Using brain-computer signals to detect color-vision changes linked to Parkinson's
Official title: Brain-computer interface (BCI)-based identification of color vision deficiencies (CVDs) related to Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
Funded at Albany Research Institute, INC. · NIH-11326723 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a noninvasive brain-computer interface test to find color-vision changes that could signal Parkinson’s disease in people with or at risk for PD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albany Research Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albany, United States) |
| Project start | August 6, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $170,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R21EB036221-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11326723 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with diagnosed Parkinson’s disease, people with early or suspected prodromal PD signs, and age-matched control participants without PD.
✕Less likely to help
People without Parkinson’s disease or those with unrelated severe visual loss or congenital color blindness are unlikely to get direct benefit from the test results.
What this research studies
If you join, you will sit for a short, noninvasive brain-computer (EEG/BCI) test while looking at color patterns and images. The team will compare your brain responses to standard vision tests and to people with and without Parkinson’s disease. They will repeat the test to see whether results are consistent over time and whether the BCI test picks up Parkinson’s-related color vision problems better than behavior-only tests. The goal is a quick, objective test that works even for people with movement or thinking problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to an earlier and more objective way to spot Parkinson’s-related color-vision changes that might help diagnose PD sooner.
How similar studies have gone: The team has previously developed a BCI-based color-vision test that showed promise, while traditional behavior-only color tests have generally lacked sensitivity for PD-related changes.
Where this research is happening
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Albany Research Institute, INC.
Albany, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Norton, James John Stanley — Albany Research Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Norton, James John Stanley
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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.