• PhD student seeks participants from Orange and Bathurst for Parkinson’s research project
• Research aims to understand the impact of exercise and cognitive training on reducing severity of symptoms
• Study will commence in early 2023

Charles Sturt University is offering residents living in the Central West an opportunity to contribute to life-changing Parkinson’s research.

Ms Paige Tonkin, in her second year of a PhD with the Charles Sturt School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences, is studying at Bathurst but lives in Orange.

She recently completed a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science in 2019 and Bachelor of Exercise Science (Honours) in 2020.

She is the chief investigator for a research project titled ‘The impact of exercise and cognitive training on the physiology of non-motor symptoms and quality of life experienced in regional Parkinson’s disease patients’.

“My research has a strong community focus, aiming to recruit, support and work with participants directly from the Central West and the local Parkinson’s disease community,” Ms Tonkin said.

Ms Tonkin said participants can contribute to research that will provide greater understanding of the disease and non-pharmaceutical management strategies that could benefit others.

“My main objective is to improve the lives of individuals, families and the broader community, living with or supporting those with Parkinson’s disease,” Ms Tonkin said.

“Results from this research aim to inform and assist the management of Parkinson’s disease on a global scale.

“Through this research, I hope to provide further information surrounding non-motor symptoms, and underlying physiology, experienced in Parkinson’s disease.”

Ms Tonkin said community involvement and collaborations are pivotal in the completion of this project and that the Central West is the ideal location to base the study.

“I believe the Central West is the regional hub of healthcare and specialist services, providing an excellent location and extensive opportunities for regional, community-focused research,” she said.

“Given that participants will be recruited from the Central West, this research will directly benefit the regional Parkinson’s disease community.”

The research will be completed with support from Neurologist, Professor Simon Hawke and the Central West Neurology and Neurosurgery clinic, located in Orange.

Participants will be required to visit to the exercise physiology laboratory at Charles Sturt in Bathurst on two separate occasions. The visits will involve a range of tests including a body composition scan, a cognitive assessment, functional assessment and collection of a blood sample.

Participants will then be involved in an at-home sleep assessment and a supervised 12-week training intervention consisting of either treadmill walking, cognitive training while walking on the treadmill or non-active control.

Recruitment is open and Ms Tonkin said they are looking for participants with early- to mid-stage Parkinson’s disease and healthy individuals over the age of 55. Participants will ideally be from Orange or Bathurst, but Ms Tonkin is happy to consider people outside this area.

The testing sessions and sleep assessments are due to commence mid-October while training interventions will commence from mid-January.

For more information, contact Ms Tonkin via ptonkin@csu.edu.au.