RSU researchers to study the impact of joint diseases caused by inflammation on neurocognitive function

In cooperation with neurologists from Austria, France, Canada and Switzerland, for three years researchers from Rīga Stradiņš University, under the leadership of Professor Valērija Groma, will be working on an interdisciplinary study on the impact of joint diseases caused by inflammation on neurocognitive function. After intense competition, this study gained support under a fundamental and applied research programme, funded by the Ministry of Education and Science and administered by the Latvian Council of Science. In 2018, only 16 % of a total of 397 project applications were supported during the first stage.

According to the professor, the aim of the project is to study the mutual communication of various organs of the human body with an aim to clarify, for example, the way the musculoskeletal system communicates with the brain, study the impact of joint damage and traumas and subsequent surgery on brain functions, the relationship between an inflamed and aching joint and a patient’s mood or even depression. Is the patient sad because of the aching joint or do types of organ-to-organ communication have an impact on the mood at a molecular level? Researchers are planning to evaluate the way the human brain operates in cases with changes in and affected joints, analyse the cognitive process and how it changes and examine the way brain functions alter when under stress.

“Research development in the fields of healthcare, life sciences and humanities, an increase in the number of high-level scientific papers and the development of commercialisable projects are among the main strategic goals of Rīga Stradiņš University. Due to the limited funding allocated to science, not all great ideas and promising studies have been developed, therefore, it is essential to be active in using every opportunity to raise funds and implement projects with an aim to meet the strategic goals of RSU, says RSU rector Professor Aigars Pētersons, praising the project. This year during the first stage of the competition, the total amount of requested funding for 397 project applications was almost 114 million euro, whereas the available amount was only 17.9 million euro.

Professor V. Groma arguments that the project is topical for both Latvia and Europe in general, as the population continues to age and disorders of various organs of the musculoskeletal system, such as joint disorders, become more and more topical. Therefore, their study and evaluation of the impact on other organs is and will be of significance. Patients’ clinical analyses and examinations prior to and following endoprosthetic surgery, as well as extensive analysis of patient joint tissues will be among methods applied within the study. Researchers will evaluate the impact and changes in not only one particular joint, but also other organs, especially the brain. For those patients who agree to participate in the study, a full-spectrum analysis, including x-ray and tissue analysis, will be carried out. This study would help persons, for example, with a disability to maintain and improve both their physical and mental condition.