Neurological disorders affect one in six in the UK and are complex and highly variable, with limited treatment opportunities.
Stroke and dementia account for less than 15% of neurological disorders. Rare neurological disorders affect around one in 1,000, conditions of brain inflammation, including multiple sclerosis (MS) and autoimmune encephalitis (AE) affect around four in 1,000; whereas traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death in young adults and a major cause of disability affecting 50 million people every year worldwide.
NHS hospitals have seen more than a 20% increase in neurological admissions since 2016, which reflects advances in the management of acute neurological trauma and an ageing population. This leaves many patients with life-long disability, has substantial negative impact on quality of life, and costs the NHS over £4.4billion a year.
To address this, we want to use technological advances in genomics, metabolomics (the study of small molecules in the body, known as metabolites) and imaging to help us develop personalised medicine in rare neurological disorders, brain inflammation and traumatic brain injury.
We have established a region-wide hub for precision experimental medicine and early phase interventions in neurological diseases, recruiting participants across the East of England and nationally, reaching deep into deprived rural and coastal areas.
And our dedicated Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) panel helps us by providing detailed input into grant applications and shaping our research priorities. We have hosted visits from patients, friends and relatives, alongside traditional PPI outreach events. All of our clinical study groups include one or more PPI representatives.
Quantitative susceptibility mapping at 7 T in COVID-19: brainstem effects and outcome associations
Decompressive Craniectomy versus Craniotomy for Acute Subdural Hematoma
Brain injury in COVID-19 is associated with dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses
Socio-economic disadvantage is associated with alterations in brain wiring economy
Multivariate profile and acute-phase correlates of cognitive deficits in a COVID-19 hospitalised cohort