Research

Parkinson’s Early Detection

Together with the Working Group on Early Detection of Parkinson’s disease (Prof. Daniela Berg, PD Dr. Eva Schäffer), IDA investigates markers and methods that could reliably identify people in the very early prodromal phase of Parkinson’s disease. A key focus is the application—and continuous refinement—of the Movement Disorder Society research criteria for prodromal Parkinson’s. To this end, marker profiles and calculated Parkinson probabilities of incident cases and healthy individuals from several prospective cohort studies are analysed.

TREND study

Tübingen evaluation of Risk factors for Early detection of NeuroDegeneration 
https://www.trend-studie.de/

IDA analyses longitudinal and cross-sectional data (collected every two years since 2009) from the prospective TREND cohort (in collaboration with Prof. Daniela Berg and Prof. Walter Mätzler). The statistical evaluations include motor data (wearable sensors, motor tests), neuropsychological assessments (CERAD-Plus, MoCA), and further information on autonomic dysfunction, sleep disturbance, olfactory loss, depression, and medical history. The goal is to elucidate the interrelations among diverse risk and prodromal markers for Parkinson’s disease and dementias, thereby improving early detection.

Parkinson’s Early Detection in the German National Cohort (NAKO)

The NAKO Health Study is Germany’s largest longitudinal cohort, with more than 110 000 participants aged ≥ 50 years. Numerous early warning signs (so-called risk and prodromal markers) of Parkinson’s disease were already recorded at baseline. Within the NAKO-PPD project, researchers will determine each participant’s Parkinson risk at baseline and assess how well the collected data predict the disease—i.e., how accurately early features forecast the actual onset of Parkinson’s five years later. The aim is to validate,  improve and established early-detection system. In the long run, this could enable nationwide identification of at-risk individuals, advancing Parkinson prevention and early intervention.

Microbiome and Biomarkers

The gut microbiome of roughly 700 stool samples from TREND participants and various patient groups in the Department of Neurology has been characterised. In cooperation with IDA, these microbiome data are now being analysed together with lifestyle, nutrition, exposome information, Parkinson risk and prodromal markers, and diverse biomarkers to further explore gut–brain-axis relationships.

Especially in Parkinson research, IDA statistically evaluates a wide array of biomarkers, including inflammatory markers, genetic variants, metabolomics data, and α-synuclein seeding-assay results. These biomarkers are examined for associations with clinical phenotypes, exposome variables, and microbiome data to deepen systems-biomedicine insight into Parkinson’s disease.

Disease Subtypes, Commonalities, and Systemic Links

IDA explores possible Parkinson subtypes (body-first vs brain-first) and internal-medicine as well as neuropsychiatric conditions that occur more frequently in the early phase of Parkinson’s. Consequently, cross-disease aspects—especially in microbiome analyses—receive special attention in the analyses.

Cognition and Motor Function

IDA maintains close cooperation with the Neurogeriatrics Working Group, focusing on statistical analyses of motor and cognitive markers and on developing analytical strategies for neurogeriatric research questions.