North American REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) consortium for early synucleinopathies
North American Prodromal Synucleinopathy Consortium for RBD, Stage 2 (NAPS2)
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · NIH-11518820
This program follows people with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) to find early signs of brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia so future treatments can start sooner.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (SAINT LOUIS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11518820 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
You would join a multi-center network that tracks people with polysomnography-confirmed RBD over time using regular clinical exams, standardized tests, and collection of blood and other biofluids. The program builds on an existing consortium that enrolled over 200 participants and expands sites and infrastructure to support long-term follow-up. Study teams use sleep studies, cognitive and movement testing, and biomarkers to find patterns that appear before overt disease. The goal is to create the data and systems needed to launch neuroprotective clinical trials at the earliest stages of illness.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with REM sleep behavior disorder confirmed by a sleep study (polysomnogram) who can attend regular in-person visits and agree to clinical testing and biospecimen collection.
Not a fit: People without RBD, those already diagnosed with advanced Parkinson’s disease or dementia, or anyone unable to travel to study sites or provide samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify early biological signs of synucleinopathies and speed enrollment into trials that might delay or prevent dementia and movement problems.
How similar studies have performed: This expands earlier NAPS work that enrolled 215 confirmed RBD participants and complements other prodromal cohorts that have found promising early markers, though preventive neuroprotective trials in RBD remain largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
SAINT LOUIS, UNITED STATES
- WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY — SAINT LOUIS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: JU, YO-EL S — WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- Study coordinator: JU, YO-EL S
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.
Conditions: Alzheimer disease dementia, Alzheimer syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease and its related dementias