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NCT04477785 · Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

PPMI Clinical - Establishing a Deeply Phenotyped PD Cohort

(PPMI)

What this study is about

The Parkinson Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI) is a longitudinal, observational, multi-center natural history study to assess progression of clinical features, digital outcomes, and imaging, biologic and genetic markers of Parkinson's disease (PD) progression in study participants with manifest PD, prodromal PD, and healthy controls.

View original scientific description

The Parkinson Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI) is a longitudinal, observational, multi-center natural history study to assess progression of clinical features, digital outcomes, and imaging, biologic and genetic markers of Parkinson's disease (PD) progression in study participants with manifest PD, prodromal PD, and healthy controls. The overall goal of PPMI is to identify markers of disease progression for use in clinical trials of therapies to reduce progression of PD disability.

Who can participate

This study lists these criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov. A study coordinator reviews eligibility during screening — this page does not determine whether you qualify.

Inclusion criteria

  • Male or female age 57 years or older at Screening visit.
  • Individuals taking any of the following drugs: alpha methyldopa, methylphenidate, amphetamine derivatives or modafinil, must be willing and medically able to hold the medication for at least 5 half-lives before SPECT imaging.
  • Confirmation that participant is eligible based on Screening SPECT imaging.
  • Able to provide informed consent.
  • Either is male, or is female and meets additional criteria below, as applicable:
  • Female of childbearing potential who is not pregnant, lactating, or planning pregnancy during the study and has a negative pregnancy test on day of Screening SPECT imaging test prior to injection of DaTscanTM. 7.1.2

