Predicting who with REM sleep behavior disorder will develop Parkinson’s or related conditions
Project: Predicting Phenoconversion
Researchers will follow people with REM sleep behavior disorder to find early signs that predict if they will develop Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, or multiple system atrophy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11321187 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), this project will enroll you and follow you over time with clinic visits, overnight sleep studies, brain scans, and blood and spinal fluid tests. About 300 people with RBD and a group of matched controls will receive standardized, repeated evaluations to track changes that come before a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, or MSA. The team will collect polysomnography, neuroimaging, and biospecimens to look for clinical and biological markers of conversion. Collected data and samples will be shared across the consortium to improve early detection and plan future prevention trials.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults (typically over age 50) with confirmed REM sleep behavior disorder who are willing to undergo sleep studies, blood draws, neuroimaging, and possibly lumbar puncture for CSF collection.
Not a fit: People who do not have RBD or who already have a diagnosed synucleinopathy (such as Parkinson’s disease, DLB, or MSA), or those unable or unwilling to undergo sleep studies or lumbar puncture, are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify people at highest risk so they can get earlier diagnosis and be eligible for future prevention trials or closer clinical monitoring.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier cohort studies have shown that many people with isolated RBD later develop synucleinopathies, and this consortium builds on those successful findings by expanding and standardizing longitudinal data collection.
Where this research is happening
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Postuma, Ronald — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Postuma, Ronald
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.