Dr Kyla-Louise Horne was just 16-years-old when her
grandma, who had Parkinson’s disease, passed
away.
Now, 16 years later, she’s dedicating her
research to improving the lives of those who suffer from the
debilitating brain disorder, for which there is no known
cure.
The Canterbury Medical Research Foundation has
just announced Dr Horne, a Research Fellow at the University
of Otago, Christchurch, as the successful recipient of its
annual Emerging Research Fellowship. A grant of $180,000
will support her two-year research project, examining how
and why hallucinations occur in Parkinson’s
disease.
Dr Horne’s research has been four years in
the making. The project has the potential to vastly improve
the lives of those living with the condition, which affects
more than 12,000 Kiwis.
Around half of people with
Parkinson’s disease experience hallucinations and everyone
experiences them differently, says Dr Horne.
“For
some people, it’s as simple as thinking you see a shadow
in the corner of your eye, but others witness fully formed
figures or shapes that aren’t there.
“It might
seem like it’s a terrible thing, but there are some people
who find them quite comforting. What we do know is that
people who develop these more complex hallucinations have a
much higher likelihood of ending up in residential
care.”
Horne says the research will paint a clearer
picture of what’s happening in the brain for those
experiencing hallucinations, enabling the development of new
treatment options to reduce the likelihood of them
occurring, as well as finding solutions for those who are
already affected by them.
Dr Horne says her
grandmother experienced hallucinations as her disease
progressed, so she understands what it’s like to be a
family member playing a supporting role.
“For me,
it’s important when I’m researching to listen and really
hear what my participants are experiencing. Having a
personal connection to Parkinson’s disease through my
grandmother certainly helps, because I know first-hand some
of the challenges they can face.”
Dr Horne’s
project will be informed by data from other studies she’s
worked on, including the New Zealand Parkinson’s
Progression Programme, based at the New Zealand Brain
Research Institute.
This longitudinal study has
followed over 320 Cantabrians with Parkinson’s since
2007.
“We’re hoping to use that data to
characterise hallucinations in Parkinson’s disease, as
well as looking at what might put people at greater risk of
developing them.”
From there, a group of 90 people
with Parkinson’s – some who experience hallucinations,
and some who don’t – and an additional 30 healthy older
adult volunteers, will go through a series of computerised
tests while having their brain activity
recorded.
“That will mean we can get down to the
nuts and bolts of what’s happening inside of the brain,”
says Dr Horne.
CMRF director Melissa Haberfield says
the Foundation is “delighted” to play a part in
supporting Dr Horne with her research.
“Dr Horne is
an incredibly talented local researcher and we are so
excited by the potential outcomes of this project. Most of
us know, or have heard of someone with Parkinson’s
disease. Investing in this Fellowship is about supporting an
emerging researcher to develop their research career and to
create a positive outcome in an area of health that affects
many people in our community.
“As a charitable
organisation that receives no government funding, this
fellowship is only possible thanks to the generosity of our
donors who share our vision of improving the health and
well-being of our people through investment in health
research.”
The grant, worth up to $200,000, is
awarded annually to an exceptional Canterbury researcher who
is committed to improving the health and well-being not only
of New Zealanders, but people all around the
world.
Research title: Visual
hallucinations in Parkinson’s disease: Investigating their
trajectories and neural
mechanisms
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