Recruitment is now closed for the MOTION Study. Than you to everyone who took part.
Researchers seeking healthy people aged over 60 for major new microbiome study
People aged over 60 and in generally good health are being sought to take part in a study by researchers from the Quadram Institute and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
The study is investigating gut microbes and the role they may play in healthy ageing and in particular, declining mental health and the risk of developing dementia. The microbiome plays important roles in helping to digest food and fight off infections. Changes in gut microbe populations have been linked to many other conditions including obesity, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
In this new study, called MOTION, the researchers are focusing on the microbes of the ageing gut and its effect on mental health and cognition. In the study, researchers will investigate different types of microbes including bacteria and viruses that live in the gut and how these affect our brain and mental processes as we age.
It is estimated that by 2025 over 1 million people in the UK will suffer from dementia, with over 10% of them living in East Anglia. The MOTION Study will answer a key question of whether the age-related decline in cognitive function is associated with changes in the intestinal microbiome, and if so what is the nature of this relationship.
This knowledge will be extremely useful in increasing our understanding of the factors involved in declining physical and mental health in old age, and in developing new strategies or therapies that can help maintain mental health during old age.
If you are interested in taking part in the MOTION Study, please download the Summary Participant Information Sheet which will give you an idea of what the study is about and what we will be asking you to do.
For a more detailed explanation of the study, please download the full Participant Information Sheet. If you would like to register your interest in the study, please complete the form below and we will contact you.
