CaPRI (Calgary Parkinson Research Initiative), Hotchkiss Brain Institute, UCalgary

Parkinson’s disease and associated movement disorders affects nearly 100,000 Canadians, causing tremor, slowness, stiffness, and changes in gait. Parkinson’s results from a loss of cells in the brain from a region called the substantia nigra that produces key neurotransmitters such as dopamine — which is responsible for carrying signals through the body that allow for the coordination of movement. Many people living with Parkinson’s also have non-motor symptoms including: mood disorders, sleep changes, lightheadedness and dizziness, and sometimes changes to bladder function. In some cases, cognitive decline can also lead to dementia

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute coordinates the Calgary Parkinson Research Initiative (CaPRI), a research network on movement disorders with partners at the University of Calgary, Campus Alberta Neuroscience, C-OPN, Parkinson Association of Alberta, Quebec Parkinson Network, and Parkinson Canada. The CaPRI network allows understanding of the origins of the disease and its diverse symptoms, as well as developing and testing treatments to address them.