Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Isha Diagnostics, Bangalore have entered into a research collaboration agreement to study the movement disorders in humans. It will begin its research efforts first with the study on monkeys. The key objective is to understand the mobility of joints.

Universities in the US (Vanderbult) and Germany have also been associated with the study which will essentially look for data to understand the mobility of the body. A team of four radiologists from Isha and three scientists, one each from IISC and the two Universities will be part of the project.

Isha was identified by IISc as the facility offers Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) services and has installed a state-of-the-art Phillips MRI of 1.5 Testla with 16 channels. Moreover, MRI is the only mode of assessment for mobility.

The radiologist will study the quantitative and qualitative aspects of part of the brain referred to as the basal ganglia, which controls the movement in the body. This will help the scientists to understand the responses. The study would be comprehending Parkinson’s disease to provide treatment options.

“We are only engaged in the study using the MRI for IISc and the two foreign Universities which are now looking to understand the human anatomy and assess the issues of immobility and its causes. At the moment there is no drug development associated with the study,” Dr Balakrishna Shetty, head, Isha Diagnostics told Pharmabiz.

“In the past, such studies to assess mobility on animals were fatal but now with the advent of the MRI, we can scan the brain and study the animals without causing any harm. Permissions to carry out these animal studies are all sought by IISc,” he added.

The research which spans over six months will have a three month assessment carried on monkeys. It will help to find out the possible relationship of human movement disorders with their intelligence, behaviour and learning. Further, the study will also include graphic depictions of the tumour growth and its response to treatment, evaluate the blood supply in the brain during a stroke, seizure and understand the genetic relationship.

The brains of 10 monkeys will be studied. These monkeys will be given anaesthesia and MRI scan will be done which will span for 15 minutes. The researchers will compare the functioning of normal human brain with the normal brain of the monkey. It would also focus on the response of the brain to different injuries and recovery. The study will also cover the brain’s response to different injuries and recovery.