Critical Path Institute® (C-Path) neurology journal This provides important long-term insight into how symptoms and functional impact change in patients with early Parkinson’s disease (PD).
The paper, led by long-time partners of the Critical Path Parkinson’s Disease Consortium at C-Path, Jamie Adams, MD, and Jennifer Mammen, PhD, is titled “Three Years Later: Tracking Troublesome Symptoms and Impact in Patients with Early Parkinson’s Disease.”
The study, funded by the Michael J. Fox Parkinson’s Disease Research Foundation (grants #MJFF-024503 and #MJFF-022743), prospectively followed participants for 3 years.
Achieving this milestone marks a special moment for our collaborative team. We have championed the integration of patient voices from the beginning, and seeing these perspectives formally shape the scientific record feels like the culmination of a deep and long-term partnership that has fundamentally changed the way we approach clinical observations. ”
Dr. Jamie Adams, MD, lead study author, Critical Path Institute
Longitudinal tracking of participants was based on the use of wearable devices to assess the real-world experiences of Parkinson’s disease patients. The results showed that functional impairment continues to worsen over time, even when certain symptoms appear to be stagnant. Gait, balance, and posture emerged as the most troublesome problems, and the effort required for daily activities increased significantly, along with the psychosocial burden. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating actual measurements of disease progression alongside traditional symptom assessment in clinical trial design.
“C-Path’s goal is to put robust, patient-centered measurement tools directly into the hands of drug developers, enabling them to design the best clinical trials,” said Dr. Diane Stevenson, vice president of neurology at C-Path and executive director of the Parkinson’s Disease Critical Path Consortium. “Verifying real-world impact supports a more informed and efficient development process and streamlines trial design so researchers can focus on innovation.”
“The results of this study demonstrate that there are increasing opportunities to advance patient-centered measurements through digital health technology. Integrating gait and balance measurements with longitudinal patient-reported assessments provides a powerful way to monitor disease progression,” said Cheryl Kuhn, Ph.D., vice president of C-Path’s Clinical Outcomes Measurement Program. Performance evaluation program. ”
“C-Path’s focus on the voices of people living with Parkinson’s disease is important as it is a key north star in evaluating how wearable devices can reliably track our symptoms in real time,” said study participant Sarah Zenner Dolan, a person living with early-onset Parkinson’s disease.
“This study reflects the importance of integrating the lived experiences of people with Parkinson’s disease into longitudinal studies,” said Yuge Hsiao, director of clinical research at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease Research and co-author of this publication. “By combining digital measurements with participant interviews, we see clear connections between what digital measurements are capturing and the changes that matter to people with Parkinson’s disease, and how these tools can be meaningfully used in clinical trials.”
sauce:
Reference magazines:
Mammen, J.R.; Others. (2026) Three years later: Tracking troubling symptoms and impact on patients with early Parkinson’s disease. neurology journal. DOI: 10.1007/s00415-026-13615-5. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-026-13615-5.
