Tracking Parkinson's: Study Design and Baseline Patient Data.
There is wide variation in the phenotypic expression of Parkinson's disease (PD), which is driven by both genetic and epidemiological influences.



To define and explain variation in the clinical phenotype of PD, in relation to genotypic variation.



Tracking Parkinson's is a multicentre prospective longitudinal epidemiologic and biomarker study of PD. Patients attending specialist clinics in the United Kingdom with recent onset (<3.5 years) and young onset (diagnosed <50 years of age) PD were enrolled. Motor, non-motor and quality of life assessments were performed using validated scales. Cases are followed up 6 monthly up to 4.5 years for recent onset PD, and up to 1 year for young onset PD. We present here baseline clinical data from this large and demographically representative cohort.



2247 PD cases were recruited (1987 recent onset, 260 young onset). Recent onset cases had a mean (standard deviation, SD) age of 67.6 years (9.3) at study entry, 65.7% males, with disease duration 1.3 years (0.9), MDS-UPDRS 3 scores 22.9 (12.3), LEDD 295 mg/day (211) and PDQ-8 score 5.9 (4.8). Young onset cases were 53.5 years old (7.8) at study entry, 66.9% male, with disease duration 10.2 years (6.7), MDS-UPDRS 3 scores 27.4 (15.3), LEDD 926 mg/day (567) and PDQ-8 score 11.6 (6.1).



We have established a large clinical PD cohort, consisting of young onset and recent onset cases, which is designed to evaluate variation in clinical expression, in relation to genetic influences, and which offers a platform for future imaging and biomarker research.
Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
Naveed
N
Malek
Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
Diane M A
DM
Swallow
Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
Katherine A
KA
Grosset
School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Michael A
MA
Lawton
Institute of Neuroscience, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Sarah L
SL
Marrinan
Institute of Neuroscience, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Alexander C
AC
Lehn
Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Catherine
C
Bresner
Department of Neurology, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
Nin
N
Bajaj
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Cambridge, UK.
Roger A
RA
Barker
School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Yoav
Y
Ben-Shlomo
Institute of Neuroscience, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
David J
DJ
Burn
Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Thomas
T
Foltynie
Reta Lila Weston Laboratories, Dept of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
John
J
Hardy
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Huw R
HR
Morris
Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
Nigel M
NM
Williams
Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
Nicholas
N
Wood
Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Southern General Hospital, Glasgow, UK.
Donald G
DG
Grosset
D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D012107:Research Design
Parkinson’s disease; genotype; heterogeneity; phenotype