Trial Status: Open
One person in every 500 has Parkinsons and around 127,000 people are living with the condition in the UK. The prevalence of other movement disorders vary, for example it is estimated that one person in 900 is affected by dystonia in the UK, whereas essential tremor is estimated to be 20 times more prevalent than Parkinsons. The aim of the study is to identify new genes that predispose or cause Parkinson’s Disease, Parkinsonism, and other movement disorders. There is a pressing need to study the genetic makeup of family members both with and without these conditions. As families share a common genetic background, it is easier to find new Parkinson’s/movement disorder genes by studying the genetic makeup of people with Parkinson’s/another movement disorder alongside other members of their families. We are particularly interested in studying the genetic makeup of two groups of people:
1) those who developed Parkinson’s/another movement disorder before the age of 45; and
2) those who have a family history of other relatives affected by Parkinson’s/another movement disorder.
By identifying genetic factors that cause Parkinson’s and other movement disorders, we hope to understand more about these conditions. Doing so will lead to the development of better diagnosis, improved disease models, and we hope in time, to the development of better treatments.