Actively Recruiting

PD Diet Study- In Person or Remote!

In Person
This 12-month pilot study will assess and optimize the feasibility of an active intervention diet compared to a standard (control) diet in people living with Parkinson's Disease without dementia. Onsite study visits (screening, baseline, months 3, 6, and 12) will include collection of biological samples, questionnaires, and two MRI scans; regular remote study assessments will include online questionnaires, telephone calls, and Zoom videoconferencing to complete coaching and cooking sessions.

Remote
This 12-month pilot study will evaluate the feasibility of an active intervention diet compared to a standard (control) diet in people, aged 40-80 years, living with Parkinson's Disease without dementia. Remote study visits (screening, baseline, months 3, 6, and 12) will include collection of biological samples at a local lab in your area, online questionnaires, and activity levels (Fitbit). Remote study assessments will also include regular Zoom videoconferencing to complete coaching and cooking sessions, and telephone check-ins.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell
Primary contact: Annie Kuan
604-827-0576
pd.diet@ubc.ca

Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease Symptom Control

Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) is a non-invasive technique that stimulates the vestibular system and has shown improvements in motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. This study aims to investigate the effects of different GVS stimuli on brain activity in people living with Parkinson’s disease compared to healthy controls by using a combination of GVS and fMRI. Participants will complete questionnaires and then undergo GVS while inside the MRI scanner.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Martin McKeown
Primary contact: Michael Grundy
604-822-9722
michael.grundy@ubc.ca

Video-Based Remote Assessment of Parkinson’s Disease

In patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder, motor symptoms such as tremor and bradykinesia (slow movements) can often fluctuate over time. However, tracking these fluctuations and assessing disease severity to make treatment decisions is a challenge as patients are limited in their ability to visit their physician. Through the Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN), our goal is to create a large video dataset featuring some of the characteristic symptoms of PD (ie. tremor and bradykinesia) for the development of a deep learning algorithm that can frequently and remotely classify the severity of symptoms in patients. This remote research study will help to facilitate PD assessments from the comfort of home and better inform treatment decisions for clinicians.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Martin McKeown
Primary contact: Michael Grundy
604-822-9722
michael.grundy@ubc.ca

Bjorn Moller Research Repository (BMRR)

The BMRR is a biobanking initiative collecting biosamples and demographic data of individuals living with PD, other movement disorders, as well as healthy controls. Participants will consent for their biosamples and data to be used in multiple future research studies. Participation involves collection of fecal and urine samples at home, online questionnaires, and an in-person visit at UBC to complete a blood draw and clinical assessments. A follow-up visit will be completed 18 months after the baseline visit.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell
Primary contact: Samantha Schaffner
604-822-3177
bjorn.moller.repository@ubc.ca

ProD Trial

This study investigates the use of a multi-strain probiotic supplement for the treatment of depression, associated mood disorders, and cognitive impairment in individuals with PD, and to better understand the mechanism of the gut-brain axis in this context. Participants will be randomized to either 12-week multi-strain probiotic treatment or placebo and provide biological samples and questionnaires.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell
Primary contact: Adam Lemkow
604-827-2694
adam.lemkow@ubc.ca

Vancouver Parkinson’s Research Initiative

The Vancouver Parkinson’s Research Initiative (VPRI) is one of nine sites in four provinces of the Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN), which is a nationwide network that supports Parkinson’s research in Canada. This study aims to learn more about the development of Parkinson’s disease by collecting data and blood samples to be stored for researchers to use in future studies. Participants in this study will be asked to complete questionnaires, cognitive and motor assessments, and have blood samples collected. An optional component of the study is the contact registry, where contact information will be stored for future research participation.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell
Primary contact: Olivia Bridgen
604-827-5373
o.brigden@ubc.ca

REM-Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) and the Microbiome of the Gut

The REM-Sleep Behavior disorder (RBD) and the microbiome of the gut study aims to examine the gut microbiome of individuals with RBD and investigate correlations between microbial communities, inflammation, and clinical characteristics over the course of 5 years. Participants may either have a diagnosis of RBD or participate as a healthy control and will provide biological samples and complete questionnaires once per year.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell
Primary contact: Samantha Schaffner
604-822-3177
samantha.schaffner@ubc.ca

Exercise and Brain Energetics in Parkinson’s Disease

It is well known that exercise helps slow down disease progression, but how exactly does it work? What changes occur in the brain in response to sustained levels of exercise? This research study aims to answer these questions using positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study brain energetics, or how the brain produces and uses energy. There is evidence that PD alters healthy brain energetics, and exercise may be a means to slow down or even reverse these changes.

We are currently recruiting individuals participating in less than 120 minutes of high-intensity exercise per week. You will be asked to come in for assessments, an exercise test, and a single PET/MRI scans, and then repeat the three visits after 6 months. You may be reimbursed for travel or provided with transportation.

Click here for more information

Principal Investigator: Dr. Vesna Sossi
Primary contact: Jess McKenzie
604-822-7764
jess.mckenzie@ubc.ca