Biomarkers of Risk of Parkinson Disease

Episode # 86
Uploaded: February 8, 2012
Running Time: 04:15

CROWN: From the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, this is CLINICAL CENTER RADIO.

A research team with NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is conducting a study to better understand the development of Parkinson’s disease, a condition that affects the entire body but is most commonly known for its movement-related symptoms that include shaking and difficulty with walking.  The research team is looking at biomarkers, which are objective indicators of the disease.  Senior investigator Dr. Dave Goldstein explains that biomarkers are a critical clue because not every person who has a family history of Parkinson’s develops the disease. But the biomarkers may help doctors identify that disease process is going on, before any movement-related symptoms occur.

GOLDSTEIN: We’re trying to answer two questions. The first question is that in people who have the statistical risk factors, how many of them actually have the disease process going on based on the biomarkers? The second question is, in the people who have the disease process going on, is it correct that they will all eventually develop Parkinson’s disease?
CROWN:  Over the past several years this team has conducted extensive research on patients with Parkinson’s or other related disorders. Researchers have found several symptoms that seem to appear in some people before they develop the more pronounced movement symptoms.
GOLDSTEIN: One of them is loss of sense of smell in adulthood that doesn’t have a good explanation. Another is a particular type of sleep disorder called REM-behavior disorder where people act out their dreams and they thrash about in bed. Another non-movement manifestation is chronic constipation. Another is depression. And another – and one that is gaining a lot of attention lately – is dementia. Some of these things, well, they’re just pretty common with aging. But others are uncommon. And so in putting together our study, we are focusing on them.

CROWN: Dr. Goldstein’s study is following people who have not being diagnosed with Parkinson’s but who do have some of those other symptoms, as well as test positive for biomarkers for the disease. The team believes that this study may help with future development and testing of ways to prevent or at least postpone the appearance of the disease in those who are at risk.

GOLDSTEIN: We need to be able to find out, in people who have these risk factors, which of them have the disease process going on? Which of them have evidence for a loss of dopamine terminals in this particular pathway, a loss of sympathetic nerves in the heart, a loss of catecholamine neurons? And then the idea is that if the person has positive biomarkers, it’s not a matter of statistical risk. It’s a matter of time.

CROWN: For more information about participation in this study, visit: https://pdrisk.ninds.nih.gov/Welcome.aspx. You may also call toll free 1-866-999-5553. When calling, reference the study number 09-N-0010. From America's Clinical Research Hospital, this has been CLINICAL CENTER RADIO. In Bethesda, Maryland, I'm Ellen Crown, at the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

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