be centred on the nearby former Newcastle Breweries site and aims to create up to 5,000 jobs.

Caru director, Professor David Burn said: "This unit aims to help us diagnose diseases earlier on – particularly those in older people. This will mean we can potentially start treatments earlier when they can make a bigger difference to the person and their families."

The links between the university, the hospitals and research facilities – there are plans for new businesses to locate on the Westgate Road site – will also mean that new drugs can be applied to patients more easily.

Trials will take place using drugs developed in the North East and commissioned from elsewhere.

Other facilities include a "gait" laboratory where patients can be wired to monitors and recorded walking around to identify any problems with their movement.

Researchers and consultants can also gain accurate information on exactly which part of their feet are touching the floor and how long each stride is from a pressure-point carpet, which can work out who may be at a higher risk of falling and to see if treatments aimed at improving balance are working.

Next door, a visual assessment laboratory includes a wide range of equipment that can assess a patient’s sight to see if their vision is adversely affecting how they move around.