JPD Blog

In this section of the JPD blog, Jon Palfreman contributes news of interest to the PD research community, in the form of short opinion items and regular blog posts.

 

Patient’s Perspective - The Will to Live a Good Life

By Sharon Chakkalackal
sharon.chakkalackal<@>gmail.com

This is my journey of how I came to be diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disorder (YOPD) symptoms at the age of 38.

Last comment on by Katherine Bhana,

19 December 2023

Advancements in Parkinson's Disease Research: The Winners of the 2023 Parkinson Prize

The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease is proud to announce the two articles that have won this year’s Parkinson Prize, recognizing these outstanding contributions to the advancement to Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. Recipients of the award are co-authors Kathrin Brockmann, MD, (Center of Neurology at the University of Tübingen, Germany) and Milan Zimmermann, MD (University Hospital of Tuebingen, Germany) for best basic research article, and Dareia S. Roos, MD, (Amsterdam University Medical Center, The Netherlands) for best clinical research article.

Winners Parkinson Prize 2023

The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease is proud to announce the two articles that have won this year’s Parkinson Prize, recognizing these outstanding contributions to the advancement to Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. Recipients of the award are co-authors Kathrin Brockmann, MD, (Center of Neurology at the University of Tübingen, Germany) and Milan Zimmermann, MD (University Hospital of Tuebingen, Germany) for best basic research article, and Dareia S. Roos, MD, (Amsterdam University Medical Center, The Netherlands) for best clinical research article. The winning papers are:

Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers of Inflammation in Parkinson's Disease, by Zimmermann M, Brockmann K [1].

Prevalence of Prodromal Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease in the Late Middle-Aged Population, by Roos DS, Klein M, Deeg DJH, Doty RL, Berendse HW [2].

These papers were selected by the Associate Editors of the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease’s from over 220 articles published in the 2022 volume. Awardees will receive a commemorative trophy and a cash award of $1,000 (per article). The Parkinson Prize will continue as an annual award.

“Together with the Associate Editors of the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, we congratulate the authors of the winning papers. We are pleased to have the opportunity to publish these important contributions to the field, and we look forward to more high quality submissions to the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease in the upcoming year,” state Editors-in-Chief Bastiaan Bloem, MD, PhD, FRCPE, and Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD, FRCPC.

IMPORTANCE OF THE WORKS

The study by Zimmermann and Brockmann builds on findings over the last decade when it became clear that inflammation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and has a relevant impact on incidence and phenotypical characteristics. However, the field still faces several open questions in preparation of clinical trials targeting the immune system. Consequently, this study provides a comprehensive overview with focus on inflammatory biofluid markers in serum, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and specifically addresses the following questions: 1. What evidence do we have for pro-inflammatory profiles in blood and in CSF of sporadic and genetic PD patients? 2. Is there a role of anti-inflammatory mediators in blood/CSF? 3. Do inflammatory profiles in blood reflect those in CSF indicative of a cross-talk between periphery and brain? 4. Do blood/CSF inflammatory profiles change over the disease course as assessed in repeatedly taken biosamples? 5. Are blood/CSF inflammatory profiles associated with phenotypical trajectories in PD? 6. Are blood/CSF inflammatory profiles associated with CSF levels of neurodegenerative/PD-specific biomarkers? Thereby, this study should help inform future strategies for patient stratification and cohort enrichment as well as suitable target engagement measures for clinical trials.

“This work has only been possible through the dedicated work of all membes of my Research Group and through the tremendous engagement of people with PD over all the years”, commented Dr. Kathrin Brockmann. “It is an honour to receive this award and I would also like to thank the many scientific collaborators as well as the support of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE).”

The clinical study by Roos and co-authors analyzed the prevalence of six non-motor prodromal symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and determined and systematically documented these in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) study. The six symptoms were hyposmia, cognitive impairment, possible RBD, constipation, depression, and anxiety. More than 10% in this late middle-aged population had two or more known Parkinson disease risk factors. These subjects also had reduced physical performance and reported more Parkinson disease symptoms; which suggests that at least some of these subjects may be in the prodromal phase of Parkinson’s disease. Longitudinal follow-up of the study sample is necessary. With the current development of disease-modifying treatment, the need to accurately identify prodromal Parkinson’s disease patients increases. The study contributes to this early recognition using non-invasive tests. The group looks forward to analyze the follow-up data. 

