Diseases
One in four people in Ireland will be directly affected by a neurological disease during their lifetime. By focusing on Diagnostic, Therapeutic and eHealth solutions, we are developing new technologies and solutions that will benefit people with Epilepsy, Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Dravet, Angelman Syndrome, Fragile X and Rett Syndrome.
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder which affects the brain. It is a tendency to have repeated seizures. This tendency can be long term but the seizures can be controlled meaning that a person can have epilepsy but they may not have active seizures. Seizures can start in a part of the brain or happen in both sides of the brain at once. Nearly 40,000 people in Ireland have epilepsy as do 50 million people worldwide. For many people, their epilepsy affects them most while seizures are active. For others, the impact of having epilepsy may be longer term, if their seizures continue.
Areas of Expertise
- MicroRNA/noncoding RNA
- Purinergic Signalling
- Brain structure and imaging
- Digital and eHealth
- Epidemiology
- Epigenetics
- Genomics
- Pharmacogenomics
- Reviews and policy
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Researchers
Justine Mathoux
Jennifer Dowling
Mona Heiland
Karen Conboy
Austin Lacey
Amaya Sanz Rodriguez
Omar Mamad
Aileen Harnett
Isabelle Boothman
Kevin Power
Niamh Connolly
Claire Behan
Polyadenylation of mRNA as a novel regulatory mechanism of gene expression in temporal lobe epilepsy
Testing association of rare genetic variants with resistance to three common antiseizure medications
De-novo mutations in patients with chronic ultra-refractory epilepsy with onset after age five years
De-novo mutations in patients with chronic ultra-refractory epilepsy with onset after age five years
Motor Neurone Disease
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive neurological condition that attacks the motor neurones, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. This means messages gradually stop reaching the muscles, which leads to weakness and wasting.
MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. However, not all symptoms necessarily happen to everyone and it is unlikely they will all develop at the same time, or in any specific order.
The cause of MND is not known. There may be environmental factors that trigger the damage in people who are susceptible to the disease. On going research is necessary to find out the nature of these environmental factors, and what makes one person more susceptible than another.
MND strikes people of all ages and currently there is no cure, however symptoms can be managed to help the person achieve the best possible quality of life.
Areas of Expertise
- non-coding RNA
- Biomarkers
- Mitochondria and Bioenergetics
- Bioinformatics
- Systems Biology
- In vitro and in vivo disease models
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Researchers
Sinead Impey
Mark Doherty
Niamh Connolly
Russell McLaughlin
Catherine Mooney
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis is a condition affecting the central nervous system (CNS), which consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The CNS controls the motor, sensory and cognitive functioning of the body by processing and transmitting messages through a network of nerves. These nerves are covered by a fatty substance called myelin, which helps to conduct the messages. MS develops when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks this myelin, thinking that it is a foreign substance.
The purpose of our immune system is to protect the body from infection. A variety of cells (macrophages, T-cells, B-cells, and others) work together to destroy the invading cells and the cells it has infected. In normal circumstances, the body is able to distinguish between the body’s own cells and those that have invaded the immune system. However, in some circumstances, the body is unable to recognise one from the other and begins to attack the body’s healthy cells.
In MS, when the immune system attacks the nerves it damages or destroys the myelin sheath, causing inflammation in the area of attack. This process is known as demyelination. It causes the messages being sent by the CNS to slow down or become blocked. While the initial attack may not last long, scar tissue forms over the area. This scar tissue can be viewed as the white spots on an MRI scan, commonly referred to as plaques or lesions
Areas of Expertise
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Researchers
Sanbing Shen
Robert Forster
Colin Doherty
Matthew Campbell
Orla Hardiman
Jochen Prehn
Gianpiero Cavalleri
David Henshall
Parkinson’s
Parkinson’s disease (Parkinson’s) is a progressive neurological disorder, and is classified as a Movement Disorder, as it primarily affects movement. It is variable in its progression, i.e. some people progress more slowly than others, and the symptoms can be effectively controlled with medication for many years. Parkinson’s disease is caused by a loss of a chemical called dopamine. We all lose some of this chemical as we get older, however, it is only when we have lost about 80% of our dopamine we start to have symptoms. So people with Parkinson’s have lost this chemical at a faster rate than others.
Although Parkinson’s is a movement disorder, there are both motor and non-motor symptoms associated with it.
Areas of Expertise
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Researchers
Sanbing Shen
Robert Forster
Colin Doherty
Matthew Campbell
Orla Hardiman
Jochen Prehn
Gianpiero Cavalleri
David Henshall
Paediatric Neurological Diseases
Parkinson’s disease (Parkinson’s) is a progressive neurological disorder, and is classified as a Movement Disorder, as it primarily affects movement. It is variable in its progression, i.e. some people progress more slowly than others, and the symptoms can be effectively controlled with medication for many years. Parkinson’s disease is caused by a loss of a chemical called dopamine. We all lose some of this chemical as we get older, however, it is only when we have lost about 80% of our dopamine we start to have symptoms. So people with Parkinson’s have lost this chemical at a faster rate than others.
Although Parkinson’s is a movement disorder, there are both motor and non-motor symptoms associated with it.
Areas of Expertise
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Researchers
Sanbing Shen
Robert Forster
Colin Doherty
Matthew Campbell
Orla Hardiman
Jochen Prehn
Gianpiero Cavalleri
