Gut microbiota in the progression of alpha-synucleinopathies: a prospective follow-up study

This is a follow-up study of “Gut microbiota across early stages of synucleinopathy: from high-risk relatives, REM sleep behavior disorder to early Parkinsons’s disease”. This study aims to correlate baseline gut microbiota features and long-term variation of gut microbiota with the progression of alpha-synucleinopathy neurodegeneration, in the established cohort of patients with early Parkinson’s disease, idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), first-degree relatives (FDRs) of patients with RBD and healthy controls. Subjects will undergo a comprehensive survey of neurodegenerative markers, including questionnaire, cognitive test, blood test and fecal microbiota investigations.

We will recruit from the subjects who completed the baseline microbiota study, which represent different stages of α-synucleinopathies, namely patients with early Parkinson’s disease, patients with idiopathic RBD, first-degree relatives of idiopathic RBD patients (aged ≥40), and healthy individuals.

We hope to invite you to Shatin Hospital or other related research sites for this study If the visit is inconvenient to you, we may also arrange home visits alternatively.

Study content:

• Questionnaires
• Clinical interviews (sleep and mood assessments)
• Neurocognitive tests
• Stool sample collection
• Blood examination
• Overnight sleep assessment

Procedures last around 2 hours, overnight sleep assessment require further arrangements.

All assessments are free of charge and each participant will receive HK$100 cash coupon as travel allowance.