C-OPN Annual Report 2023: Showcasing Progress in Parkinson’s Research

Parkinson Society British Columbia (PSBC) is pleased to share the Canadian-Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN) Annual Report 2023. This report details the achievements in Parkinson’s disease (PD) research facilitated by C-OPN, underscoring the collective efforts of researchers, participants, and supporting organizations across Canada.

About C-OPN: C-OPN unites researchers, data, and scientific resources nationwide to accelerate PD research, supported by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), Parkinson Canada, and a collaboration between the Government of Canada and the Brain Canada Foundation. Through the C-OPN, expert clinicians and researchers across the country coordinate their efforts and dramatically enhance the capacity to deliver personalized treatments and services that improve lives.

PSBC’s Contribution: In 2023, PSBC supported the University of British Columbia C-OPN site with a $50,000 investment for biobank data collection. This contribution exemplifies our commitment to advancing PD research and care.

2023 Annual Report Highlights:

• Participant Engagement: Over 1,717 individuals enrolled, contributing valuable data to PD research.
  • 1,511 with Parkinson's disease
  • 73 with Atypical Parkinsonism
  • 122 volunteer controls
• Research Community Growth: The network now comprises 303 members, including researchers, clinicians, and student trainees from both national and international backgrounds.
• Research and Collaboration:
  • 25+ research projects have utilized C-OPN resources.
  • Continued partnership with the Global Genetics Program (GP2), producing genomic data to further PD research.

Accessing the Report: We encourage our community to review the C-OPN Annual Report 2023 to understand the strides being made in PD research and the impact of collective efforts, including those supported by PSBC.

[View the C-OPN Annual Report 2023]

For more information about the data and ongoing projects, please reach out to Guillaume Penouilh.

Interested in getting involved with C-OPN as a participant?

Through the C-OPN, expert clinicians and researchers across the country coordinate their efforts and dramatically enhance the capacity to deliver personalized treatments and services that improve lives. The C-OPN does this by bringing participants living with Parkinson’s disease and similar disorders together with scientists across Canada for studies and trials. As a result, individuals are better able to access and participate in clinical trials for new treatments.

To help achieve their objectives, the C-OPN has developed a National Patient Registry, which collects anonymous clinical data with comprehensive information about each participant’s family history, lifestyle, and environment, along with details of their Parkinson’s symptoms, medications, test results (including cognitive and motor information), and biomaterials extracted from blood samples (including DNA). Most of the data collection can be done online from the comfort of participants’ homes; however, the biomaterials collection must be completed in one of nine Canadian-Open Parkinson Network sites. Participants are able to choose to what extent they would like to be involved and how much data they would like to provide.

To learn how you can become involved as a participant, please visit www.copn-rpco.ca/participants

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE C-OPN, PLEASE CONTACT: Catherine Normandeau
National Manager, Canadian-Open Parkinson Network
national.manager@copn-rpco.ca
www.copn-rpco.ca