About this trial
The goal of this observational study is to learn whether tissue samples taken from the colon during routine colonoscopy can detect signs of Parkinson's disease or REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD). The main question it aims to answer is:
Can doctors find a protein called alpha-synuclein in colon tissue samples from people with Parkinson's disease and RBD?
Currently, Parkinson's disease is diagnosed by observing symptoms like tremors and movement problems and RBD by loss of muscle atonia during REM sleep, but by then the disease has already progressed significantly. Earlier detection could help doctors start treatment sooner.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Relatively healthy men and women ≥40-99 years of age
Patients with a diagnosis of
Clinically confirmed PD or
Clinically confirmed RBD with no diagnosis of PD, DLB or MSA
Disqualifiers
Use of anticoagulants (Plavix or aspirin alone is allowed)
Under active treatment for colon cancer; 30-day post anti-cancer treatment allowed
Current, ongoing gastrointestinal illness
Recent intrabdominal surgery
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Not listed