PANDA study: subtyping of Parkinson's disease - cohort study protocol.

INTRODUCTION

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by heterogeneous motor and non-motor symptoms. The classification of PD into distinct subtypes remains a major challenge, limiting the development of precision medicine approaches. Existing subtyping methods have relied on clinical features, genetic markers or isolated biomarkers, but an integrated classification system incorporating neuroimaging and fluid biomarkers is lacking. The Prospective Assessments with Neuroimaging and fluid Data Analysis in PD (PANDA) study is a single-centre, longitudinal cohort study designed to explore PD heterogeneity by integrating multimodal neuroimaging, fluid biomarkers and comprehensive clinical assessments.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The PANDA study aims to recruit 500 PD patients and 100 healthy controls (HC) at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital from March 2021 to July 2026. Participants undergo three study visits: baseline, 2-year and 4-year follow-ups. Data collection includes brain MRI scans, blood and cerebrospinal fluid sampling, clinical scales, gait assessment, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and eye-tracking evaluations. A standardised electronic data capture system ensures data accuracy and completeness. The primary objective is to identify biologically and neuroimaging-defined PD subtypes, track disease progression and explore potential biomarkers for stratification. Statistical analyses will include data-driven clustering techniques and longitudinal modelling to assess subtype stability over time.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The PANDA study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (No KY2024-719-01) and is conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent is obtained from all participants or their legal guardians prior to study enrolment. The findings from this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations, ensuring accessibility to researchers, clinicians and stakeholders involved in PD research and treatment.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2400091709.