Exclusion criteria

  • First degree relative with PD (i.e., biologic parent, sibling, child).
  • Current or active clinically significant neurological disorder (in the opinion of the Investigator).
  • Previously obtained MRI scan with evidence of clinically significant neurological disorder (in the opinion of the Investigator).
  • Received any of the following drugs: dopamine receptor blockers (neuroleptics), metoclopramide and reserpine within 6 months of Screening visit.
  • Current treatment with anticoagulants (e.g., coumadin, heparin, oral thrombin inhibitors) that might preclude safe completion of the lumbar puncture.
  • Condition that precludes the safe performance of routine lumbar puncture, such as prohibitive lumbar spinal disease, bleeding diathesis, or clinically significant coagulopathy or thrombocytopenia.
  • Any other medical or psychiatric condition or lab abnormality, which in the opinion of the investigator might preclude participation.
  • Any other reason that, in the opinion of the investigator, would render the participant unsuitable for study enrollment. 7.2 Parkinson's Disease (PD) Note: Active PD participants previously enrolled in PPMI do not require re-assessment of eligibility criteria listed below for enrollment in PPMI Clinical. Active participants do need to be able to provide informed consent for PPMI Clinical participation (includes use of a designated research proxy). 7.2.1 Inclusion Criteria (PD)
  • Male or female age 30 years or older at Screening Visit.
  • A diagnosis of Parkinson's disease for 2 years or less at Screening Visit.
  • Not expected to require PD medication within at least 6 months from Baseline.
  • Patients must have at least two of the following: resting tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity (must have either resting tremor or bradykinesia); OR either asymmetric resting tremor or asymmetric bradykinesia.
  • Hoehn and Yahr stage I or II at Baseline.
  • Individuals taking any of the following drugs: alpha methyldopa, methylphenidate, amphetamine derivatives or modafinil, must be willing and medically able to hold the medication for at least 5 half-lives before SPECT imaging.
  • Confirmation that participant is eligible based on Screening SPECT imaging.
  • Able to provide informed consent.
  • Either is male, or is female and meets additional criteria below, as applicable:
  • Female of childbearing potential who is not pregnant, lactating, or planning pregnancy during the study and has a negative pregnancy test on day of Screening SPECT imaging test prior to injection of DaTscanTM. 7.2.2 Exclusion Criteria (PD)
  • Currently taking levodopa, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors, amantadine or another PD medication, except for low-dose treatment of restless leg syndrome (with permission of medical monitor).
  • Has taken levodopa, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors or amantadine within 60 days of Baseline visit.
  • Has taken levodopa or dopamine agonists prior to Baseline visit for more than a total of 90 days.
  • Atypical PD syndromes due to either drugs (e.g., metoclopramide, flunarizine, neuroleptics) or metabolic disorders (e.g., Wilson's disease), encephalitis, or degenerative diseases (e.g., progressive supranuclear palsy).
  • A clinical diagnosis of dementia as determined by the investigator.
  • Previously obtained MRI scan with evidence of clinically significant neurological disorder (in the opinion of the Investigator).
  • Received any of the following drugs: dopamine receptor blockers (neuroleptics), metoclopramide and reserpine within 6 months of Screening visit.
  • Current treatment with anticoagulants (e.g., coumadin, heparin, oral thrombin inhibitors) that might preclude safe completion of the lumbar puncture.
  • Condition that precludes the safe performance of routine lumbar puncture, such as prohibitive lumbar spinal disease, bleeding diathesis, or clinically significant coagulopathy or thrombocytopenia.
  • Any other medical or psychiatric condition or lab abnormality, which in the opinion of the investigator might preclude participation.
  • Any other reason that, in the opinion of the investigator, would render the participant unsuitable for study enrollment. 7.3 Parkinson's Disease (PD) with LRRK2 or GBA variant Note: Active PD participants previously enrolled in PPMI do not require re-assessment of eligibility criteria listed below for enrollment in PPMI Clinical. Active participants do need to be able to provide informed consent for PPMI Clinical participation (includes use of a designated research proxy). 7.3.1 Inclusion Criteria (PD ¬- LRRK2 or GBA)
  • Male or female age 30 years or older at Screening Visit.
  • A diagnosis of Parkinson's disease for 2 years or less at Screening Visit.
  • Patients must have at least two of the following: resting tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity (must have either resting tremor or bradykinesia); OR either asymmetric resting tremor or asymmetric bradykinesia.
  • Hoehn and Yahr stage I or II at Baseline.
  • Confirmation of causative LRRK2 or GBA (willingness to undergo genetic testing as part of genetic screening and be informed of genetic testing results, or approved documentation of prior genetic testing results).
  • Individuals taking any of the following drugs: alpha methyldopa, methylphenidate, amphetamine derivatives or modafinil, must be willing and medically able to hold the medication for at least 5 half-lives before SPECT imaging.
  • Confirmation that participant is eligible based on Screening SPECT imaging.
  • Able to provide informed consent.
  • Either is male, or is female and meets additional criteria below, as applicable:
  • Female of childbearing potential who is not pregnant, lactating, or planning pregnancy during the study and has a negative pregnancy test on day of Screening SPECT imaging test prior to injection of DaTscanTM. 7.3.2 Exclusion Criteria (PD - LRRK2 or GBA)
  • Received any of the following drugs: dopamine receptor blockers (neuroleptics), metoclopramide and reserpine within 6 months of Screening visit.
  • Current treatment with anticoagulants (e.g., coumadin, heparin) that might preclude safe completion of the lumbar puncture.
  • Condition that precludes the safe performance of routine lumbar puncture, such as prohibitive lumbar spinal disease, bleeding diathesis, or clinically significant coagulopathy or thrombocytopenia.
  • Any other medical or psychiatric condition or lab abnormality, which in the opinion of the investigator might preclude participation.
  • Any other reason that, in the opinion of the investigator, would render the participant unsuitable for study enrollment. 7.4 Parkinson's Disease (PD) with SNCA or rare genetic variant Note: Active PD participants previously enrolled in PPMI do not require re-assessment of eligibility criteria listed below for enrollment in PPMI clinical. Active participants do need to be able to provide informed consent for PPMI Clinical participation (includes use of a designated research proxy). 7.4.1 Inclusion Criteria (PD - SNCA or rare genetic variant (such as Parkin or Pink1))
