Involvement Opportunities
Help Shape Future Sleep Research in Parkinson’s and Dementia
Sleep problems are common in people living with Parkinson’s and dementia. Many people struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake feeling unrefreshed, which can significantly affect daily life.
The research
This study aims to understand which sleep problems matter most to people living with Parkinson’s and/or dementia, as well as to their families and carers. Researchers are also interested in understanding people’s views on wearing small movement-tracking devices to measure sleep and daily activity.
Your feedback will help shape future research and improve how sleep studies are designed and delivered.
Who do the researchers need?
The survey is open to:
People from anywhere across the North East and Cumbria with Parkinson’s disease and/or dementia
Family members, friends, and carers of people living with these conditions
What is involved?
Completing a short online survey (approximately 12 minutes)
Optional: leaving your email address at the end if you would like to receive a summary of the findings or hear about future discussions
📅 Deadline: 30 August 2026
If you would prefer to request the survey in an alternative format (for example, a paper copy), or have any questions, please contact the Mohammadreza Sedghi:
Email: m.sedghi-gamchi2@newcastle.ac.uk
Telephone: 0191 208 9127
Turning problems in Parkinson’s
The research
People with Parkinson’s may experience problems with turning, which can lead to falls. Researchers at Northumbria University want to understand the experiences of people with Parkinson’s to develop a treatment for this issue.
Who do the researchers need?
People with Parkinson’s who have experienced problems with turning or falls and supporters, family members or friends of people with Parkinson’s who have experienced problems with turning or falls from anywhere across the North East and Cumbria
What is involved?
Completing a 10 minute survey, online, over the phone or by post
If you have any questions please contact Julia Das by email julia.das@northumbria.ac.uk.
If you’d like to take part by phone or post, call 0191 2156287 and leave a message for the research team and they will get back to you.
The deadline for taking part in this research is 31 January 2026.
JPR@Research+Me
The goal of JPR@Research+Me is to connect people with Parkinson’s with research opportunities:
Are you interested in registering with JPR@Research+Me? Registering will mean that you can:
Hear about UK trials through a regular newsletter.Find out if you may be eligible for selected trials, through online pre-screening
You can also find out more about research registries and why they are important by watching this video:
If you have any questions about JPR@Research+Me you can contact the team at jpr@newcastle.ac.uk
Clinical trial: COBALT
Trial of a combination of 2 drugs as a Parkinson’s dementia treatment
The trial will look at the use of a drug called Memantine for treatment of people with Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s with dementia (PDD) symptoms. The aim of the trial is to find out if Memantine treatment can help improve overall health and functioning for people with DLB or PDD. Potential participants should be currently taking cholinesterase inhibitors
What’s involved? If you agree to take part, you will join one of two trial treatment groups for 12 months: a placebo (‘dummy’ drug) group OR a medication (Memantine) group.
You will have planned visits and phone calls with the local trial team, who will ask you about your symptoms, how you feel and your study treatment. A family member or person who knows you well will also be asked to answer questions about your symptoms and about how they are feeling.
Who is elibile to take part? To take part in the trial, you will be aged over 55 years and have been taking an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) medication (for example, Donepezil also called Aricept) for at least 12 weeks.
There are TWO centres recruiting in the North East, at Darlington and Newcastle.
For more information, please contact your nearest team:
Darlington: Research and Development, Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, Flatts Lane Centre, Flatts Lane, Normanby, Middlesbrough, TS6 0SZ TEWV.
Email: ResearchAndDevelopment@nhs.net Tel: 07785 314 627 OR 01642 283501
Newcastle: Leigh Tunnicliffe , Clinical Ageing Research Unit (CARU), Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5PL.
Email: Leigh.Tunnicliffe@newcastle.ac.uk Tel: 0191 208 1242
Request for Involvement Form
If you need support with your research, from study design to recruitment and dissemination, please complete our form below:
Please send any additional information to support this application and email to parkinsonsnecrig@gmail.com
