Investigating whether MND causes unique changes in physical behaviours and if these can be used to predict if someone has MND and how quickly it may progress.
PhD Student: Nina Mitic
Principal Investigator: Dr Emma Hodson-Tole
Lead Institution: Manchester Metropolitan University
MND Association Funding: £101,470
Funding dates: October 2023 - September 2026
About the project
Currently there is a lack of methods to accurately and frequently measure changes in health and wellbeing as MND progresses. Recent advances in technology means that there are now methods of recording physical behaviour patterns in daily life. These measures of physical activity have been shown to indicate progression and response to treatment in other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease. However, there have only been two studies that have explored the use of these measures in people with MND. This project will investigate whether MND causes unique changes in physical behaviour that can be used to identify if someone has MND and their stage of the disease, and whether changes in physical behaviour can be used to predict how quickly the disease will progress in people with MND.
What could this mean for MND research?
Improving measurement of the effects of MND will enable more informed decisions about personalised care to be made and the effects of new potential treatments to be better evaluated.
Resources
Project code: 912-792