  • Male or female age 30 years or older at Screening Visit.
  • Parkinson's disease diagnosis at Screening Visit.
  • Patients must have at least two of the following: resting tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity (must have either resting tremor or bradykinesia); OR either asymmetric resting tremor or asymmetric bradykinesia.
  • Hoehn and Yahr stage I, II, or III at Baseline.
  • Confirmation of causative SNCA or rare genetic variant (such as Parkin or Pink1) (willingness to undergo genetic testing as part of genetic screening and be informed of genetic testing results, or approved documentation of prior genetic testing results).
  • Individuals taking any of the following drugs: alpha methyldopa, methylphenidate, amphetamine derivatives or modafinil, must be willing and medically able to hold the medication for at least 5 half-lives before SPECT imaging.
  • Confirmation that participant is eligible based on Screening SPECT imaging.
  • Able to provide informed consent.
  • Either is male, or is female and meets additional criteria below, as applicable:
  • Female of childbearing potential who is not pregnant, lactating, or planning pregnancy during the study and has a negative pregnancy test on day of Screening SPECT imaging test prior to injection of DaTscanTM. 7.4.2 Exclusion Criteria (PD - SNCA or rare genetic variant (such as Parkin or Pink1))
  • Received any of the following drugs: dopamine receptor blockers (neuroleptics), metoclopramide and reserpine within 6 months of Screening visit.
  • Current treatment with anticoagulants (e.g., coumadin, heparin) that might preclude safe completion of the lumbar puncture.
  • Condition that precludes the safe performance of routine lumbar puncture, such as prohibitive lumbar spinal disease, bleeding diathesis, or clinically significant coagulopathy or thrombocytopenia.
  • Any other medical or psychiatric condition or lab abnormality, which in the opinion of the investigator might preclude participation.
  • Any other reason that, in the opinion of the investigator, would render the participant unsuitable for study enrollment. 7.5 Prodromal Note: Active Prodromal participants previously enrolled in PPMI do not require re-assessment of eligibility criteria listed below for enrollment in PPMI Clinical. Active participants do need to be able to provide informed consent for PPMI Clinical participation (includes use of a designated research proxy). The specific predictive eligibility criteria for participants recruited through PPMI Remote to advance to PPMI Clinical will be iteratively optimized based on data collected from these studies. 7.5.1 Inclusion criteria (Prodromal) For Screening:
  • Confirmation that participant is eligible based on centrally determined predictive criteria including the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT).
  • For participants in PPMI Remote, referral to the clinical site confirms predictive eligibility.
  • For participants identified by the clinical site, predictive criteria are based on generalized risk such as first degree biologic relative, known risk of PD including RBD, or known genetic variants associated with PD risk. Additionally, confirmation of UPSIT eligibility during the Screening visit prior to SPECT Imaging.
  • Male or female age 60 years or older (except age 30 years or older for SNCA, or rare genetic variants (such as Parkin or Pink1) participants).
  • Individuals taking any of the following drugs: alpha methyldopa, methylphenidate, amphetamine derivatives or modafinil, must be willing and medically able to hold the medication for at least 5 half-lives before SPECT imaging.
  • Able to provide informed consent.
  • Either is male, or is female and meets additional criteria below, as applicable: • Female of childbearing potential who is not pregnant, lactating, or planning pregnancy during the study and has a negative pregnancy test on day of Screening SPECT imaging test prior to injection of DaTscanTM. For continuation to Baseline visit and ongoing follow-up:
  • Confirmation that participant is eligible based on \*Screening SPECT imaging.
  • Screening SPECT Imaging eligibility: Based on the results of the SPECT imaging test, Prodromal participants eligible to continue their participation in PPMI Clinical will be asked to return for their PPMI Clinical baseline visit. Neither the participant nor the site investigator will be made aware of the participant's DAT status during the study.
  • It is anticipated that approximately 6,000 participants will complete a screening visit to undergo DAT imaging. Approximately 2,000 participants will be eligible to continue their participation in PPMI Clinical (those not eligible to proceed will remain in PPMI Remote, as applicable).
  • All participants with DAT deficit will be eligible to continue their participation in PPMI Clinical. It is estimated that about 75% of eligible participants will have a DAT deficit (defined by a hybrid of visual assessment and quantitative striatal specific binding analysis).
  • Some participants without DAT deficit will also be eligible to continue their participation in PPMI Clinical. These participants will be chosen based on DAT binding that is reduced from age expected but it not outside the normal range and/or from individuals with high-risk of PD including RBD, LRRK2, GBA, SNCA, or rare genetic variants (such as Parkin or Pink1) that do not demonstrate DAT deficit. It is estimated that about 25% of eligible participants will not have a DAT deficit.
  • It is anticipated that approximately 30% of the PPMI Clinical prodromal participants with DAT deficit will phenoconvert to motor parkinsonism during a 3 to 5-year follow-up. 7.5.2 Exclusion Criteria (Prodromal)
  • Clinical diagnosis of PD at screening, other parkinsonism, or dementia.
  • Received any of the following drugs: dopamine receptor blockers (neuroleptics), metoclopramide and reserpine within 6 months of Baseline Visit.
  • Current treatment with anticoagulants (e.g. coumadin, heparin) that might preclude safe completion of the lumbar puncture.
  • Condition that precludes the safe performance of routine lumbar puncture, such as prohibitive lumbar spinal disease, bleeding diathesis, or clinically significant coagulopathy or thrombocytopenia.
  • Any other medical or psychiatric condition or lab abnormality, which in the opinion of the investigator might preclude participation.
  • Currently taking levodopa, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors, amantadine or another PD medication, except for low-dose treatment of restless leg syndrome (with permission of medical monitor).
  • Has taken levodopa, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors or amantadine within 60 days of Baseline visit. except for low-dose treatment of restless leg syndrome (with permission of medical monitor).
  • Any other reason that, in the opinion of the investigator, would render the participant unsuitable for study enrollment.

