Michael J. Fox Foundation studying early signs of Parkinson’s disease

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is expanding its landmark initiative to study the early signs of Parkinson’s disease.

The foundation announced in a statement on Thursday that it is expanding its Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) and will recruit up to 100,000 individuals, including those with and without Parkinson’s, to provide data to the group to “accelerate frameworks for prevention of Parkinson’s disease.”

The foundation said prevention research has the potential to “deepen understanding of the relationship between Parkinson’s and aging.”

The study intends to examine “cohorts representative of the full continuum of disease,” including individuals who are diagnosed with Parkinson’s, others who do not have the disease and some who have progressing disease. It is specifically looking for any U.S. residents older than 18 years old, with an emphasis on individuals over the age of 60 who do not have Parkinson’s.

The PPMI has been in existence since 2010, but the foundation said the current phase of the study is “its most ambitious era.” Enrollment for the study will remain open through the end of 2023.

“The large-scale expansion of PPMI promises to change our understanding of Parkinson’s disease diagnosis and enable the development of new PD therapeutics,” said Ken Marek, the principle investigator for PPMI, a scientific adviser to the foundation and a senior scientist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders.

“PPMI data will provide researchers globally the tools to uncover key biological and clinical changes that occur both once PD has begun and more importantly even before symptoms arise with the ultimate goal of disease prevention,” he added in a statement.

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that causes patients to shake, feel stiff and have trouble with walking, balancing and coordination, according to the National Institute on Aging. Symptoms typically begin to develop and worsen as time progresses. 

Participants in the study will be expected to share data with the study online and through a smartphone app. Additionally, some will pass along biological samples and be subject to assessments.

In an op-ed published in USA Today on Thursday, Michael J. Fox said his foundation’s clinical study “promises to rewrite the future of Parkinson’s disease and to generate breakthroughs that could impact other major brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, too.”

“Now the study is entering a new stage – bringing us much, much closer to the ability to predict who might get Parkinson’s before symptoms ever show up. When you can predict who’s going to get a disease, you’ve already started down the path to preventing it,” he added.

Fox pitched readers on enrolling in the study, writing “I’m asking you (yes, you) to be part of it.”

“These heroes are giving qualified scientists access to their anonymous clinical information, including test results and brain scans, to hunt down patterns and details that have already contributed significantly to a better understanding of Parkinson’s,” he added.

He said society “need[s] to stay focused on the day we find a cure” for Parkinson’s, adding “With your help, we’ll get there.”