High-intensity endurance exercise for people newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (SPARX3)
Official title: Study in Parkinson Disease of Exercise Phase 3 Clinical Trial: SPARX3
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11160570 · Data updated 2026-11-12
People newly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease will do regular high‑intensity endurance exercise to find out if it slows how quickly their symptoms get worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2019 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $3,489,019 |
| NIH project number | 5U01NS113851-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11160570 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease who have not yet started dopaminergic medications and who are medically able to perform supervised aerobic exercise.
✕Less likely to help
People with advanced Parkinson's, those already on full dopaminergic therapy, or those with medical conditions that prevent safe aerobic exercise are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll start a supervised aerobic exercise program soon after diagnosis, before starting dopaminergic medications. The trial compares high‑intensity workouts (about 80–85% of max heart rate) to lower intensity sessions several times per week with careful monitoring. Sessions are supervised and safety, fitness, movement, and biomarkers like BDNF and blood tests will be tracked over time. The goal is to see whether a specific exercise dose can slow progression of motor and non‑motor signs of Parkinson's disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer a non‑drug first‑line approach that slows symptom progression and delays need for Parkinson's medications.
How similar studies have gone: Laboratory, observational, and a prior Phase II SPARX study have shown promise and feasibility for high‑intensity exercise, but a definitive Phase III result is still needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Corcos, Daniel M. — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Corcos, Daniel M.
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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.