Elucidation of the environmental and genetic risk factors that underlie the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease subtypes in Indiana
Researchers from Purdue University, including the Purdue Motor Speech Lab and colleagues in health science and neuroscience, are recruiting pairs of people from the same household to participate in a study on genetic and environmental factors related to Parkinson’s disease.
What is the study about?
The purpose of the study is to discover new combinations of genetic and environmental risk factors that may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease. We are focusing on risk factors that are likely to occur in rural Indiana.
People with Parkinson’s disease and their family members will provide blood and urine samples, dust, water, and soil samples from their home, read a passage aloud and talk about a topic of their choice for 2 minutes, undergo a motor screening, and answer a number of questionnaires about quality of life, depression, apathy, and the impact of Parkinson’s disease on their lives.
Who is eligible?
- Persons 60-90 years of age
- Each pair should have: one person with Parkinson’s disease or a related parkinsonism and a household member without Parkinson’s disease, with both meeting the above age and residence requirements
- All participants should also:
- Be fluent in English
- Have adequate hearing to process verbal instructions
- Have no more than moderate cognitive impairment and be able to consent
The study will entail two visits to Purdue University, spaced 4-7 months apart. Each person will be compensated $50 for the first session and $75 for the second session.
To get more information:
Sandy Snyder
Phone: 765-494-6488
Email: parkinsonresearch@purdue.edu
Jessica Huber, Ph.D. and Ellen Wells, Ph.D. are the Principal Investigators for this Study (IRB Protocol #2021-376).