High-Altitude Neurodegeneration Cohort (HANC) Phase II Study (HANC Phase II)

June 13, 2026 updated by: Zhigang Lan, West China Hospital

High-Altitude Neurodegeneration Cohort (HANC) Phase II: A Prospective Multicenter Validation Study on the Association Between Chronic Physiological Hypoxia and Multiple System Atrophy

Chronic physiological hypoxia has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple system atrophy (MSA), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder of unknown etiology. This prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study (Phase II of the High-Altitude Neurodegeneration Cohort [HANC] study) aims to validate the association between chronic hypoxia exposure and incident MSA risk. A total of 20,000 Han Chinese participants aged 40-75 years will be enrolled from 23 sites across China spanning an altitude gradient from 4 m to 4,500 m. All participants will undergo standardized in-person assessment including questionnaires, physical examination, blood collection, and 3-night consecutive nocturnal pulse oximetry monitoring. Participants are to be followed for incident MSA over 12 months. The primary outcome is newly diagnosed MSA (probable or definite per Gilman consensus criteria), adjudicated by an independent panel of movement disorders specialists. Secondary outcomes include the association between altitude strata and MSA incidence, the association between mean nocturnal SpO₂ and MSA incidence, and incidence rates across MSA subtypes (MSA-P and MSA-C).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Background: Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rapidly progressive synucleinopathy characterized by glial cytoplasmic inclusions in oligodendrocytes. Although most cases are considered sporadic, an environmental trigger has not been established. Epidemiological observations have reported disproportionately high MSA prevalence at high altitudes, but these have been dismissed as ascertainment bias. Chronic hypoxia stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), which regulate mitochondrial gene expression and oxidative stress pathways.

Hypothesis: Chronic physiological hypoxia is an independent causal risk factor for MSA, operating through a HIF-1α-dependent mitochondrial lipid peroxidation cascade.

Study Design: Phase II is a prospective validation cohort designed to replicate findings from the retrospective Phase I (N=284,756). Unlike the retrospective Phase I which relied on healthcare claims data, Phase II collects primary data prospectively using standardized protocols.

Altitude Strata: Participants were enrolled from four altitude categories: (1) Lowland: <500 m (8 sites); (2) Intermediate: 500-2,000 m (7 sites); (3) Highland: 2,000-3,500 m (5 sites); (4) Extreme altitude: >3,500 m (3 sites).

Exposure Assessment: Residential altitude was verified through national identity registry cross-linkage. Nocturnal peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) was measured using Nonin WristOx2 devices sampled at 1 Hz for three consecutive nights.

Outcome Adjudication: All potential MSA cases identified during follow-up will be adjudicated by a panel of five board-certified movement disorders specialists using the Gilman second consensus criteria. Adjudication will be supplemented by brain MRI review and video examination where available. Only probable and definite MSA cases are included in primary analyses.

Statistical Analysis: Cox proportional hazards models will be used to estimate hazard ratios for MSA incidence by altitude category and SpO₂ quartiles, adjusting for age, sex, smoking, pesticide exposure, family history, SNCA genotype, BMI, and occupational solvent exposure. Kaplan-Meier survival curves will compare MSA-free survival across altitude strata.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
20000

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • China
    • Sichuan
      • Chengdu, Sichuan, China
        • West China Hospital of Sichuan University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Han Chinese adults aged 40-75 years residing at altitudes ranging from 4 m to 4,500 m across 23 sites in China, with no prior diagnosis of parkinsonism at baseline.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Self-identified Han Chinese ethnicity
  2. Age between 40 and 75 years (inclusive)
  3. No prior diagnosis of parkinsonism at baseline
  4. Permanent residence at study site location for ≥1 year prior to enrollment
  5. Ability to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Pre-existing diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, or any other parkinsonian disorder at baseline
  2. Severe chronic pulmonary disease (e.g., COPD GOLD stage ≥3) affecting baseline SpO₂ measurement
  3. Severe cardiovascular disease (e.g., New York Heart Association Class III or IV heart failure)
  4. Cognitive impairment precluding completion of study procedures
  5. Current enrollment in any interventional clinical trial
  6. Life expectancy <12 months due to any medical condition

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
GROUP_1_Lowland (<500 m)
Participants residing at altitudes below 500 meters. Enrollment sites include Shanghai (4 m), Guangzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Changsha, Nanjing, and Zhengzhou.
Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort
No intervention; observation of altitude exposure and SpO₂ levels
GROUP_2_Intermediate (500-2,000 m)
Participants residing at altitudes between 500 and 2,000 meters. Enrollment sites include Kunming (1,890 m), Guiyang (1,100 m), Lanzhou (1,520 m), Yinchuan (1,100 m), Xi'an (400 m - borderline, verify), Chengdu (500 m), and Chongqing (240 m).
Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort
No intervention; observation of altitude exposure and SpO₂ levels
GROUP_3_Highland (2,000-3,500 m)
Participants residing at altitudes between 2,000 and 3,500 meters. Enrollment sites include Xining (2,295 m), Golog (3,700 m - verify), Haixi (2,980 m), Yushu (3,700 m), and Ganzi (3,400 m).
Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort
No intervention; observation of altitude exposure and SpO₂ levels
GROUP_4_Extreme Altitude (>3,500 m)
Participants residing at altitudes above 3,500 meters. Enrollment sites include Lhasa (3,656 m), Nagqu (4,500 m), and Ali (4,500 m).
Other: No Intervention: Observational Cohort
No intervention; observation of altitude exposure and SpO₂ levels

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) at 12 Months
Time Frame: Baseline to Month 12
Number of participants with newly diagnosed probable or definite MSA during the 12-month follow-up period. Diagnosis is based on Gilman second consensus criteria and adjudicated by an independent panel of five movement disorders specialists. Adjudication includes brain MRI review and video examination where available.
Baseline to Month 12

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Altitude-MSA Association: Hazard Ratio by Altitude Category
Time Frame: Baseline to Month 12
Association between residential altitude category (4 strata: <500 m, 500-2,000 m, 2,000-3,500 m, >3,500 m) and MSA incidence, estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, smoking, pesticide exposure, family history, SNCA genotype, BMI, and occupational solvent exposure.
Baseline to Month 12
SpO₂-MSA Association: Hazard Ratio by Nocturnal SpO₂
Time Frame: Baseline to Month 12
Association between mean nocturnal peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) quartiles (<88%, 88-91%, 92-94%, >94%) and MSA incidence, estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models with the same covariate adjustment set as the primary analysis.
Baseline to Month 12
MSA Subtype-Specific Incidence Rates
Time Frame: Baseline to Month 12
Incidence rates of MSA-P (parkinsonian subtype) and MSA-C (cerebellar subtype) separately, estimated by clinical phenotype at diagnosis.
Baseline to Month 12

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
West China Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
First People's Hospital of Hangzhou
The Affiliated Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School
The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University
Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University
First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University
Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University
Tibet Autonomous Region People's Hospital
First Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou Medical College
Kunming Medical University
Lanzhou University Second Hospital
The First People's Hospital of Yinchuan
Guiyang No.1 People's Hospital
The First People's Hospital of Xining City

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 13, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 13, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 18, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
June 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 13, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • WestChinaH-HX-2026-001

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Data will be available beginning 12 months after study completion.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

Requests should be directed to the corresponding author; a signed data access agreement will be required.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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