Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative- Tampa

This study will be conducted at 32 PPMI sites worldwide, and is currently seeking volunteers over the age of 60 who do not have Parkinson’s disease (PD) to participate. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is the sponsor and a co-funder of PPMI, a $60 million study. In addition to funds committed to PPMI, MJFF has partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association and The W. Garfield Weston Foundation to fund additional analysis of data from PPMI and its Alzheimer’s counterpart, ADNI.

PPMI aims to identify biomarkers of PD, even those that may be detected before the onset of motor symptoms. Identifying these early biomarkers, or risk factors, could ultimately help doctors diagnose and treat the disease earlier. Loss of sense of smell, for example, is a common but little-noticed symptom that may occur years before the onset of motor symptoms or a PD diagnosis.