Defining a PD-specific Breath Fingerprint of Underlying Inflammatory and Neurodegenerative Processes
Defining a PD-specific Breath Fingerprint of Underlying Inflammatory and Neurodegenerative Processes
The purpose of this study is to determine the potential for a Parkinson's Disease (PD)
 -specific breath signature as a non-invasive screening tool for identifying PD patients with
 inflammation, tracking the progression of disease, and responsiveness to various therapeutic
 interventions, in particular anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory therapies. Neurological
 disorders include any disorder involving the brain or the nervous system, for example memory
 disorders, stroke, movement disorders and many other conditions.

 The study will lay the foundation for future studies in which breath fingerprinting could be
 used as a screening technique. Investigators will also be looking at how the breath
 fingerprint correlates with inflammatory proteins in the blood.
The purpose of this study is to determine the potential for a Parkinson's Disease (PD)
 -specific breath signature as a non-invasive screening tool for identifying PD patients with
 inflammation, tracking the progression of disease, and responsiveness to various therapeutic
 interventions, in particular anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory therapies. Neurological
 disorders include any disorder involving the brain or the nervous system, for example memory
 disorders, stroke, movement disorders and many other conditions.

 The study will lay the foundation for future studies in which breath fingerprinting could be
 used as a screening technique. Investigators will also be looking at how the breath
 fingerprint correlates with inflammatory proteins in the blood.

 Investigators will determine how molecules in human breath can define a "breath signature"
 that can be associated with neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease. The long-term
 goal of this study is to use blood inflammatory marker relationships and Breath Analytical
 Approach to identify individuals at risk for development of neurologic disorders and to
 monitor the effects of immune interventions on the rate of disease progression.

 The study team will recruit a total of 100 participants: 50 early stage (defined by a Hohn &
 Yahr Stages 1-2), non-smoking Parkinson's Disease patients from among the Emory Movement
 Disorders Clinic and 50 age and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Investigators will recruit
 six to eight participants per month over an 18-month time period.
Participants with Parkinson's Disease (PD)

 Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Must be capable of providing written informed consent

 -  Non-smoking

 -  Clinical diagnosis of PD Hohn & Yahr Stages 1 and 2

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Cognitively impaired to the degree that they are not able to provide consent

 Healthy Controls

 Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Must be capable of providing written informed consent

 -  Age matched and a family member or healthy community control

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Diagnosed with cancer and/or undergoing cancer treatment.