Study Rationale: In October 2022, a conference on “Planning for Prevention of Parkinson's: A trial design forum” gathered a broad range of stakeholders interested in preventing Parkinson’s disease (PD), including at-risk and patient advocates, to advance emerging prospects for the first rigorous trials for the prevention of PD. By collecting and sharing a series of post-conference publications authored by participants, we wish to present a consensus on recent advances in our understanding of who is at high risk for PD, what interventions should be suited and how to best measure disease progression prior to traditional diagnosis of PD.
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that establishing a consensus on PD prevention planning will accelerate the development of effective therapeutics for those who are at high risk.
Study Design: Following the conference, the researchers and advocates will prepare three integrated manuscripts: a brief overview article, a more systematic consensus article and a viewpoint of individuals who are at risk of or manifesting the symptoms of PD.
Impact on Diagnosis/Treatment of Parkinson’s disease: The publications will provide a blueprint for the design of PD prevention trials and are expected accelerate and help optimize their development, and consequently their prospects for success.
Next Steps for Development: We will initiate rigorous clinical trials designed to determine whether candidate therapies can prevent PD among individuals who are at high risk.