Different types of Parkinson's disease and what they mean for patients
Parkinson Disease Clinical Subtypes: Validation, Clinical Utility, and Biological Correlates
This project groups people with Parkinson's by symptoms, brain scans, spinal fluid, and tissue to help doctors match care to the right subtype.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11072083 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will follow people with Parkinson's over time, tracking movement, thinking, mood, and gait through regular clinic visits and behavioral testing. They will use brain imaging, spinal fluid tests, and, when available, brain tissue after death to find biological patterns tied to different symptom profiles. The team will check whether these patient groups remain stable over time and whether they predict faster or slower disease progression. The aim is to create subtype information that can be used in clinic to guide treatment choices and future trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults diagnosed with Parkinson's disease who can attend regular follow-up visits and are willing to undergo brain scans and spinal-fluid collection (and optionally consent to brain donation) are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without Parkinson's, those with other movement disorders, or anyone unwilling to have scans, spinal-fluid tests, or long-term follow-up are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help personalize treatments, improve prediction of disease course, and guide better-targeted clinical trials for people with Parkinson's.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has suggested distinct Parkinson's subtypes and links to biomarkers, but findings have been inconsistent, so this work builds on prior work to provide stronger, more clinically useful evidence.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Campbell, Meghan C — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Campbell, Meghan C
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.