Canterbury Researcher Awarded Funding To Investigate Hallucinations In People With Parkinson’s Disease

Dr Kyla-Louise Horne was just 16-years-old when her grandma, who had Parkinson’s disease, passed away.

Now, 16 years later, she’s dedicating her research to improving the lives of those who suffer from the debilitating brain disorder, for which there is no known cure.

The Canterbury Medical Research Foundation has just announced Dr Horne, a Research Fellow at the University of Otago, Christchurch, as the successful recipient of its annual Emerging Research Fellowship. A grant of $180,000 will support her two-year research project, examining how and why hallucinations occur in Parkinson’s disease.

Dr Horne’s research has been four years in the making. The project has the potential to vastly improve the lives of those living with the condition, which affects more than 12,000 Kiwis.

Around half of people with Parkinson’s disease experience hallucinations and everyone experiences them differently, says Dr Horne.

“For some people, it’s as simple as thinking you see a shadow in the corner of your eye, but others witness fully formed figures or shapes that aren’t there.

“It might seem like it’s a terrible thing, but there are some people who find them quite comforting. What we do know is that people who develop these more complex hallucinations have a much higher likelihood of ending up in residential care.”

Horne says the research will paint a clearer picture of what’s happening in the brain for those experiencing hallucinations, enabling the development of new treatment options to reduce the likelihood of them occurring, as well as finding solutions for those who are already affected by them.

Dr Horne says her grandmother experienced hallucinations as her disease progressed, so she understands what it’s like to be a family member playing a supporting role.

“For me, it’s important when I’m researching to listen and really hear what my participants are experiencing. Having a personal connection to Parkinson’s disease through my grandmother certainly helps, because I know first-hand some of the challenges they can face.”

Dr Horne’s project will be informed by data from other studies she’s worked on, including the New Zealand Parkinson’s Progression Programme, based at the New Zealand Brain Research Institute.

This longitudinal study has followed over 320 Cantabrians with Parkinson’s since 2007.

“We’re hoping to use that data to characterise hallucinations in Parkinson’s disease, as well as looking at what might put people at greater risk of developing them.”

From there, a group of 90 people with Parkinson’s – some who experience hallucinations, and some who don’t – and an additional 30 healthy older adult volunteers, will go through a series of computerised tests while having their brain activity recorded.

“That will mean we can get down to the nuts and bolts of what’s happening inside of the brain,” says Dr Horne.

CMRF director Melissa Haberfield says the Foundation is “delighted” to play a part in supporting Dr Horne with her research.

“Dr Horne is an incredibly talented local researcher and we are so excited by the potential outcomes of this project. Most of us know, or have heard of someone with Parkinson’s disease. Investing in this Fellowship is about supporting an emerging researcher to develop their research career and to create a positive outcome in an area of health that affects many people in our community.

“As a charitable organisation that receives no government funding, this fellowship is only possible thanks to the generosity of our donors who share our vision of improving the health and well-being of our people through investment in health research.”

The grant, worth up to $200,000, is awarded annually to an exceptional Canterbury researcher who is committed to improving the health and well-being not only of New Zealanders, but people all around the world.

Research title: Visual hallucinations in Parkinson’s disease: Investigating their trajectories and neural mechanisms

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