Where

  • Birmingham, Alabama
  • Phoenix, Arizona
  • Scottsdale, Arizona
  • Sun City, Arizona
  • La Jolla, California
  • Los Angeles, California
  • San Francisco, California
  • Aurora, Colorado
  • New Haven, Connecticut
  • Boca Raton, Florida
  • Gainesville, Florida
  • Tampa, Florida

And 16 more locations — see the full list below.

Frequently asked questions

What is a clinical trial?

A clinical trial is a research study that tests new medical treatments, drugs, devices, or procedures to determine their safety and effectiveness. Trials are carefully designed and monitored to protect participants while advancing medical knowledge.

Is it safe to participate?

Clinical trials follow strict safety guidelines and ethical standards. Trials must be reviewed and approved, and participants are closely monitored by medical professionals throughout the study. You can withdraw at any time if you choose.

Will I be compensated?

Many clinical trials offer compensation for your time, travel expenses, and inconvenience. The specific compensation varies by study and will be discussed during the screening process. All study-related medical care is typically provided at no cost to participants.

Will I receive a placebo instead of treatment?

When effective treatment exists, participants typically receive either the standard treatment plus the study intervention, or the standard treatment plus placebo. You would not be denied effective care. Placebos are primarily used when no proven treatment is available, or in addition to standard care. Your trial consent form will clearly explain what treatments you may receive.

Can I leave a trial if I change my mind?

Absolutely. Participation in clinical trials is completely voluntary. You have the right to withdraw from the study at any time, for any reason, without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.

How long does a clinical trial last?

Trial duration varies widely depending on the study design and purpose. Some trials last just a few weeks, while others may continue for months or years. The study coordinator will provide specific timeline information during your screening call.

Data: ClinicalTrials.gov · synced Jun 12, 2026 · Source of record for eligibility and locations

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Study locations

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Birmingham

Alabama

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Phoenix

Arizona

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Scottsdale

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Sun City

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La Jolla

California

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Los Angeles

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San Francisco

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Aurora

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New Haven

Connecticut

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And 21 more locations available.

Express your interest

Share your contact details and a study coordinator can follow up about screening.

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Your information is protected and will only be shared with the research team.

What participation can include

  • Study-related care provided by the research team
  • Close monitoring by medical professionals
  • Possible compensation for time and travel*
  • The option to withdraw at any time
  • Contributing to medical research that may help future patients

*Compensation varies by study. Confirm details with coordinator.

Typical next steps

  1. 1.Submit this form
  2. 2.Phone screening
  3. 3.In-person assessment if eligible
  4. 4.Begin participation

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Looking for Parkinson Disease Treatment in Birmingham?

Join others in Alabama exploring innovative treatment options through clinical research

Parkinson Disease Treatment Options in Birmingham, Alabama

If you're searching for Parkinson Disease treatment in Birmingham, participating in a clinical research study may provide access to innovative approaches under expert medical supervision. This study is actively recruiting participants in Birmingham, Phoenix, Scottsdale and surrounding areas.

Clinical trials offer participants the opportunity to receive cutting-edge treatments while contributing to medical research that may help future patients with Parkinson Disease. All study-related care is provided at no cost to participants.

Local Sites
3 locations in Alabama
Now Enrolling
Up to 4500 participants
Quick Start
Screening available now

Why Consider a Clinical Trial for Parkinson Disease?

Potential Benefits

  • Access to new treatment approaches before public availability
  • Close monitoring by experienced medical professionals
  • Study-related care provided at no cost
  • Contribute to medical research for Parkinson Disease

What to Expect

  • Initial screening to determine eligibility
  • Regular check-ups and monitoring visits
  • Possible compensation for time and travel
  • You can withdraw at any time

Frequently Asked Questions About This Parkinson Disease Study

Important Clinical Trial Information

This information is provided for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial participation involves potential risks and benefits. Eligibility requirements apply and will be assessed during the screening process.

Study identifier: NCT04477785. For complete study details, visit ClinicalTrials.gov. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making decisions about your medical care or participating in clinical research.