Met-Pro

Much attention is currently being given to the potential role of gut bacteria in Parkinson’s disease. Other less known gut microorganisms, such as methane-producing archaea, might also be relevant in the pathogenesis and progression of the disease. Higher breath methane levels are common in people with PD and have been associated with constipation and motor impairment.  Our work has shown that constipation is a risk factor for PD dementia, and so we are now investigating the relationship between breath methane levels and cognitive impairment in PD. Met-Pro is a longitudinal study which will use breath tests to investigate whether overproduction of methane is linked with the development of cognitive problems and progression of other PD symptoms over time. We will also explore the relationship between breath methane levels, the abundance of archaea in faecal samples and gut function. Participants will include people with Parkinson’s, people with REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (who are at high risk of developing PD), people with cognitive impairment (without PD) and healthy controls. In a subset of people with Parkinson’s with high breath methane levels, we will test whether a probiotic treatment reduces breath methane levels and improves gut symptoms.

The Met-Pro study is funded by Parkinson’s UK and supported by the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.