HUNTINGTON'S ENRICHMENT RESEARCH OPTIMISATION SCHEME(HEROs)
Huntington's WA (Inc), in collaboration with Edith Cowan University, the Neurosciences Unit, Cambridge University, the Howard Florey Institute and the Brightwater Group, were recently successful in attracting funding from Lotterywest to undertake a research project designed to impact on the progression of Huntington's disease.
This research project will provide a therapeutic intervention (environmental enrichment) for patients at early to mid stages of Huntington's disease. Environmental enrichment is essentially the use of physical and mental stimulation to optimise the production and survival of stem cells within the brain and to maximise communication within brain regions. This project will assess the capacity of the intervention to slow disease progression and provide individuals with a better quality of life. This approach is supported by findings from similar research into other neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and significantly from laboratory research performed in Huntington's disease.
The intervention will include physical exercises to increase production of stem cells within the brain, and occupational therapy to provide mental stimulation to support increased survival of these cells. Participants will undertake twelve months of exercise provided within an exercise clinic once per week. The exercise protocol will be designed for people with Huntington's disease and will include the use of aerobic training and weight (resistance) training. This is intended to maximise stimulation from the muscles to the brain. Participants will also undertake a personalised, home-based exercise program two to three times per week. Physiotherapy will be used to adjust the home-based program to impact on a participant's individual problem areas (ie muscle weakness, balance problems) and to thus improve their capability to perform everyday functional activities.
A home-based occupational therapy program will provide mental stimulation to enhance the exercise component of the intervention, and will be designed on an individualised basis. This therapy will need to cater for an individual's personal preference for stimulating activities to maximise stimulation and enjoyment, and to maintain compliance with the occupational therapy activities.
There are currently 25 participants in the project, and initial baseline measurements have recently begun, with all recruits participating in an Open Day at Edith Cowan University. Each person performed a wide variety of activities to provide an indication of their personal capabilities, and this will allow the researchers to identify strategies to assist in personalising their exercise regimen. Carers and support people also participated in the Open Days, and may choose to participate in the exercise classes on a purely voluntary basis. Participants will also undertake a variety of scans (DEXA (x-ray) and MRI), and blood/saliva tests for physiological assessments.
Participants were also asked to think of a name for the research project, and submitted entries were put to the vote on the Open Days with "Huntington's Enrichment Research Optimisation Scheme (HEROs)" being the clear winner.
The exercise component of the intervention will commence soon, followed within a few months by the occupational therapy component, and participants will be monitored by a trained researcher throughout the intervention period. This research project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committees of Edith Cowan University and the North Metropolitan Area Mental Health Service. If you would like more information about this research project, please call Dr Jennifer Thompson (6304 5635 or 0419 917 649), or Associate Professor Mel Ziman (6304 5171 or 0419 929 851), Edith Cowan University.