My co-authors and I are very proud to have won this prize. We would like to thank the editorial team at the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease for this honor”, commented Dr. Dareia Roos. “We are very pleased that attention is paid to our study that determines the prevalence of a selection of non-motor symptoms that are known to be associated with an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in a large middle-aged population.”

2022 PARKINSON PRIZE RECIPIENTS

Kathrin Brockmann is senior consultant neurologist and head of the outpatient clinic for Parkinson’s Disease at the Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases at the Center of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Germany. As Research Group Leader at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research in Tübingen her main areas of research are large scale longitudinal studies to better understand the different phases of neurodegeneration as well as symptom development and progression in Parkinson’s disease. In this context, she focuses on patient stratification according to genetic architecture and the underlying pathologic processes, reflected by profiles in patient biomaterials. This allows her to directly translate research findings into the clinics and to introduce patients to pathway-specific therapies. 

Milan Zimmermann is a neurologist at the University Hospital of Tuebingen, Germany where he also completed his neurology residency in the Department for Neurodegenerative Diseases under the direction of Professor Thomas Gasser. He specialized in movement disorders, with a particular focus on Parkinson's disease and dementia. In addition to his clinical training, he engaged in clinical research  exploring fluid-biomarkers in Parkinson's disease. In this context he focuses on the association between aging processes and neurodegeneration.

Dareia Roos, MD, is a neurologist specialized in Movement Disorders at Amsterdam UMC in the Netherlands. She received her MD from the Leiden University. She did her neurology residency at the VU University Medical Center, and also a fellowship in movement disorders. She then joined the staff at the VU University Medical Center, now part of Amsterdam UMC. Her first contact with research on Parkinson’s disease was during her medicine studies. This continued in doing her PhD focusing on olfactory function and cognition in Parkinson’s disease with Profs Henk Berendse and Martin Klein, which is almost finished. She is also a general board member of the Amsterdamsche Neurologen Vereeniging.

BEST BASIC RESEARCH PAPER RUNNERS UP (IN RANDOM ORDER)

Sequential or Simultaneous Injection of Preformed Fibrils and AAV Overexpression of Alpha-Synuclein Are Equipotent in Producing Relevant Pathology and Behavioral Deficits, by Negrini M, Tomasello G, Davidsson M, Fenyi A, Adant C, Hauser S, Espa E, Gubinelli F, Manfredsson FP, Melki R, Heuer A. [3]

Comprehensive Analysis of Brain Volume in REM Sleep Behavior Disorder with Mild Cognitive Impairment, by Rémillard-Pelchat D, Rahayel S, Gaubert M, Postuma RB, Montplaisir J, Pelletier A, Monchi O, Brambati SM, Carrier J, Gagnon JF. [4]

The Compound ATH434 Prevents Alpha-Synuclein Toxicity in a Murine Model of Multiple System Atrophy, by Finkelstein DI, Shukla JJ, Cherny RA, Billings JL, Saleh E, Stefanova N, Barnham KJ, Adlard PA. [5]

Alteration of Gut Microbial Metabolites in the Systemic Circulation of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease, by Chen SJ, Chen CC, Liao HY, Wu YW, Liou JM, Wu MS, Kuo CH, Lin CH. [6]

BEST CLINICAL RESEARCH PAPER RUNNERS UP (IN RANDOM ORDER)

A Patient-Centered Conceptual Model of Symptoms and Their Impact in Early Parkinson’s Disease: A Qualitative Study, by Staunton H, Kelly K, Newton L, Leddin M, Rodriguez-Esteban R, Chaudhuri KR, Weintraub D, Postuma RB, Martinez-Martin P. [7]

Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy in Tremor Dominant Parkinson’s Disease: Long-Term Results, by Sinai A, Nassar M, Sprecher E, Constantinescu M, Zaaroor M, Schlesinger I. [8]

Preventing Parkinson’s Disease: An Environmental Agenda, by De Miranda BR, Goldman SM, Miller GW, Greenamyre JT, Dorsey ER. [9]

Sex Is the Main Determinant of Levodopa Clinical Pharmacokinetics: Evidence from a Large Series of Levodopa Therapeutic Monitoring, by Contin M, Lopane G, Belotti LMB, Galletti M, Cortelli P, Calandra-Buonaura G. [10]

