Mulligan, Martin http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2042-257X
Lally, Leona
Adamis, Dimitrios http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1315-1695
Meagher, David http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8324-8017
Exton, Chris
Dunne, Colum http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5010-3185
McCarthy, Geraldine http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1312-0998
Funding for this research was provided by:
Wellcome Trust
National University Ireland, Galway
Article History
Received: 3 March 2022
Accepted: 19 July 2022
First Online: 5 August 2022
Declarations
:
: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.
: All the procedures conducted in this study were in accordance with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments. Ethical approval was granted by Research Ethics Committees at Galway University (GUH) and Sligo University Hospitals (SUH).
: Informed consent was obtained and all participants were asked to partake in an initial battery of tests. The procedures and rationale for the study were explained to all patients and a patient information leaflet was provided to the patient (and/or the next of kin/responsible caregiver where appropriate). Due to level of cognitive impairment, some participants were unable to provide informed consent. In these cases, informed consent was augmented by communicating with their next of kin (where possible) or a responsible caregiver (in accordance with Helsinki Guidelines for Medical research involving Human Participants).