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  • research-currently-recruiting
  1. Encephalitis research
  2. Research currently recruiting

Research currently recruiting

Get involved in one of the following research projects!

If you are interested in taking part in research, please have a look at the following research projects on encephalitis and its consequences. If you have further question about any of these projects, please contact the lead-person advertised in the project summary. 

Disclaimer: The Encephalitis Society is encouraging, supporting and funding scientific research into the condition, from diagnosis, treatment through to recovery and rehabilitation. By helping to find participants for research studies, Encephalitis Society is not taking any responsibility for the research and is therefore not liable for any claims concerning negligence, harm or oversight that might arise during the course of the research.

An Exploration of Family Members Experiences with Encephalitis Support Systems: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

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Name of Researcher:  Ellie Johnson, Manchester Metropolitan University

 

  1. Invitation paragraph

You are being invited to take part in a research project. This would involve a short interview over the phone or online, to discuss your experiences with encephalitis support systems. Before you decide on whether to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully before you decide whether you wish to take part. You are welcome to discuss this project with others if you wish before you make your decision. Please contact Ellie Jo

  1. What is the purpose of the study?

The primary purpose of this study is for the completion of a dissertation is a part-requirement of my programme of study, and I am stemming this from my previous research from my BSc Psychology (Hons) degree.

There is currently little research that addresses families experience of the support systems available once a diagnosis of encephalitis has been proclaimed. It is my aim to gain a deeper understanding on the topic area.

 

  1. Why have I been invited to take part?

You have been invited to take part in this study because of your experience as a relative of a family member diagnosed with encephalitis.

 

  1. Do I have to take part?

Participation is voluntary. Please read this information sheet carefully to help you decide. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them and can be contacted on the email address above. If you do decide to take part, you will be given this information sheet to keep (and be asked to sign a consent form) and you can still withdraw at any time without it hnson at the e-mail [email protected] if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information.

affecting any benefits that you are entitled to in any way. You do not have to give a reason and have 2 weeks to withdraw from the end of the interview. You must contact the principal investigator via email, should you wish to withdraw after the interview. This time restriction is in place to also give you adequate time to reflect on the interview, but not impact the investigation process.

 

  1. What will happen to me if I take part?

If you decide to take part, a time and date convenient for you to attend the interview will be agreed with the researcher. Immediately prior to the interview you will be asked to sign the consent form which indicates that you understand and agree to the study. The interview will be arranged to take place online via Microsoft Teams/Over the phone and is expected to last approximately 45 minutes. During the interview you will be asked about your experiences during the time of your relative’s encephalitis experience, the help you received and your opinions on the topic. Questions will be open-ended (you can answer as much/little as you want).

If you feel uncomfortable at any time during the interview you are free to refuse to answer any questions or to terminate the interview. For the purposes of analysis, the online interviews will be recorded using "record" function on Microsoft Teams and will be stored as a file on a password protected computer which is only accessed by the researcher and supervisor. Over the phone interviews will using an encrypted recording device.

You will only be required to attend one scheduled interview. Following the interview, you will be debriefed on the study and any questions you may have will be answered.

 The audio and/or video recordings of your activities made during this research will be used only for reports/dissertation and/or publications. The recording of the interview will then be transcribed for analysis. Direct quotes of the interview will be used in the analysis write-up of the dissertation but will be anonymised. No other use will be made of them without your written permission, and no one outside the project will be allowed access to the original recordings.

 

9.  What if there is a problem?

If you have a concern about any aspect of this study, you should ask to speak to myself by email [email protected] who will do their best to answer your questions.

Following this, if you have any issues or complaints, you may contact the research supervisor Dr Iryna Culpin by email: [email protected]

If you have any concerns regarding the personal data collected from you, our Data Protection Officer can be contacted using the [email protected] e-mail address, by calling 0161 247 3331 or writing to Data Protection Officer, Legal Services, All Saints Building, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M15 6BH.

You also have a right to lodge a complaint in respect of the processing of your personal data with the Information Commissioner’s Office as the supervisory authority. Please see: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/ or email the Chair of the Faculty of H&E Research Ethics and Governance Committee, Dr Claire Fox, at [email protected]

Published: 23rd May, 2022

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Brain scans to investigate autoimmune encephalitis in children and young people

Can you help researchers at Kings College London to learn more about autoimmune encephalitis in children and young people

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Can you or your child help us learn more about autoimmune encephalitis?