References:

[1] Zimmermann M, Brockmann K. Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers of Inflammation in Parkinson's Disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2022;12(s1):S183-S200. doi: 10.3233/JPD-223277 [1]

[2] Roos DS, Klein M, Deeg DJH, Doty RL, Berendse HW. Prevalence of Prodromal Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease in the Late Middle-Aged Population. J Parkinsons Dis. 2022;12(3):967-974. doi: 10.3233/JPD-213007 [2]

[3] Sequential or Simultaneous Injection of Preformed Fibrils and AAV Overexpression of Alpha-Synuclein Are Equipotent in Producing Relevant Pathology and Behavioral Deficits, by Negrini M, Tomasello G, Davidsson M, Fenyi A, Adant C, Hauser S, Espa E, Gubinelli F, Manfredsson FP, Melki R, Heuer A. 10.3233/JPD-212555

[4] Comprehensive Analysis of Brain Volume in REM Sleep Behavior Disorder with Mild Cognitive Impairment, by Rémillard-Pelchat D, Rahayel S, Gaubert M, Postuma RB, Montplaisir J, Pelletier A, Monchi O, Brambati SM, Carrier J, Gagnon JF. 10.3233/JPD-212691

[5] The Compound ATH434 Prevents Alpha-Synuclein Toxicity in a Murine Model of Multiple System Atrophy, by Finkelstein DI, Shukla JJ, Cherny RA, Billings JL, Saleh E, Stefanova N, Barnham KJ, Adlard PA. 10.3233/JPD-212877

[6] Alteration of Gut Microbial Metabolites in the Systemic Circulation of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease, by Chen SJ, Chen CC, Liao HY, Wu YW, Liou JM, Wu MS, Kuo CH, Lin CH. 10.3233/JPD-22317

[7] A Patient-Centered Conceptual Model of Symptoms and Their Impact in Early Parkinson’s Disease: A Qualitative Study, by Staunton H, Kelly K, Newton L, Leddin M, Rodriguez-Esteban R, Chaudhuri KR, Weintraub D, Postuma RB, Martinez-Martin P. 10.3233/JPD-202457

[8] Focused Ultrasound Thalamotomy in Tremor Dominant Parkinson’s Disease: Long-Term Results, by Sinai A, Nassar M, Sprecher E, Constantinescu M, Zaaroor M, Schlesinger I. 10.3233/JPD-212810

[9] Preventing Parkinson’s Disease: An Environmental Agenda, by De Miranda BR, Goldman SM, Miller GW, Greenamyre JT, Dorsey ER. 10.3233/JPD-212922

[10] Sex Is the Main Determinant of Levodopa Clinical Pharmacokinetics: Evidence from a Large Series of Levodopa Therapeutic Monitoring, by Contin M, Lopane G, Belotti LMB, Galletti M, Cortelli P, Calandra-Buonaura G. 10.3233/JPD-223374

Winners Parkinson Prize 2022

2022 Parkinson Prize

The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease is proud to announce the two articles that have won the 2022 Parkinson Prize. The authors of these articles are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. Recipients of the award are co-authors Thomas G. Beach, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, and Charles H. Adler, MD, PhD, FAAN, Mayo Clinic Arizona (basic research article), and Simon Stott, PhD, Cure Parkinson’s (clinical research article).

These papers were selected by members of the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease’s Editorial Board from among 392 articles published in the 2020 and 2021 volumes. Awardees will receive a commemorative trophy and a cash award of $1,000 (per article). The Parkinson Prize will continue as an annual award presented by JPD and its publisher IOS Press.

Details about the winners of the Parkinson Prize 2022 and their research are outlined below, along with the runners-up of each prize.

“On behalf of the entire Editorial Board, we wholeheartedly congratulate the authors of the winning papers. We are honored to have the opportunity to publish these important contributions to the field in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease,” state Editors-in-Chief Bastiaan Bloem, MD, PhD, FRCPE, and Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD, FRCPC.

