April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness month, and on this episode of Managed Care Cast, we take a look at the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), a study from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF). The multicenter, international study aims to end Parkinson disease, which is expected to double worldwide by 2040, to more than 14 million people.

The study is investigating the biomarkers and other data collected from a wide range of individuals—those without the disease, those with very early disease, and those with more advanced disease.

Originally launched in 2010, the study is expanding online where it wants to collect information from more than 100,000 people, particularly those with a first-degree relative with Parkinson, those with a genetic mutation for the disease, or those who act out their dreams in their sleep.

Our guest on this episode is Roseanne D. Dobkin, PhD, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of psychiatry at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University, and one of the investigators of the study.