Dr Michael Eyre and colleagues at King’s College London are developing advanced brain MRI scans to investigate autoimmune encephalitis in children and young people.

“We will assess if these scans, combined with tests of memory, thinking, mental health and functioning in daily life, can help predict the outcome of autoimmune encephalitis for the individual person,” said Dr Eyre, who is a Clinical Research Fellow.

The research team are looking for people aged 8-24 years with recent onset (in the last one year) of NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis or antibody-negative autoimmune encephalitis. They are also looking for healthy volunteers in the same age range without a diagnosis of encephalitis, to act as a control group.

Games on an iPad are used to test thinking skills

MRI scans will take place at St. Thomas’ Hospital, London.

MRI is a safe imaging technology which has no known health risks. Participants can listen to music or watch Netflix during the scan. Travel expenses are reimbursed and tokens worth up to £80 are offered to say thanks for taking part.

“We hope our results will ultimately help doctors select the best treatment for each patient, improving the chances of controlling their symptoms sooner, shortening hospital stays and reducing the long-term effects on their lives,” says Dr Eyre.

If you or someone you care for might be interested, please contact Dr Eyre.

Email Dr Michael Eyre

Published: 29th April, 2022

Updated: 4th May, 2022

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COVID-19 impacts among a multinational cohort of children and youth with brain injury

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Published: 18th February, 2021

Updated: 28th January, 2022

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Exploring Real-World Memory in Autoimmune Encephalitis – Autobiographical Memory

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PhD Researcher: Sarah Martin (Leeds Beckett University)

Supervisor: Dr Kata Pauly-Takacs (Leeds Beckett University)

 

Overview

This study looks at how people who were treated for Autoimmune Encephalitis remember past personal memories (also known as autobiographical memory). We are aware that changes in the brain after encephalitis may result in ongoing problems with memory for some people. However, the types of difficulties that people have are under researched. When assessed in the clinic these memory difficulties may seem mild, but it is evident that they have significant impacts on day-to-day functioning. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of patients’ real-world memory problems, with which we hope to inform their care and support needs.

Who is invited to take part?

We are inviting you to take part if

  • you are 18-65 years old
  • based UK
  • had a previous diagnosis of Autoimmune Encephalitis and have completed treatment

 What do you have to do?

Before you take part in the study, we will ask you to confirm a few details related to your diagnosis, if you can.

There will be two parts to this study:

  • You will be asked to take part in some brief assessments of memory and thinking ability which will last no longer than 1-1.5 hours in total.
  • You will be asked to participate in an interview where you will recall memories from different time periods in your life from past to present. Each time period focuses on memories around specific themes (for example holiday, a work or school-related event). The interview can take up to 2 hours in total, but can be done in two sessions, if you prefer. The interview will be audio-recorded with your permission.

This study will take place remotely, so you need to be comfortable with the use of:

- a computer/tablet device

- video-conferencing software (Skype, Teams or Zoom),

or have someone to assist you with such technology.

Alternatively, we may be able to arrange for face-to-face sessions if you are local to the Leeds area, if covid guidelines allow and if that is your preference.

You will receive a £20 ‘love to shop’ voucher as a token of appreciation for giving up your time.

Interested in taking part?

If you are interested in taking part or would like more information on the study please contact the PhD Researcher, Sarah Martin at [email protected] or on 0113 812 5456.

Published: 11th May, 2021

Updated: 14th February, 2022

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Exploring Real-World Memory in Autoimmune Encephalitis – Self-reported memory experiences

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PhD Researcher: Sarah Martin (Leeds Beckett University)

Supervisor: Dr Kata Pauly-Takacs (Leeds Beckett University)

 

Overview

This study looks at how people who have been treated for Autoimmune Encephalitis perceive or experience their own memory in everyday situations. We are aware that changes in the brain after encephalitis may result in ongoing problems with memory for some people. However, the types of difficulties that people have are under researched. When assessed in the clinic these memory difficulties may seem mild, but it is evident that they have significant impacts on day-to-day functioning. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of patients’ real-world memory problems, with which we hope to inform their care and support needs.