Read the press release here


Winning basic research article: Beach, Thomas G.; Adler, Charles H.; Sue, Lucia, I; Shill, Holly A.; Driver-Dunckley, Erika; Mehta, Shyamal H.; Intorcia, Anthony J.; Glass, Michael J.; Walker, Jessica E.; Arce, Richard; Nelson, Courtney M.; Serrano, Geidy E. (2021) Vagus Nerve and Stomach Synucleinopathy in Parkinson's Disease, Incidental Lewy Body Disease, and Normal Elderly Subjects: Evidence Against the Body-First Hypothesis J Parkinsons Dis, 11, 1833-1843.

Importance of the work: The study by Beach, Adler and their colleagues builds on findings from over the past 15 years on the systemic nature of PD. There is much debate on whether PD begins with alpha-synuclein spread from the CNS to the periphery or from the periphery to the CNS. The data presented provide very strong evidence that the majority of patients with PD likely have a CNS synucleinopathy at the onset with spread in a rostro-caudal fashion to the periphery. Most other research in this field has not used autopsy confirmed cases of PD and rarely has peripheral synuclein been found without CNS alpha-synuclein. This study should help move the field forward with greater emphasis placed on PD being, in many cases, a “brain-first” disorder. The question remains whether the “body-first” hypothesis remains viable alongside the now well grounded “brain-first” hypothesis; there is certainly supportive epidemiological and animal model evidence for the “body-first” hypothesis, but human autopsies have failed to find more than isolated cases where synucleinopathy is restricted to the periphery. 

“This work has only been possible through the skilled assistance of many vital individuals over the years, particularly our Pathology Technicians, headed by Mr. Anthony Intorcia, our Coordinator, Lucia Sue, and our Neuropathology Laboratory Director, Dr. Geidy Serrano,” commented Prof. Beach. Prof. Adler added, “It is an honor to receive this award and I would like to thank the many collaborators I have in the Arizona Study of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders as well as the support of the Michael J. Fox Foundation, Mayo Clinic, and Banner Health.”

Thomas G. Beach, MD, PhD, FRCPC, is Director of Neuroscience at Banner Sun Health Research Institute (BSHRI) in Sun City, Arizona. He was trained in neuroscience and neuropathology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and did clinical training at UBC, New York Medical College and St. Louis University. He was appointed Assistant Professor at UBC in 1993, moving to Phoenix, Arizona in 1997, when he assumed directorship of the Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology and AZSAND. Dr. Beach has been the recipient of multiple grants and awards from agencies including the National Institutes of Health, Alzheimer’s Association, the state of Arizona and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. He has been an author on more than 400 publications listed by the US National Library of Medicine. Additionally, he has served industry as a consultant and as a neuropathology core leader for several imaging-to-autopsy FDA-licensing clinical trials. His research is focused on elucidating early neuropathological stages and biomarkers of normal human aging, PD, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. His studies center on the structural and neurochemical changes of the human central and peripheral nervous system, through autopsy, biopsy and neuroimaging.  

Charles H. Adler, MD, PhD, FAAN, received his PhD in pharmacology and his MD from the New York University School of Medicine. He did his neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania and a fellowship in movement disorders at the Graduate Hospital/University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He then joined the staff at Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Dr. Adler has received numerous grants to investigate the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders, such as PD, essential tremor, dystonia, restless leg syndrome, as well as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He currently serves as Secretary of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS) and Chair of the MDS Industry Education and Services Committee and is the former Chair of the MDS Education Committee. He has previously served as the Vice-Chair of Research (Head of Human Subjects Research) at Mayo Clinic Arizona. 

Dr. Adler’s main research interests are investigating tissue diagnostic tests for PD, biomarkers for early diagnosis of PD and PD with dementia, and identification of new treatments for PD and PD with dementia. Dr. Adler has also led research in two areas of sports neurology: golfers with golfer’s cramp, a task-specific dystonia, and repetitive head injuries in football players looking for clinical and neuroimaging biomarkers for CTE. He has published over 500 research papers and reviews, and edited a book entitled Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines for the Practicing Physician. In 2006, Dr. Adler was awarded the Mayo Clinic Distinguished Investigator of the Year Award, and in 2022 he received the American Academy of Neurology Movement Disorders Research Award. 


Winning clinical research article: McFarthing, Kevin; Buff, Susan; Rafaloff, Gary; Dominey, Thea; Wyse, Richard K.; Stott, Simon R. W. (2020) Parkinson's Disease Drug Therapies in the Clinical Trial Pipeline: 2020 J Parkinsons Dis, 10, 757-774.

