Wednesday, 04 December 2019
Nottingham scientists have been awarded £325,000 to investigate ways to help people with cognition problems caused by multiple sclerosis (MS).
The two University of Nottingham projects were selected as part of the MS Society’s annual grant round, which this year is investing a total of £1.3million in research around the UK.
MS damages nerves in your body and makes it harder to do everyday things like walk, talk, eat and think. Cognitive problems are experienced by up to 80% of people with MS, and include issues with learning, concentrating, problem-solving and memory. Currently there are no effective treatments for cognitive problems in MS.
Professor Robert Dineen's new project will research whether altering the brain’s magnetic field can finally change that, and improve cognition in people living with the condition.
We’ll be using a technique called intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS), which involves placing a magnetic device on the side of the head and rapidly varying the magnetic field. This helps activate the part of the brain responsible for processes like cognition. The technique has already been shown to improve cognition in people with depression, and we hope it could improve cognition for people with MS too. MS is relentless, painful and disabling and, if successful, this project could identify a new way to treat people struggling with cognitive issues. We’re so pleased the MS Society has chosen to fund this important work.”
The University of Nottingham has been gaining a reputation as a hub for cognitive research over recent years, thanks to the Nottingham MS Research Group. This is a collective of psychologists, neurologists, occupational therapists, radiologists, physiotherapists and nurses working across the University of Nottingham, Institute of Mental Health, and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
The new funding represents another win for the city’s science sector – Professor Dineen’s project will receive nearly a quarter million pounds (£245,637) from the MS Society, and a second project – led by University of Nottingham’s Professor Roshan das Nair – will receive a further £78,642.
Professor das Nair and his team hope to determine who benefits most from cognitive rehabilitation – a type of therapy that helps retrain cognitive skills and teach people ways to cope with this common symptom of MS.
James Turton, 39, from Bingham, lives with the relapsing form of MS. He helped lead patient involvement for Professor das Nair’s project.
James, who has two children, says: “The physical impairments relating to my MS can be managed with treatment, but my reduction in quality of life due to cognitive defects is immeasurable. In a wheelchair, I am still me. But the moment I’m unable to communicate effectively – if I can’t even speak with my children – I lose ‘me’ completely. And that’s my biggest fear. MS is unpredictable and different for everyone, but cognitive challenges are life changing and affect so many of us, research like this is absolutely vital."
Professor das Nair said: “Most people with MS aren’t offered any cognitive rehabilitation, but we know it can be helpful – we just don’t know who benefits most from it. That’s why this work is needed. Our aim is to figure out how to identify people with MS who will benefit from cognitive rehabilitation and provide evidence to show its effectiveness, so it might one day be provided on the NHS.”
Dr Susan Kohlhaas, Director of Research at the MS Society, said: “We believe we can stop MS, but until then we urgently need to find new and innovative ways to help everyone with the condition live as well as they can. Cognitive problems can cause significant distress for many people living with MS and their families, so research to address them is vital.
“We’re so proud to be investing nearly £325,000 into these exciting new projects in Nottingham, which have the potential to have a huge impact on how people living with MS manage their symptoms.”
The MS Society is the UK’s leading not-for-profit funder of MS research, and has invested over £220 million in today’s money since they opened in 1953.
Story credits
More information is available from Professor Robert Dineen at rob.dineen@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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