The NI Clinical Research Network (NICRN) undertakes Neurodegenerative research throughout Northern Ireland. The NICRN is part of a UK-wide initiative to provide opportunities for patients and clinicians to participate in high-quality clinical research.
The NICRN aims to:
- promote Neurodegenerative research within Northern Ireland;
- attract clinical trials in Neurodegenerative to Northern Ireland;
- conduct clinical trials across Northern Ireland to the highest standards of quality and safety;
- provide infrastructure to facilitate the start-up of new trials in Neurodegenerative medicine;
- improve access for Neurodegenerative patients to new cutting-edge treatments.
Areas of interest include the following:
- Commercial collaborations utilising emergent therapies.
- Post operative Delirium and cognitive impairment
- Mild cognitive impairment.
- Inflammation and dementia
- In depth cognitive assessment within NICOLA and association of cognitive health with the environment
Professor Bernadette McGuiness – BHSCT
Neurodegenerative – Clinical Lead
Bernadette McGuinness, RN, BSc, PhD, FESC
Professor Bernadette McGuinness trained in geriatric medicine and general internal medicine. During this time she graduated with an MD for work on neuropsychological changes in dementia. Prof. McGuinness was awarded the Paul Beeson Career Development Award in 2007. This afforded three further years of research into mild cognitive impairment and led to a PhD.
She currently works as Clinical Professor of Ageing within the Centre for Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast and Consultant Geriatrician in the Belfast Trust.
Dr McGuinness leads a memory service within the Belfast Trust. From a research perspective she is especially interested in Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, the role of inflammation and nutrition in neurodegeneration; she leads a portfolio of studies in these areas.
She is Clinical Lead of the Northern Ireland Cohort of Longitudinal Ageing (NICOLA) study and co-lead of NICRN Dementia.
Contact email: Bernadette.McGuinness@belfasttrust.hscni.net
Dr Joseph Kane – BHSCT
Neurodegenerative – Clinical Lead
Dr Joe Kane is a Clinical Lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast and Honorary Consultant at Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, where in additional to his work in Community Psychiatry of Old Age services, leads a dedicated service for Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), the second most common form of dementia.
Dr Kane is site Principal Investigator for multiple clinical trials in dementia and Parkinson’s disease and is a leading member of the taskforce developing outcome measures specific to LBD, aiming to improve consistency and relevance in clinical trials.
His earlier research examined the disease patterns of LBD in healthcare services and evaluated the role of specialist cardiac scans as a means differentiating LBD from other neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. More recently, he has led projects applying specialist approaches to improve diagnosis using metabolic signatures and has investigated how the early stages of LBD might occur outside the brain. He has also worked on new methods to capture the perspectives of people with LBD and their care partners in trials for new treatments.
Contact email: Joseph.Kane@belfasttrust.hscni.net
Current Neurodegenerative Research Studies
COBALT
COmBining memantine And cholinesterase inhibitors in Lewy body dementia Treatment trial (COBALT) is a clinical trial, which aims to find out if adding Memantine to a cholinesterase inhibitor (either donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine) improves overall health and functioning for people with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) or Parkinson’s Disease Dementia. (PDD)
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) are complex illnesses with a wide range of distressing symptoms. Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (AChEI) are commonly used medicines (brand names donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine) that can help people with DLB and PDD by improving day to day functioning and thinking abilities.
Study Website: COBALT Trial | COBALT Trial | Newcastle University
NICRN Research Team Contact: DEMResearchNurse@belfasttrust.hscni.net
TopHat
Hallucinations, the most common and distressing feature of Parkinson’s psychosis, are associated with poor quality of life and earlier care home placement. Treatment options are limited and associated with significant harm, as they can worsen Parkinson’s symptoms and increase the risk of death. Finding safer alternatives is a priority for patients, their families and prescribing clinicians. This study investigates whether ondansetron, a drug used to treat post-operative sickness, will have a meaningful treatment effect on Parkinson’s hallucinations and will be safe and cost effective for NHS use. Adults with Parkinson’s who are aged over 18 years will be eligible to take part if they are experiencing visual hallucinations at least weekly. They may or may not have a diagnosis of dementia and, for those who do not have capacity to give fully informed consent, a legal representative will be sought to give consent on their behalf.
Study Website: TOP HAT | UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences
NICRN Research Team Contact: DEMResearchNurse@belfasttrust.hscni.net
NICOLA
The Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA) is the largest public health study in Northern Ireland, run by Queen’s University Belfast. This study explores how health, lifestyle, housing, finances, work, retirement and quality of life change as people grow older.
NICOLA involves people aged 50 and over, right up to 100 years and beyond. Spouses or partners living in the same household were also invited to take part, regardless of age. NICOLA has recruited 8,478 people from across Northern Ireland, providing a true representation of the population aged 50 and over.
Our aim is to follow these individuals over the next 10 years, examining how their health, lifestyle, financial circumstances and overall wellbeing change over time.
Study Website: NICOLA | QUB
NICRN Research Team Contact: DEMResearchNurse@belfasttrust.hscni.net
For further information on previous research studies undertaken in the Neurodegenerative group please follow the link below to our Good News page.