Importance of the work: The clinical article by Dr. Stott and colleagues is a recurring annual report, with patient researcher Kevin McFarthing as the lead author for the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease’s special section “Clinical Trial Highlights.” This report provides the Parkinson's community (patients, clinicians and researchers alike) with an overview of the drug development pipeline for new therapies for PD. It is among the most widely downloaded and read papers published by the journal. The team of authors, which includes people living with Parkinson's and care partners, hopes that this will stimulate further engagement and interest in the clinical trial process, resulting in greater patient involvement and faster future developments.

"My co-authors and I are extremely proud to have won the Parkinson Prize,” commented Dr. Stott, “and we would like to thank the editorial team at the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease for this honor. We are very pleased that the drug development pipeline report has garnered the attention that it has. It is a very exciting time for Parkinson’s research, and we look forward to producing future versions of the report as the pipeline develops.” 

Simon Stott, PhD, is a Kiwi by birth. He first developed an interest in Parkinson’s while working for an Auckland-based biotech firm called NeuronZ Ltd. At the time, Parkinson’s struck him as a very solvable problem. That interest took him to Lund (Sweden) in 2002 where he did a PhD with Profs. Deniz Kirik and Anders Bjorklund. After completing his thesis, he took up an MRC Career Development Fellowship at the National Institute for Medical Research (London). And then in 2011, he joined Prof. Roger Barker’s lab in Cambridge, where he worked on models of Parkinson’s and also volunteered to help in the weekly Parkinson’s clinics. Those clinical interactions exposed him to the patient community for the first time. The human side of the condition opened his eyes to the true complexities of Parkinson’s, but also made him aware of the lack of information being communicated about research to the patient community. In 2015, he started a blog called the “Science of Parkinson’s,” devoted to explaining interesting pieces of research news in plain English. He joined the research charity Cure Parkinson’s as their deputy director of research in 2018 and assumed the role of director of research in 2022. 


Runners-Up

BASIC RESEARCH ARTICLES (in random order):

Erb, Madalynn L.; Moore, Darren J., LRRK2 and the Endolysosomal System in Parkinson's Disease (2020) J Parkinsons Dis, 10, 1271-1291.

Borsche, Max; Pereira, Sandro L.; Klein, Christine; Gruenewald, Anne, Mitochondria and Parkinson's Disease: Clinical, Molecular, and Translational Aspects (2021) J Parkinsons Dis, 11, 45-60.

Padmanabhan, Shalini; Lanz, Thomas A.; Gorman, Donal; Wolfe, Michele; Joyce, Alison; Cabrera, Carlos; Lawrence-Henderson, Rosemary; Levers, Najah; Joshi, Neal; Ma, Thong C.; Liong, Christopher; Narayan, Sushma; Alcalay, Roy N.; Hutten, Samantha J.; Baptista, Marco A. S.; Merchant, Kalpana, An Assessment of LRRK2 Serine 935 Phosphorylation in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Idiopathic Parkinson's Disease and G2019S LRRK2 Cohorts, (2020) J Parkinsons Dis, 10, 623-629.

Compta, Yaroslau; Revesz, Tamas Neuropathological and Biomarker Findings in Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease: From Protein Aggregates to Synaptic Dysfunction, (2021) J Parkinsons Dis, 11, 107-121.

CLINICAL RESEARCH ARTICLES (in random order):

Cheong, Julia L. Y.; de Pablo-Fernandez, Eduardo; Foltynie, Thomas; Noyce, Alastair J. The Association Between Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Parkinson's Disease (2020) J Parkinsons Dis, 10, 775-789.

Fearon, Conor; Fasano, Alfonso Parkinson's Disease and the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021) J Parkinsons Dis, 11, 431-444.

Jost, Stefanie T.; Chaudhuri, K. Ray; Ashkan, Keyoumars; Loehrer, Philipp A.; Silverdale, Monty; Rizos, Alexandra; Evans, Julian; Petry-Schmelzer, Jan Niklas; Barbe, Michael T.; Sauerbier, Anna; Fink, Gereon R.; Visser-Vandewalle, Veerle; Antonini, Angelo; Martinez-Martin, Pablo; Timmermann, Lars; Dafsari, Haidar S. Subthalamic Stimulation Improves Quality of Sleep in Parkinson Disease: A 36-Month Controlled Study (2021) J Parkinsons Dis, 11, 323-335.

