Who can participate? What are the criteria?
Criteria for participation will be checked by phone and/or when meeting with the researchers. The main criteria are as follows:
- Our primary population of interest is people with Parkinson’s disease diagnosed by a neurologist.
- Participation is also open to anyone in good general health who does not suffer from Parkinson’s disease; this is in order to constitute a control group, i.e., a group of people of the same age and sex as the group of people with Parkinson’s disease.
- We may also include, on an ad hoc basis, people who suffer from other neurological diseases but who have similar non-motor symptoms to Parkinson’s disease, for example dementia Lewy Bodies.
We carry out our studies in accordance with the requirements of Swiss law. In addition, we follow all internationally recognized guidelines. The relevant cantonal ethics committee has evaluated and approved all studies.
Is there any direct benefit to participating in this research?
There is no direct benefit to you from participating in this study at this time. However, your participation will lead to results that:
- will give us a better understanding of hallucinatory phenomena in Parkinson’s disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders,
- are important to develop specific diagnostic and/or therapeutic methods for hallucinations in the future
What are the risks of participating in this research?
Your participation in a study does not involve any risks or damage to your health.
The measuring devices (e.g., MRI) and robotic devices are non-invasive. They have already been tested in a variety of populations. Reported limitations are usually fatigue or mild discomfort. Breaks are provided to alleviate these constraints.
