Clinical research

All divisions of the Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland (NSI) are actively involved in clinical research. Currently, the main areas of interests are:

• multiple sclerosis (C. Gobbi, MD; C. Zecca, MD)
• Parkinson (Prof. J.C. Möller, MD, S. Galati, MD, PhD; C. Staedler, MD)
• sleep and epilepsy (M. Manconi, MD; P. Agazzi, MD; M. Maestri, MD)
• stroke (C. Cereda, MD; C. Staedler, MD)

These working groups offer specialized outpatient clinics within the service of neurology. The research projects are frequently performed in collaboration with the service of neuroradiology (A. Cianfoni, MD). A new main area of interest will become the clinical research in the field of neurosurgery (Prof. M. Reinert, MD). The research is currently funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), other foundations, EOC and the pharmaceutical industry. Besides the Clinical Trial Unit EOC (site Lugano) is located at the NSI and offers a support for the conduction of clinical studies according to national and international directives, particularly the ICH Guideline for Good Clinical Practice.

Basic research

The basic research is performed at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) in Bellinzona and aims in a multidisciplinary and translational approach at the investigation of movement disorders. The laboratory is funded by EOC and the pharmaceutical industry. Currently, two working groups are active mainly using electrophysiologal methods and molecular biology:

1. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) (M. Manconi, MD). RLS is one of the most frequent neurological disorders, the pathogenesis of which is currently still unknown. There is evidence of a dysfunction of the dopaminergic system at the hypothalamic-spinal level. Currently, no animal model for RLS is available. The aim is to develop a rat model using a pharmacological approach and PSG and behavioral monitoring.
2. Parkinson’s disease (PD) (S. Galati, MD, PhD; Prof. J.C. Möller, MD). The objective of this working group is to better understand the mechanisms of movement control. The performed projects address the activity of specific brain areas, called basal ganglia, and how their function is compromised by pathologies such as PD. For that purpose, animal models are used that reproduce the clinical characteristics of the early and advanced phases of the disease and also the long-term complications of medical therapy in order to analyse the associated pathophysiological changes.

Contact

Prof. J.C. Möller, MD
Tel. +41 (0)91 811 62 57