Varenicline to reduce falls in Parkinson's patients with low brain cholinergic activity
Official title: Reducing falls with Varenicline in Hypocholinergic Parkinson disease
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11205051 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project gives the medication varenicline to people with Parkinson's who have low brain cholinergic function to try to improve attention and reduce falls.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,062,695 |
| NIH project number | 4UH3NS133515-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11205051 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people with Parkinson's disease who have frequent falls or attention-related gait problems and show low cortical cholinergic activity on PET imaging.
✕Less likely to help
People with Parkinson's who do not have cholinergic deficits, who cannot undergo PET scans, or who have medical contraindications to varenicline are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.
What this research studies
You would first get a PET brain scan to confirm low cholinergic (acetylcholine) activity that is linked to attention and walking problems in Parkinson's. If eligible, you'd be enrolled in a blinded trial where you receive either varenicline (an α4β2 nicotinic receptor agonist) or a matching placebo, with regular clinic visits and monitoring. Researchers will measure attention, gait and balance outcomes and track falls over time, along with safety checks for side effects. This work builds on earlier target-engagement studies showing varenicline reaches its brain target and produced favorable effects on gait and attention in PET-confirmed participants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower fall rates and improve attention and walking stability for Parkinson's patients with cholinergic deficits.
How similar studies have gone: Prior small studies showed varenicline binds α4β2 receptors in the brain and produced physiologic improvements in attention and gait, but larger trials proving fall reduction are still needed.
Where this research is happening
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University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kotagal, Vikas — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Kotagal, Vikas
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Using Varenicline to Reduce Falls in People with Parkinson's Disease
This study is looking at how a medication called Varenicline might help people with Parkinson's Disease stay steady on their feet and avoid falls by improving their focus and walking.
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A study will test whether brighter, better-lit homes with fewer glare and clearer hazards reduce falls and help with daily tasks for people with vision loss.
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Palmitoyltransferase and GBA1 function restoration in Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia
A fast-moving study looks at whether tweaking a fat-attachment process on proteins can restore healthy enzyme function and slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
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.