Knudsen, Karoline; Fedorova, Tatyana D.; Horsager, Jacob; Andersen, Katrine B.; Skjaerbaek, Casper; Berg, Daniela; Schaeffer, Eva; Brooks, David J.; Pavese, Nicola; Van den Berge, Nathalie; Borghammer, Per Asymmetric Dopaminergic Dysfunction in Brain-First versus Body-First Parkinson's Disease Subtypes (2021) J Parkinsons Dis, 11, 1677-1687.

JPD is proud to publish such high quality work and acknowledges the excellent contributions by these authors and all those who were in the running.

The International Linked Clinical Trials Initiative: A Program of Hope for Parkinson’s Disease

Cure Parkinson's (CP) started the international Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) initiative to repurpose drugs for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Combining priorities with the Van Andel Institute (VAI), they hold an annual two-day meeting to present, examine, discuss, and prioritize suitable compounds for streamlining into clinical trials specifically for slowing down/stopping/reversing the progression of PD. I was an invited Parkinson’s patient advocate to the iLCT meeting held at the Van Andel Institute (Grand Rapids, MI, USA) last September 26-27, 2022. Herein is a synopsis of the iLCT program and meeting.

Last comment on by Katherine Bhana,

Mime Over Mind - a therapeutic tool to help manage Parkinson’s

I was living the dream. I’d retired as head of art from a busy downtown Toronto high school, my husband and I had moved to a smaller town, and our children were ‘launched’. We were traveling a lot, and I regularly visited my ‘happy place’ - painting. Except something was wrong with my dominant hand.

Last comment on by Katherine Bhana,

The Importance of the World Parkinson Congress for People with Parkinson’s

Attending the World Parkinson Congress for the first time was an awe-inspiring and transformative experience, bringing together a global community of people with Parkinson's disease, sparking empowerment and advocacy among attendees.

Last comment on by Katherine Bhana,

21 June 2023

Journal of Parkinson's Disease (JPD) Included in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Editors-in-Chief Bas Bloem, MD, PhD, and Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD, proudly announce Journal of Parkinson's Disease (JPD) has been accepted into the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Being included in the DOAJ is a significant milestone as it means that JPD meets the rigorous standards of the DOAJ's evaluation process, which assesses the quality, openness, and transparency of open access journals.

23 March 2023

Adding Hope to the Therapeutic Mix Can Empower Persons with Parkinson's Disease

Hopamine

Healthcare professionals recommend adding “hopamine” as a prerequisite for personalized medicine. Based on the personal experiences of Marina Noordegraaf, a commentary published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, proposes that adding “hopamine” to the therapeutic mix can contribute to the empowerment of persons with Parkinson's disease.

Bedside Assessment of Autonomic Dysfunction in Multiple System Atrophy

January 17, 2023 - Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a rare, rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the adulthood, characterized by autonomic failure, parkinsonian and cerebellar features in various combinations. Distinguishing MSA from common clinical look-alikes such as Parkinson´s disease, other atypical parkinsonian disorders or alternative causes of sporadic adult-onset cerebellar ataxia may be difficult, especially at early disease stages.

Last comment on by Bonnie Chismar,

A Practical Guide to the Evaluation of Compensation Strategies for Gait Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease

January 17, 2023 - The application of compensation strategies is an important element of gait rehabilitation in persons with Parkinson’s disease. While the efficacy of these strategies is generally very high, a tailored, personalized approach is necessary to determine the optimal strategies for every patient.

Last comment on by Bonnie Chismar,

Troubleshooting Gait Problems in Parkinson’s Disease Patients with Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation

January 17, 2022 - Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) is an established therapy for a subset of patients with Parkinson’s disease, and the adjustment of DBS parameters is typically guided by the patients’ rigidity and tremor.

Last comment on by Bonnie Chismar,

16 December 2022

Journal of Parkinson’s Disease Awards 2022 Parkinson Prize

The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease and its publisher IOS Press are proud to announce the two articles that have won the 2022 Parkinson Prize. The authors of these articles are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. Recipients of the award are co-authors Thomas G. Beach, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, and Charles H. Adler, MD, PhD, FAAN, Mayo Clinic Arizona (basic research article), and Simon Stott, PhD, Cure Parkinson’s (clinical research article).

