Neurobehavioural issues in Duchenne
Tackling learning, behaviour, depression and anxietyAlthough the physical challenges of Duchenne have been investigated extensively, the neurobehavioural and psychosocial issues that can result from the diagnosis are under-explored, despite their impact on everyday life for many people living with Duchenne and their families.
We have awarded an £80,000 grant to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) to support its research into neurobehavioural issues in Duchenne – focusing on key areas such as learning, behaviour, depression and anxiety.
The term “neurobehavioural” relates to the way the brain affects emotion, behaviour and learning. Neurobehavioral and cognitive diagnoses are not uncommon in those living with Duchenne, but access to timely assessment, diagnosis and treatment can be difficult to obtain and varied in experience and outcome.
PPMD’s work aims to understand the intricacies of access to neurobehavioural treatment pathways affecting people living with Duchenne. Working in partnership with Certified Duchenne Care Centres in the US, the project aims to assess new and emerging knowledge in the field, and improve detection, diagnosis and treatment of conditions.
The neurobehavioral tool, developed by Natalie Truba, PhD, of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Molly Colvin, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, will be piloted at Arkansas Children’s Hospital under guidance of Seth Sorensen PhD and Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, MD, with a goal of rolling out use of the tool to additional sites in urban, surburban, and international settings to better understand its utility and validity across a variety of populations.
Each of these efforts will collectively inform a series of care meetings diving into practices with a goal of establishing consensus for care across learning, behaviour, depression, and anxiety in Duchenne.
The work funded by DRF is part of PPMD’s new Brain Initiative, which aims to ensure all people living with Duchenne have access to appropriate neurobehavioural care.
Clinical research
£80,000
Funded in 2021-22
United States
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