Achievements

Parkinson's Disease (PD), a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by accumulation of misfolded ⍺-synuclein aggregates, neuroinflammation, neuronal loss, and motor deficits, is clinically recognized by the classical motor symptom triad: tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia. Non-motor traits include systemic immune activation and gut microbiome dysbiosis (corresponding with chronic intestinal inflammation, constipation & gut dysfunction), depression, autonomic dysfunction, and sleep disturbances, principally REM (rapid eye movement) Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD). Recent studies suggest that gut microbiota alterations may be causally linked to ⍺ synuclein pathology and PD. As RBD often precedes PD development by up to 10 years, this study can provide insight into the role of microbial dysbiosis on peripheral immune activation in RBD patients, which can help in identifying prodromal PD patients decades before motor symptoms arise.