Are exposures in adolescence and early adulthood associated with different patterns of prodromal characteristics and comorbidity in Parkinsons disease?

Serious infections, in early adulthood, have been linked with a subsequent increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (PD) decades later. Gastrointestinal and respiratory infections between ages 20 and 30 years, but not other sites of infection, are among the most notable infectious risk factors. This project will assess the evidence for whether these two sites of infection represent the origins of different pathways to PD: the gastrointestinal and olfactory routes. This will be achieved by assessing whether there are differences in prodromal characteristics prior to PD diagnosis and patterns of comorbidity after the PD diagnosis. Identification of distinct phenotypic patterns may assist in earlier diagnosis and more accurate anticipation of likely patterns of comorbidity. This study will also further characterise the age-defined period of susceptibility to environmental exposures relevant to PD risk.