New brain scan may predict Parkinson's years before symptoms start
NCT ID NCT04246437
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study uses a special PET scan with a radioactive tracer called [18F]F-DOPA to measure dopamine production in the brains of people with autonomic failure (problems with automatic body functions like blood pressure). The goal is to see if changes in dopamine levels can predict who will later develop Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, or dementia with Lewy bodies. The study will involve 40 participants, including healthy volunteers and patients with various forms of autonomic failure.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- [18F]F-DOPA (a radioactive tracer for PET scans)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a way to predict whether someone with pure autonomic failure will later develop Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, or dementia with Lewy bodies.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early (Phase 1) imaging study with only 40 participants, so it is not testing a treatment. The results may not be conclusive or generalizable to larger populations.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2020
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Patients with a diagnosis if pure autonomic failure 2. Patients with autonomic failure and possible PD, MSA, or DLB 3. Healthy adults aged 18 and above 4. Clinical exam confirming clinical designation Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects who have any type of bioimplant activated by mechanical, electronic, or magnetic means (e.g., cochlear implants, pacemakers, neurostimulators, biostimulators, electronic infusion pumps, etc.), because such devices may be displaced or malfunction. * Subjects who have any type of ferromagnetic bioimplant that could potentially be displaced. * Subjects who have cerebral aneurysm clips. * Subjects who may have shrapnel imbedded in their bodies (such as from war wounds), metal workers and machinists (potential for metallic fragments in or near the eyes). * Subjects who are pregnant, because the effects of high field MRI on fetuses are not yet known. * Minors (younger than 18 years) Also excluded are subjects incapable of giving informed written consent: * Subjects who cannot adhere to the experimental protocols for any reason, or have an inability to communicate with the researcher. * Subjects who have limited mental ability to give informed consent, mentally retarded, altered mental status, mental disability, confusion, or psychiatric disorders. * Prisoners
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Vanderbilt University Medical Center
RECRUITINGNashville, Tennessee, 37212, United States
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