1 December 2022

Growing Evidence for the Role of the Immune System in Parkinson’s Disease

Amsterdam, NL – In this special supplement to the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, “The Immune System in Parkinson’s Disease,” experts highlight the latest research breakthroughs on the links between immune activation and neuroinflammation and Parkinson’s disease (PD) and discuss the challenges and novel therapeutic strategies targeting the immune system with the hope of reducing or reversing neurodegeneration.

18 October 2022

Journal of Parkinson’s Disease Transitioning to Gold Open Access in 2023

Amsterdam, October 20, 2022 – The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease (JPD), published by IOS Press, is pleased to announce that beginning in January 2023, JPD will transition to a Gold Open Access publication. This means that all articles published after that date will be immediately and permanently freely available online for readers to view, download, share, and reuse, and will enable authors to comply more easily with funder and institutional mandates.

17 June 2022

NWO Stevin Prize for Expert on Parkinson’s Disease Bas Bloem

Bas Bloem

Neurologist Bas Bloem, MD, PhD, FRCPE of Radboud University Medical Center receives this year’s Stevin Prize of the Dutch Research Council (NWO). The Stevin Award is the highest distinction in science for a researcher in the Netherlands who has achieved particular success in the area of knowledge utilization for society. Prof. Bloem is the recipient of this award for the social impact of his research into this common and debilitating disorder.

20 May 2022

Journal of Parkinson’s Disease Welcomes New Co-Editor-in-Chief Lorraine V. Kalia, MD, PhD, FRCPC

Lorraine Kalia

The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease is pleased to announce the appointment of new co-Editor-in-Chief, Lorraine V. Kalia, MD, PhD, FRCPC. Dr. Kalia joins co-Editor-in-Chief Bas Bloem, MD, PhD, FRCPE, and an eminent international editorial board, who are dedicated to the continuing success of the world’s leading journal in Parkinson’s research.

10 May 2022

Involving Patients with Parkinson’s Disease in Research Benefits Everyone

JPD news

Although there is a growing trend to involve patients in clinical research, specific guiding principles for engaging individuals with Parkinson’s disease have not been established. The authors of this Call to Action emphasize the value of incorporating patient perspectives in clinical Parkinson’s disease studies and recommend how to include patient researchers effectively.

14 April 2022

Patrik Brundin Steps Down as JPD Co-Editor-in-Chief

Patrik Brundin

We share the news that Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD has decided to step down as co-Editor-in-Chief (EIC), of the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, with immediate effect, following his acceptance of a new position at Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development. As a consequence of his moving away from academia, he now steps down from the journal to prevent any form of conflict of interests.

15 March 2022

Skin Biopsy Can Help Identify Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

The diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is currently based on consensus clinical criteria. A novel study in JPD has found that the presence of neuronal deposits of the biomarker phosphorylated alpha-synuclein in the brain and the skin of patients with PD distinguishes them from individuals with symptoms of parkinsonism due to the accumulation of another protein, tau.

30 September 2021

Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Parkinson’s Research and Care

Current knowledge about Parkinson’s disease (PD) does not reflect the diversity of people with the disease, according to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). In a position paper published in JPD, MJFF research staff define four major areas of action to reduce health disparities and advance treatments for everyone with PD. It highlights steps the Foundation is taking in these areas, including a new program launched earlier this year.

23 September 2021

Pipeline of Cell and Gene Therapies Holds Promise for Repairing the Parkinsonian Brain

grey scale visual of jigsaw pieces joining to form the head and brain

After several decades of pre-clinical development, cell- and gene-based therapies for Parkinson’s disease (PD) are now actively being explored. In this JPD special issue on “Repairing the Parkinsonian Brain,” experts highlight some of the current strategies being pursued to restore lost function and replace what is lost in the PD brain, with special emphasis on the challenges associated with translating advanced therapeutic approaches into pioneering clinical trials.

An Unbeatable Enemy

This blog post covers my approach to dealing with my symptoms. If I cannot run, I will walk; if I cannot walk, I will crawl; and if I cannot crawl, I will find someone to carry me. PD may be an unbeatable enemy (for now), but as long as I keep moving, it cannot win. Read my story here.

Last comment on by Bonnie Chismar,

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