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Research Areas

Dementia and Neuroprogressive Studies

Studies taking place across NHS Scotland are categorised by their neuroprogressive disease area. These includes:

  • Studies being recruited to
  • An update on studies which have closed to recruitment but are still ongoing
  • Publications of studies which are now finished

Not all studies take place in every site, so please check the site information alongside each study.

Contact details for each site are:

Dementia: Studies coming soon Show more Show less

READ-OUT: REAl world Dementia OUTcomes: Observational Study

This study will investigate blood tests in people seen in memory clinics across the United Kingdom, for a wide variety of dementias and other memory problems. It will include people from backgrounds that are not often involved in research:  very elderly, ethnic minorities, those in deprived areas or with multiple illnesses, etc. We will also assess whether these tests are good value for money for the NHS. The project will show if blood biomarkers are useful for people attending NHS memory clinics.

More details will be released as soon as we have received ethical approval to share.

Dementia: Open to recruitment Show more Show less

The Dreamer Study (Detecting Early Alzheimer's using MR)

This is taking place in NHS Grampian.

 Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease
  • Aged 60 years or over
  • Do not have diabetes
  • Have not had a major stroke

Parkinson Disease: Studies coming soon Show more Show less

MASCOT (Multiple System Atrophy)

This will take place in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

This study will investigate whether the drug Lu AF82422 is effective and safe in slowing the disease progression of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA).

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 40-75 years
  • Have been diagnosed with MSA and it has been less than five years since the onset of MSA symptoms related to abnormal body movement
  • Have a reliable caregiver who will be available through the trial when caregiver input is needed

Parkinson Disease: Open to recruitment Show more Show less

PFP (Parkinson's and Movement Disorder Families Project)

This is taking place in NHS Tayside.

To investigate the impact of genetic factors on the risk of Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders in families.

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and any of the following:
    • Patient has a known genetic mutation for Parkinson's Disease
    • Family member (1st/2nd/3rd level) with Parkinson's disease or movement disorders (including tremor)
    • Symptom onset before 45 years of age

CANnabidiol for Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis (CAN-PDP)

This is taking place in NHS Grampian, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside.

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease
  • Age 40 or older
  • For psychotic symptoms, they should have developed after the Parkinson's Disease diagnosis and should have been present for at least 1 month, occurring at least weekly over the month before screening
  • Ability to participate in study evaluation and ingest oral medication

COBALT

This is taking place in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian.

The trial will look at the use of a drug called Memantine as a treatment for people with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (PDD) symptoms.

Inclusion Criteria:

  • You MAY have PDD or DLB symptoms 
  • Have been taking AChEI (Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors)
  • Aged 55 or over

TOPHAT

This is taking place in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Lothian.

This trial will look at whether ondansetron, a drug already used in the NHS as an anti-sickness medication, will be an effective and safe treatment for visual hallucinations in people with Parkinson’s or those with Lewy Body Dementia.

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Must have Parkinson’s disease or Lewy Body Dementia
  • Experiencing visual hallucinations (seeing things that are not there)

RAPSODI GD (Remote assessment of Parkinsonism supporting ongoing development of interventions in Gaucher disease)

This is taking place in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside.

Inclusion criteria:

  • Anyone with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson Disease: Closed to recruitment but still ongoing Show more Show less

BIAL ACTIVATE

This took place in NHS Tayside.

A phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy, safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of BIA 28-6156 in Subjects with Parkinson’s Disease with a pathogenic varient in the Glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) Gene.

Outcome: We recruited four patients in this study and were the top UK site.

LUMA

This took place in NHS Tayside.

A phase 2b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to determine the efficacy and safety of BIIB122 in participants with Parkinson’s Disease.

Outcome: We recruited 10 participants to the study and were the top UK site.

NORAPS

This is taking place in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

This trial will look at whether Atomoxetine is safe and well tolerated in patients with PSP and if it will reduce apathy and impulsivity.

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of possible or probable PSP
  • Aged between 50-85 years old
  • Stable psycho-active medications for at least 28 days and no plans to change medication

PD Probiotic

This took place in NHS Lothian.

This clinical research study is investigating the effects of B. Subtilis PXN21 on gut microbiome in Parkinson’s disease. The study is recruiting participants with PD and randomly assigning them to either a treatment group or a placebo group. The treatment group will receive B. Subtilis PXN21 in the form of a pill supplement, while the placebo group will receive a similar-looking and tasting product that does not contain the bacteria.

Outcome: We recruited 26 participants to the study.

PADOVA

This took place in NHS Tayside.

This clinical research study is looking to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IV prasinezumab in Parkinson's disease. 

Outcome: We recruited four participants.

Parkinson Disease: Results of past studies Show more Show less

Exenatide Study

This took place in NHS Lothian between 2020 and 2022. We recruited 16 participants to take part in the study looking at the efficacy and safety of the drug exenatide for people with Parkinson disease.

Alterity Study for Multiple System Atrophy

This took place in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. We recruited three participants to take part in the study looking at whether the drug ATH434 could slow progression of MSA.

ABBVIE Study

This took place in NHS Tayside between 2019 and 2022. We recruited two participants to take part in the study looking at whether the drug Produodopa could help people living with Parkinson disease who experience movement-related symptoms.

Motor Neurone Disease: Open to recruitment Show more Show less

MND-SMART (Motor Neurone Disease Systematic Multi-arm Adaptive Randomization Trial)

This is taking place in NHS Grampian and NHS Tayside.

Inclusion criteria: 

  • Over 18
  • Diagnosis of MND

OptiCALS

This is taking place in NHS Tayside.

A randomised controlled trial with parallel process evaluation and health economic analysis to evaluate a nutritional management intervention, OptiCALS, for patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Over 18
  • Diagnosed with MND within two years (symptom onset)

Huntington Disease: Open to recruitment Show more Show less

ENROLL HD (A Prospective Registry Study in a Global Huntington’s Disease Cohort)

This is taking place in NHS Grampian, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside.

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Over 18 years old (unless juvenile diagnosis),
  • Diagnosis of Huntington’s Disease (or 1st degree relative of)

DIGG HD (Discovering InterGenerational Genes in Huntington’s Disease)

This is taking place in NHS Grampian.

The goal is to understand why the length of the Huntington’s Disease gene varies among families and how genetic and non-genetic factors influence this; and additionally, to investigate any link between changes in the Huntington’s Disease gene length and changes in other repeat regions of DNA.

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Over 18 years old
  • Male
  • Carry the Huntington’s Disease gene