Project Overview

The Canadian Open Parkinson Network, or C-OPN, is a national network that unites researchers, physicians and patients across Canada to study Parkinson’s disease (PD). It is an expansion of the Quebec Parkinson Network, which under 4 years has enrolled over 1100 patients and has helped conduct 51 research projects looking at different aspects of PD. The C-OPN will provide the systems and tools to collect, store and share large amounts of information about PD. Patients with PD and related disorders will be invited to participate in C-OPN. These volunteers will undergo a full battery of assessments that together will paint a global picture of their disease. All participants will answer questions about their symptoms, undergo brain cognitive testing, and most have blood collected. When possible, patients will undergo brain imaging and have other biological samples collected. For some, their symptoms will also be monitored using modern technologies like smartphone apps. All data will be contributed to C-OPN. Participants will be seen periodically to examine the progression of their disease. The data will be coded in a way that protects participant’s identities. The wealth of information collected and stored by C-OPN will be securely shared with researchers across Canada and the world to better understand the causes of PD and find markers that predict disease progression. Using advanced methods of analysis, the C-OPN will combine these data to identify unique subtypes of PD patients. We will also partner with the pharmaceutical industry to find new targeted treatments for these subtypes. Finally, the C-OPN registry will identify patients who would be eligible to participate in affiliated research aimed at answering more specific questions, or testing new therapies for PD. This Canadian-wide collaboration between researchers and patients will help to accelerate advancements in research and improve treatment for PD on a global scale.