£1M funding boost for new project to trial Parkinson’s treatments on digital twin brain

£1m research project to advance ‘deep brain stimulation’ set to revolutionize Parkinson’s treatment and management.

People with Parkinson’s disease are to benefit from cutting edge AI technology that allows neuroscientists to safely test medication and treatment on a ‘digital twin’ brain, thanks to a £1m funding boost for researchers at Manchester Met.

The game-changing project will develop bespoke digital representations of the brain in people with Parkinson’s – a ‘digital twin’ – enabling researchers to trial treatment options risk free and observe how the brain responds before treatments are administered.

Building on previous work funded by the Medical Research Council, the new three-year project will also involve the development of technology to enable people with Parkinson’s to monitor their own brain signals via an app.

This technology is similar to using ‘neurofeedback’ and will empower people with Parkinson’s to understand how factors like sleep, exercise or medication affect their symptoms.

Both strands of the project will advance ongoing research by Manchester Met neuroscientists into ‘deep brain stimulation’ (DBS) for Parkinson’s patients – when a device is placed under the skin of the chest and connected to wires inserted into the brain.

This allows electrodes to deliver high frequency stimulation to the target area, changing some of the signals in the brain that cause symptoms of Parkinson’s.

Following early success using DBS, the researchers hope that longer term investment and industry partnerships will enable both the ‘digital twin’ and neurofeedback tools to be used by the NHS and other healthcare providers to enhance clinical practice and empower patients to manage and monitor their own health. 

This work has the potential to revolutionize the treatment landscape for people with Parkinson’s and could transform the lives of those living with the condition.

My colleague Dr Nelson Trujillo-Baretto, a computational neuroscientist also leading on the project, and I are excited about both complementary strands of this project, which harness our recent advancements into treatment using DBS. By combining cutting edge neuroscience, engineering and industry collaboration we hope to revolutionise the care and treatment of Parkinson’s disease.”

Nicola Ray, Professor of Neuroscience

Working alongside the senior research team at Manchester Met, including Professor of Image and Vision Computing Moi Hoon Yap and Professor of Computational Science Liangxiu Han, will be senior clinicians comprising consultant neurologist Dr Monty Silverdale at Salford Royal Hospital and Dr Antonella Macerollo at the Walton Centre.

The team will be boosted by the appointment of five new Manchester Met researchers whose roles will include leading the neuroimaging and computational studies, implementing new software platforms and liaising with the patients and public.

This research project is supported by Manchester Met’s Third Century Research Accelerator competition, which was launched this year to mark the University’s 200^th year anniversary. The scheme is dedicated to funding impactful, interdisciplinary projects that advance knowledge on global and societal challenges.