Detection of Phosphorylated Alpha-Synuclein in Colonic Tissue Biopsy During Routine Colonoscopy
The goal of this observational study is to learn whether tissue samples taken from the colon during routine colonoscopy can detect signs of Parkinson's disease or REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD). The main question it aims to answer is: Can doctors find a protein called alpha-synuclein in colon tissue samples from people with Parkinson's disease and RBD? Currently, Parkinson's disease is diagnosed by observing symptoms like tremors and movement problems and RBD by loss of muscle atonia during REM sleep, but by then the disease has already progressed significantly. Earlier detection could help doctors start treatment sooner.
• Relatively healthy men and women ≥40-99 years of age
• Patients with a diagnosis of
‣ Clinically confirmed PD or
⁃ Clinically confirmed RBD with no diagnosis of PD, DLB or MSA
• Patients must have agreed to undergo a routine colonoscopy as part of their screening or surveillance for colon cancer or for diagnostic purposes for the exclusion of other GI diseases