Who is invited to take part?

We are inviting you to take part if

  • you are 18-65 years old
  • based UK
  • had a previous diagnosis of Autoimmune Encephalitis and have completed treatment.

OR

We are also looking for healthy participants (18-65 years based in the UK) without an Autoimmune Encephalitis diagnosis for the purpose of comparison

What do you have to do?

Before you take part in the study, we will ask you to confirm a few details related to your diagnosis, if you can (if you had a diagnosis of Autoimmune Encephalitis). You will then be asked to complete a memory questionnaire online which will take 15-20 minutes of your time. It will ask you to rate your experience in relation to how you use your memory and how satisfied you are with your memory in everyday situations. For example, the questionnaire asks you to rate the extent to which you agree with the following statements:

‘I am generally pleased with my memory ability’

‘I worry that I will forget something important’

This study will take place online. We will send you a link to the questionnaire via email if you wish to take part.

Interested in taking part?

If you are interested in taking part or would like more information on the study please contact the PhD Researcher, Sarah Martin at [email protected] or on 0113 812 5456.

Published: 11th May, 2021

Updated: 14th February, 2022

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Exploring Real-World Memory in Autoimmune Limbic Encephalitis – Long-term forgetting

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PhD Researcher: Sarah Martin

Supervisor: Dr Kata Pauly-Takacs

 

Overview

This study looks at how people who were treated for autoimmune limbic encephalitis remember and forget verbal information over time. We are aware that changes in the brain after encephalitis may result in ongoing problems with memory for some people. However, the types of difficulties that people have are under researched. When assessed in the clinic these memory difficulties may seem mild, but it is evident that they have significant impacts on day-to-day functioning. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of patients’ real- world memory problems, with which we hope to inform their care and support needs.

Who is invited to take part?

We are inviting you to take part if

  • you are 18-65 years old
  • had a previous diagnosis of Autoimmune Limbic Encephalitis and have completed treatment.

What do you have to do?

Before you take part in the study we will ask you to confirm a few details related to your diagnosis, if you can.

There will be two parts to this study:

  • You will be asked to take part in some brief assessments of memory and thinking ability which will last no longer than 1-1.5 hours in total.
  • You will then be asked to take part in a memory task that looks at learning and forgetting information over the course of 1 month. You will be asked to listen to and memorise some very short stories and then answer a series of questions about them at four different time points:
  •  Immediately
  • 1 day later
  • 1 week later
  • 1 month later

This study will take place remotely, so you need to be comfortable with the use of:

  •  a computer/tablet device
  • video-conferencing software (Skype, Teams or Zoom) or have someone to assist you with such technology.

Alternatively, sessions may take place face to face at Leeds Beckett University if covid guidelines allow and if that is your preference.

You will receive a £20 ‘love to shop’ voucher as token of appreciation for giving up your time.

Interested in taking part?

If you are interested in taking part or would like more information on the study please contact the PhD Researcher, Sarah Martin at [email protected]

Published: 24th February, 2022

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Study on Hearing and Listening Abilities after Limbic Encephalitis

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Dr Meher Lad, Newcastle University

Hearing and listening abilities are related to memory function and this can potentially allow us to monitor memory
function better. We are interested in developing tests that allow this.

This study is conducted online via Zoom and a pair of headphones.

We would like to invite

1. people who have had autoimmune limbic encephalitis more than 6 months ago and

2.people who have not had limbic encephalitis but are interested in participating so that we can compare their
performance to people who have had limbic encephalitis.


We have designed online computer games to examine how memory abilities are related to hearing and listening
abilities. A participant will complete these after a short interview about their encephalitis episode. We will also
conduct a brief test of memory and thinking and a questionnaire about musical experience.

If a participant lives near Newcastle, they will also have the opportunity to take part in an MRI scan of the head. This part is entirely optional.

Participation costs (per session) and reasonable contributions towards travel are provided.

If interested or for queries please email: [email protected]

Published: 24th May, 2022

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    Our Support Service is here to help you with any questions about encephalitis, recovery and rehabilitation or emotional support.

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Encephalitis Society, 32 Castlegate,
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