The Parkinson study in Western Norway and Aust-Agder. Motor and non-motor problems in patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD)

Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of unknown cause. In 2003 it was proposed a new hypothesis by neuropathologists which claims that the disease develops from the brain stem and thereafter to higher levels of the brain in a pr e-determined anatomical sequence. This hypothesis has provoked considerable attention and is today internationally one of the most central issues in Parkinson's disease research. If this proposed hypothesis is correct, the development of clinical manifist ations should also reflect the same sequencial developement as the neuropathological changes. During the last 10 years it has been established that Parkinson's disease is a multisystem brain disorder and not only a disease of the substatia nigra. This m eans that several areas of the brain will be affected and thus impair the patients with several different non-motor problems (cognitive impairment, sleep disorder, psychiatric symptoms etc.) in addition to the motor problems. In this study we will evalu ate all patients in the study and with newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease both clinically and with neuro- imaging in relation to the hypothesis that has been proposed regarding the development of the disease. We will follow a patient cohort of 200 patien ts with probable Parkinson's disease and 200 controls over a period of 10 years. We will examine in detail the situation for patients in the early phase of the disease. In addition to the comprehensive clinical information which will be collected from the patients, the clinical manifestations will be related to different biological markers like blood tests (genetics and others), spinal fluid examinations and MRI examinations. A bio-bank will be established.