A Study of the Sense of Smell in Relatives of Parkinson's Disease Patients

This study would extend the findings of previous studies by characterizing the performance of the 40-item UPSIT in a cohort of first-degree relatives of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. The results would also validate the use of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) as a mail-survey instrument. Once identified, these individuals could be followed as a potentially at-risk cohort to determine if the screening evaluation was predictive of later developing Parkinson's disease. The results from this pilot study have the potential to guide the use of olfactory testing using the UPSIT as a screening tool, and to provide necessary preliminary data for planning clinical trials to prevent the occurrence of PD in at-risk individuals.

Inclusion criteria

• Subject must be a first-degree relative of a PD patient with diagnosis confirmed by a movement disorders specialist at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders
• Subject must not carry a diagnosis of PD or other neurodegenerative disorder
• Subject must be either at least 50 years old or within 10 years of the age of onset of their affected relative
• Subject must be a non-smoker
• Subject must have no other known reason for abnormal olfaction (e.g. nasal trauma)