The number of people with Parkinson’s disease is increasing. In the Netherlands, roughly 3,700 people a year are diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The causes remain unclear. There are concerns about the impact of the living environment, including the impact of exposure to chemical pesticides. Research carried out abroad has demonstrated links between working with certain pesticides and Parkinson’s disease. Two Parkinson’s disease studies are being conducted within OBO-2.
Study 1: A comparison of patient exposure with a control group (across 4 regions)
Expected duration: October 2023 - September 2029
This study, aims to work with patients who have Parkinson’s disease to determine whether and, if so, how they came into contact with pesticides. This includes, for example, inhaling air/household dust or touching soil/substances containing pesticide residues, eating fruit or vegetables that were sprayed with pesticides, or working in agriculture. This is known as pesticide exposure.
How this is investigated
Researchers are investigating whether there are differences in pesticide exposure between people with Parkinson’s disease and those without the condition. This will enable researchers to investigate pesticide exposure and its role in the onset and progression of Parkinson’s disease. In hospitals, researchers are asking patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease to take part in the study. In these same hospitals, people without Parkinson’s are also asked to take part, provided they are a close match to the patients with Parkinson’s in terms of age and gender.
Both groups are asked to complete various questionnaires and undergo a blood test. They are also asked to wear a wristband for two weeks. This wristband records an individual’s exposure to pesticides during this period. Researchers also ask about the patient’s work and whether they may be exposed to pesticides there. This sub-study will determine the total environmental pesticide exposure for both groups at all locations at which the participants have lived. The computational model developed in sub-study 2 will be used for this.
Expected duration: October 2023 - October 2027
The second Parkinson’s disease study focuses on the group of Parkinson’s patients who live or have lived near agricultural or horticultural areas. Researchers are investigating whether there is a link between exposure to pesticides and the development of Parkinson’s disease in these patients.
How this is investigated
The study first determines who developed Parkinson’s disease between 2017 and 2023. The researchers are using data from various Dutch health registries for this, such as: the Landelijke Basisregistratie Ziekenhuiszorg and Vektis. These registries cover medicine use, hospital admissions and other use of healthcare services. The causes of death statistics from Statistics Netherlands (in Dutch) are also used.
The researchers are using these data to analyse whether Parkinson’s disease is more common in certain groups. The computational model developed earlier within OBO-2 is being used for this. All analyses take place within the secure digital environment of Statistics Netherlands.
The researchers are focusing only on rural areas in the Netherlands to enable a good comparison to be made between people who have or have not been exposed to pesticides. This applies to people aged 40 and over, as almost all new Parkinson’s disease cases are seen in that age group.