WECARE APD: Assessing a Single Multidisciplinary Team Visit for Atypical Parkinsonian Disorders

WECARE APD: Randomized Trial to Evaluate the Impact of a Single Multidisciplinary Team Visit for Atypical Parkinsonian Disorders: a Feasibility Study

Atypical Parkinsonian disorders (APD) are a group of brain disorders that look like Parkinson's disease but progress faster and don't respond well to common treatments like levodopa. These conditions include Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), Corticobasal Syndrome (CBS), and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). Caring for APD patients is especially challenging because the symptoms worsen quickly and require multiple specialists, often leading to separate visits with different doctors and therapists. This not only increases the burden on patients and caregivers but also results in high medical costs. Despite the serious impact of APD, there is no proven care model that significantly improves the quality of life for patients and their caregivers.

To address this, the investigator team has created a novel type of clinic that brings together a team of specialists in a shared appointment to provide comprehensive care in one visit. This study aims to test whether an early visit with this team, in addition to regular medical care, can improve quality of life, help patients manage their symptoms better, and reduce the stress on caregivers. The investigators will conduct a six-month study with two groups: one will receive the multidisciplinary care visit right away, while the other will continue with regular care and receive the visit after six months. Patients and caregivers will fill out questionnaires about their well-being at the beginning, after one month, and after six months. The study will also measure how practical it is to run this type of clinic, making sure enough people participate, complete the required surveys, and stay in the study.

This will be the first study to test whether a team-based care model is practical and beneficial for APD patients and their caregivers. If successful, it could serve as a foundation for larger studies and potentially improve care for other complex neurological conditions in the future.

Inclusion Criteria (Participants must meet all of the following conditions to be eligible for the study):

• Participants must be older than 40 years.
• The participant must meet the standard international consensus criteria for a clinically probable diagnosis of one of the following neurodegenerative conditions:Multiple System Atrophy (MSA);Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP);Cortico-Basal Syndrome (CBS)

Exclusion Criteria (Participants will be excluded if they meet any of the following conditions):

• Severe Physical or Cognitive Limitations:

  • Participants must be able to attend the clinic.
  • Individuals with severe physical disabilities or cognitive impairments that prevent clinic attendance will be excluded.

• Life-Threatening Comorbidities:

  • Participants with severe, advanced medical conditions that significantly impact survival or functional ability will be excluded. These include, but are not limited to:End-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis; End-stage congestive heart failure (CHF) with severe functional impairment; Advanced malignancy (such as metastatic cancer or terminal cancer with limited prognosis).

• Living in long-term care, away from the care-partner