The Canadian-Open Parkinson Network
The Canadian-Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN) brings together researchers, data, and scientific resources from all across Canada to support and accelerate Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. The C-OPN has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation, as well as Parkinson Canada. Its objective is to reduce barriers and expedite meaningful discoveries, which are not possible in any single laboratory or clinic anywhere in the world. 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.
Parkinson Society BC (PSBC) is proud to support the operations of the University of British Columbia C-OPN site, which is involved in the collection of biobank data, in the amount totaling $50,000 from October 2022 - 2023. Angela and Mark Hutchinson participate in the C-OPN and can attest to its powerful potential. Mark serves on the Board of Directors for PSBC and is a carepartner to his wife, Angela, who was diagnosed with PD in 2008. “I initially became involved when I learned of how the C-OPN was an organized group across Canada, who were striving to collaborate instead of just relying on local pools of people,” says Mark. “Angela and I fully endorse this great research initiative and encourage as many people as possible to participate. The more people step up and get involved, the more we are all helping to find a cure for Parkinson’s.”
Presently, nine sites are actively recruiting in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec for the Network. To learn how you can become involved as a participant, please visit www.copn-rpco.ca/participants.
This content was published in the Spring 2023 edition of our quarterly magazine, Viewpoints. The content was accurate as of this publication date.