Racial Disparities in Parkinson Disease- Clinical Phenotype, Management and
Genetics
Project Summary
Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive, disabling neurological disorder. Studies
investigating the features of the disease in Black populations are uncommon, with some
suggesting that Blacks with PD are more disabled, with greater disease severity, and
with different clinical features compared to White PD patients. These health disparities
are likely to influence the quality of care for AA with PD. The specific aims of this study
are to investigate 1) PD symptoms and signs in Black participants, 2) the management
of PD in these participants, and 3) to determine genotype-phenotype relationships.
Based on prior studies, the main study hypotheses are that Blacks with PD have more
severe motor features, greater impact on their quality of life, less therapeutic options,
and dissimilar genetic variation compared to Whites with PD. Aim 1 investigates motor,
non-motor, and quality of life scales in 400 Black and 200 White participants recruited at
seven different US sites. Aim 2 investigates management in the same participants
including medication, non-medication and surgical treatments. As part of this Aim,
clinical guidelines will be developed for PD treating clinicians to raise awareness of racial
disparities in PD. In collaboration with PD foundations, educational programming will be
developed for the Black PD community to improve self-management skills and reduce
disparities. In Aim 3, a collaboration with the Global Parkinson’s Genetics Program will
be utilized to determine genotype-phenotype relationships in the Black participants. The
overall goal of this study is to investigate racial disparities in Blacks with PD by studying
key components of the disease and then disseminate the findings to the neurologic and
patient community with targeted education and guidance. This study will result in new
scientific knowledge with in-depth characterization of racial disparities in PD, and will
change clinical practice by raising awareness of differences in the PD clinical phenotype,
patient-reported outcomes, and PD recognition and management. The results will also
impact public health since recognition of differences in disease manifestations and
management in Black patients will improve healthcare delivery and quality of care in this
underserved and understudied population.