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Research projects made possible with our data

With the next RDSRC deadline (13^th May) fast approaching, we look forward to welcoming new proposals. Here is a brief review of our data usage provided by PhD candidate Kevin van den Berg:

The Personalized Parkinson Project (PPP, Dutch: Parkinson Op Maat) dataset has played a pivotal role in our research article ‘Changes in Action Tremor in Parkinson’s Disease over Time: Clinical and Neuroimaging Correlates’. One of our research questions was how tremor in PD progresses over time. For instance, tremor often occurs early in the disease and can progress, remain stable, or even regress in later disease stages. This is different compared to other motor symptoms, such as bradykinesia and rigidity, which typically worsen throughout the disease. Previous studies have found structural changes in brain regions associated with tremor, but it was unknown how structural changes in these brain regions relate to changes in tremor severity over time. The PPP has played a crucial role in helping to answer this question, as this dataset contained key ingredients: 1) a large cohort including 520 PD patients, 2) annual measurements over a 2-year timespan, 3) deep phenotyping including detailed motor examinations, and 4) high-quality brain imaging. Using this dataset, we found that bradykinesia and rigidity worsened, whereas resting tremor remained stable. In contrast, action (postural and kinetic) tremor severity reduced over time. Using brain imaging, we found that progressive wide-spread brain atrophy correlated with action tremor reduction, but also with worsening of bradykinesia and rigidity. We concluded that progressive brain atrophy likely disrupts activity in brain regions associated with tremor generation. These findings may be clinically relevant, for instance when patients have questions about their prognosis or when advanced therapies are being considered, such as deep brain stimulation. Further research is needed for individualized predictions of tremor progression, which could help healthcare professionals offer personalized care.

• Research program: Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders
• Publication: Van den Berg, K.R.E., Johansson, M.E., Dirkx, M.F., Bloem, B.R. and Helmich, R.C. (2025), Changes in Action Tremor in Parkinson's Disease over Time: Clinical and Neuroimaging Correlates. Mov Disord, 40: 292-304. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.30081

To read about more projects that have used our data, please see our approved projects page. If you have any questions regarding proposal submissions, please feel free to contact our team via the online form.

RDSRC Proposal Deadline 13th of May, 2025

The next RDSRC meeting will take place on the 27^th of May, 2025. This means we would like to receive any new proposal submissions by the 13^th of May.

Deadlines for proposal submission for an RDSRC meeting:

• Submission of proposal for internal check at Research Support office: two weeks before the meeting (13^th of May)
• Submission of final proposal: one week before the meeting
• RDSRC meeting (27^th of May)
• Decisions by the RDSRC will be shared by e-mail within two weeks after the meeting.

For further assistance, you can refer to our page regarding additional information on the procedure.

If you have any questions regarding our data and processes, you can contact the data management team via our contact page.