People with and without Parkinson’s can take part in research. Every Parkinson’s treatment available today was tested in a clinical trial. No medicine yet slows how Parkinson’s progresses, so researchers need participants, both ‘healthy brain’ and people with Parkinson’s, to keep testing new treatments and approaches.
How to take part
- Search for studies. Start with our clinical trials page. You can also use the Australian Clinical Trial Finder, the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, the MDSANZ Clinical Trials Network, your local university, or your state or territory Parkinson’s organisation.
- Talk to your care team. Ask your neurologist or GP if a study suits you. Other members of your care team may know of studies on exercise, diet, therapy or thinking skills. Some trials ask you to stop your medications for part or all of the study. Having deep brain stimulation (DBS) or taking certain medications can also affect whether you are eligible. Check the patient information sheet for each study.
- Register your interest. Contact the trial coordinator at the research institution.
- Know your rights. Taking part is voluntary. You can leave at any time. The research team must explain the purpose, length and procedures before you join.
Not every study tests a drug. Some look at exercise, therapy or cognitive abilities, and some collect data through surveys and assessments. All trials are reviewed by independent experts for safety and ethics. Some trials include a placebo, so ask the research team what to expect.
How to submit a trial or survey to us
If you run a clinical trial, survey or research project that needs participants living with Parkinson’s in Australia, you can ask us to list it. Register your study with us and it can appear on our clinical trials page. We also promote studies through our social media channels and email.
Stay informed
Follow Parkinson’s Australia on social media and subscribe to our monthly newsletter for new studies. Our FREE DOWNLOADABLE clinical trials infosheet was reviewed by the MDSANZ Clinical Trials Network.
References
Adrissi, J., & Fleisher, J. (2022). Moving the dial toward equity in Parkinson’s disease clinical research: A review of current literature and future directions in diversifying PD clinical trial participation. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 22(8), 475–483.
Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. (n.d.). Navigating clinical trials: A guide for Parkinson’s patients and families. https://www.michaeljfox.org/sites/default/files/media/document/011519_PDEC_PATIENT_GUIDE_CAN_WEB_linked.pdf
Parkinson’s Australia. (2026). Clinical trials. https://www.parkinsons.org.au/information-hub/clinical-trials/
Vaswani, P. A., Tropea, T. F., & Dahodwala, N. (2020). Overcoming barriers to Parkinson disease trial participation: Increasing diversity and novel designs for recruitment and retention. Neurotherapeutics, 17(4), 1724–1735.
