Southampton doctor raises awareness of rare brain conditions
A new charity video is promoting greater understanding of two neurological diseases.
Southampton divisional research lead Dr Boyd Ghosh appears in Inside Neurology: Our Unique Brain.
The programme, produced by ITN Business and The Brain Charity, is raising awareness of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD).
These are rare and incurable conditions that affect around 10,000 people in the UK.
Dr Ghosh is a consultant neurologist at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) and a trustee of the PSP Association (PSPA). He runs a specialist clinic which treats approximately 140 people with PSP and CBD across the south of England.
He is also the holder of a UHS Research Leaders Programme award. His research focuses on rare neurological diseases that share some of the signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
‘Difficult to diagnose’
The programme sees a couple, Bruce and Neda, share their personal experience of living with CBD.
Both PSP and CBD are caused by increasing numbers of brain cells becoming damaged over time. This can lead to problems with balance, movement, vision, speech and swallowing.
“These are complex conditions which can be difficult to diagnose”, Dr Ghosh explained. “It can take up to three years to get a diagnosis, at which point the patient may already have a lower quality of life.”
Around 60% of those living with either disease may be misdiagnosed with other conditions, including Parkinson’s, stroke and depression.
Improving understanding
Research offers new hope for people with PSP and CBD.
“One of the things that patients, carers and families say is that they want to take part in research”, Dr Ghosh explained. “They want to help find new ways of diagnosing, treating and supporting those affected. It provides new hope for the future.”
UHS is leading research to help us better understand neurological conditions.
This includes a major international study in which the first UK patient has received a pioneering new treatment for PSP. The research, led by Dr Ghosh, targets the root cause of the condition. This could slow PSP’s effects.
Dr Ghosh has also received funding from the PSPA to assess the benefits of multidisciplinary teams within specialist clinics. This is part of ongoing work to establish clinical guidelines for people with PSP and CBD.
Inside Neurology: Our Unique Brain is available to watch on the ITN Hub.