Black and African Americans Connections to Parkinson's Disease (BLAAC PD) (BLAAC PD)

February 25, 2026 updated by: Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Black and African Americans Connections to Parkinson's Disease (BLAAC PD) A Project of the Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2)

BLAAC PD is a research study to understand what Parkinson's disease looks like for Black and African American communities.

BLAAC PD is happening at research centers around the United States. The study is part of the Global Parkinson's Genetics Program (GP2). GP2 is a research project working to transform understanding of the genetics of Parkinson's disease and make that knowledge globally relevant.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Detailed Description

Research studies have found connections between genes and Parkinson's disease (PD). But those results have mostly come from studies with non-Black or African American volunteers. BLAAC PD aims to learn more about gene changes that may cause Parkinson's in Black and African American people. Study volunteers at sites across the United States will attend one visit and will give either a blood or saliva sample, complete a smell test, and may be asked to complete a physical exam. This new data could lead to future Parkinson's tests and treatments for Black and African American people and it may help better understand disease in other groups, too.

This pioneering initiative will fill a gap of knowledge about PD in Black and African American people.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

2000

Contacts and Locations

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

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Alabama
      • Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35233
        • Recruiting
        • University of Alabama at Birmingham
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Marissa Dean, MD
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • David Standaert, MD, PhD
    • Florida
      • Gainesville, Florida, United States, 32608
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60637
        • Recruiting
        • University of Chicago
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Tao Xie, MD, PhD
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Mahesh Padmananban, MD
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60612
        • Recruiting
        • Rush University
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Deborah Hall, MD
        • Contact:
    • Louisiana
      • New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 70121
        • Recruiting
        • Ochsner Clinic Foundation
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Julia Staisch, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Sarah Breaux, MD
      • Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, 71103
        • Recruiting
        • Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Elizabeth Disbrow, PhD
        • Contact:
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201
        • Recruiting
        • University of Maryland
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Lisa Shulman, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Rainer von Coelln, MD
      • Rockville, Maryland, United States, 20852
        • Active, not recruiting
        • Kaiser Permanente Midatlantic States
    • Missouri
      • St Louis, Missouri, United States, 63119
        • Recruiting
        • Washington University in St. Louis
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Scott Norris, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Erin Foster, PhD, OTD-L
    • Ohio
      • Cleveland, Ohio, United States, 44106
        • Recruiting
        • University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Camilla Kilbane, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Mohamed Elkasaby, MD
    • South Carolina
      • Charleston, South Carolina, United States, 29425
        • Recruiting
        • Medical University of South Carolina
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Vanessa Hinson, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Andrew Ameri, MD
    • Texas
      • Houston, Texas, United States, 77030
        • Recruiting
        • University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
        • Contact:
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Erin Furr Stimming, MD
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Shivika Chandra, MD
        • Sub-Investigator:
          • Natalia Pessoa Rocha, PhD

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Black Americans and African Americans with Parkinson's Disease or without a history of Parkinson's (control volunteers).

Description

Inclusion Criteria for Control Participants:

  • Ability to provide informed consent
  • Age 50 years or older
  • Self-identify as Black or African American

Exclusion Criteria for Control Participants:

  • Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease and/or neurological condition
  • Familial history of PD and/or neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions
  • Unknown family history of PD and/or neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions
  • Any conditions that, in the investigator's opinion, preclude the individual's ability to carry out study activities
  • If submitting a saliva sample, nothing by mouth (food, drink, gum, tobacco, or smoking) for 30 minutes prior to sample collection

Inclusion Criteria for Participants with a Diagnosis of PD:

  • Ability to provide informed consent
  • Age 18 years or older
  • Self-identify as Black or African American
  • Meet the Movement Disorder Society's clinical diagnostic criteria for Parkinson's disease

Exclusion Criteria for Participants with a Diagnosis of PD:

- If submitting a saliva sample, nothing by mouth (food, drink, gum, tobacco, or smoking) for 30 minutes prior to sample collection

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
Participants with Parkinson's Disease
Data collected from these participants include demographic information and family health history. Participants may also complete a physical exam. Participants also complete a smell test and contribute a blood or saliva sample for genetic analyses.
Control Participants
Data collected from these participants include demographic information and family health history. Participants also complete a smell test and contribute a blood or saliva sample for genetic analyses.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Explore novel risk factors and characterization
Time Frame: 5 years
To explore novel risk factors and characterization of known genetic risk factors contributing to Parkinson's disease risk in the Black and African American population.
5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

Collaborators

Medical University of South Carolina
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Washington University School of Medicine
University of Maryland
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Chicago
University of Florida
Indiana University
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
Rush University
Ochsner Health System
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Lana Chahine, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • Chahine, L.M., Louie, N., Solle, J. et al. The Black and African American Connections to Parkinson's Disease (BLAAC PD) study protocol. BMC Neurol 24, 403 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-024-03914-7

Helpful Links

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)

November 16, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 2, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 2, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

December 6, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 25, 2026

Last Verified

February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BLAAC PD

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

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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