31 January 2019
The Search for Environmental Causes of Parkinson's Disease Moves Forward
Amsterdam, NL – Environmental factors are widely believed to play a key role in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD), but little is known about specific environmental triggers. Writing in a supplement to the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, scientists review novel research hypotheses and approaches that may help better define the role of environment in the development of PD, especially before a diagnosis can be made based on the characteristic motor dysfunction for which PD is known.
29 January 2019
Emerging Evidence of an Impending Parkinson’s Disease Pandemic Identified
Amsterdam, NL – For most of human history Parkinson's disease (PD) has been a rare disorder. However, demography and the by-products of industrialization are now contributing to an impending a Parkinson’s pandemic, according to experts writing in a supplement to JPD.
20 December 2018
Parkinson’s Disease Experts Devise a Roadmap for Developing Drugs Targeting Alpha-Synuclein
Amsterdam, NL – A recently discovered protein, alpha-synuclein, has become one of the most attractive targets for developing new drugs with the potential to slow down or arrest the progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD).
24 September 2018
Optimizing Dopaminergic Treatment Improves Non-Motor Symptoms in Severe Parkinson’s Disease
Amsterdam, NL – Non-motor symptoms are common in late stage Parkinson’s disease (PD) as the frequency and severity of most of these symptoms increase with advancing disease.
24 September 2018
Eradicating Helicobacter pylori Infections May Be a Key Treatment for Parkinson's Disease
Amsterdam, NL – While human genetic mutations are involved in a small number of Parkinson’s disease (PD) cases, the vast majority of cases are of unknown environmental causes, prompting enormous interest in identifying environmental risk factors involved.
10 September 2018
Parkinson Matters: A Call to Action to Improve Patient Care
Amsterdam, NL – Deaths associated with Parkinson’s disease and related disorders increased substantially between 2001 and 2014. Parkinson’s disease was in fact the most common cause of death associated with a neurological condition, according to a report by Public Health England.
3 August 2018
Insulin Resistance Under-Diagnosed in Non-Diabetics with Parkinson’s Disease
Almost two-thirds of non-diabetic patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may be insulin resistant, despite having normal blood sugar, report scientists in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.
1 August 2018
Exenatide Treatment Alleviated Symptoms of Depression in Patients with Moderate Parkinson’s Disease
Non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), such as depression, apathy, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, and sensory symptoms, can have a greater impact on health-related quality of life than motor deficits.
26 June 2018
Video of the Inaugural Parkinson's Webinar Available: Does Exenatide Reduce Non-Montor Symptoms?
A brand new Quarterly Parkinson's Webinar Series, delivered by JPD, CPT and Parkinson's Movement, sees the the discussion of specific Parkinson's disease research topics is brought into the open. The first webinar in our quarterly series took place on June 19, 2018 with a focus on exenatide, and the recording can now be viewed online.
8 June 2018
Parkinson's Movement – An Initiative of the CPT in association with JPD – Announces the Quarterly Parkinson's Webinar Series
We are pleased to announce that JPD is working in partnership with The Cure Parkinson’s Trust (CPT) to provide information about breaking research news to be featured on the new web portal for people with Parkinson’s (PwPs) call
About Benjamin Stecher
Biography:
Benjamin Stecher was born in Nairobi, Kenya as an Israeli to Jewish parents from Poland but grew up just outside Toronto, Canada. He studied history and philosophy at the University of Guelph, but as soon as he got his BA he took off and went to live and work as a teacher in South Korea for nearly three years while traveling the world.
He moved to Shanghai, China at 26, spending one year at Jiao Tong University in a Chinese language program before being hired by Chinese education company, San Li. He rose quickly to become a managing partner where his duties included: overseeing operations at branches throughout South East China, developing curriculum, teacher training, parent relations, while teaching SAT and world history classes.
Benjamin was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at 29. He left China at 32 to learn how to better manage this disease and see what future therapies were on the horizon. He is now a prolific author and is actively involved in PD research advocacy. He is the founder of Tomorrow Edition (tmrwedition.com), co-founder of the Parkinson's Research Advocacy Group (prag.site), and patient advisor to the World Parkinson's Congress. Benjamin jointed the JPD blog team in 2018 to contribute unique content relating to PD, and you can read his posts here.
About Tomorrow Edition
Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Benjamin has met leading researchers in the PD field. Here, he describes some of the background that led to him starting Tomorrow Edition (tmrwedition.com).
“I have toured some of the top research labs in the world and met with dozens of the best physicians and scientists on the planet. These men and women have opened my eyes to some incredible advances made recently into our understanding of our biology. They have given me hope that soon enough we will have more effective treatments for this and other diseases. This journey has also sparked a profound curiosity in me for the future of humanity and a belief that we are progressing towards a more enlightened and hospitable tomorrow. That spark became the impetus for starting Tomorrow Edition, my attempt to spread a little excitement and understanding for all that the future has in store.”
Benjamin Stecher's book, "Reprogramming the Brain: A Guide to the Future of the Brain and Neuromodulation by a Patient and his Doctor", written together with Alfonso Fasano, is now available for purchase.
Winners Parkinson Prize 2020
2020 Parkinson Prize
The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease is proud to announce the two articles that have won the first Parkinson Prize, recognizing these outstanding contributions to the advancement to Parkinson’s disease research. Recipients of the award are lead investigator Thomas Foltynie, MD, PhD (research article) and co-authors Heiko Braak, MD, and Kelly Del Tredici, MD, PhD (review article).
The winning papers are:
Aviles-Olmos I, Dickson, J, Kefalopoulou, Z, Djamshidian, A, Kahan, J, Ell, P, Whitton, P, Wyse, R, Isaacs, T, Lees, A, Limousin, P, Foltynie, T (2004) Motor and Cognitive Advantages Persist 12 Months After Exenatide Exposure in Parkinson’s Disease. J Parkinsons Dis, 4, 337-344
Braak, H, Del Tredici, K (2017) Neuropathological Staging of Brain Pathology in Sporadic Parkinson’s disease: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff. J Parkinsons Dis, 7, S71-S85.
These papers were selected by members of the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease’s Editorial Board from among 461 research articles and 153 review articles published between the journal’s launch in 2011 and 2019. Awardees will receive a commemorative plaque and a cash award of $1,000 (per article). The Parkinson Prize will continue as an annual award and in 2021 an article published in 2020 will be selected.
“The entire Editorial Board is delighted to formally recognize these important contributions to the literature on Parkinson’s disease, and is honored to have the opportunity to publish such significant work in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease,” state Editors-in-Chief Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD, and Bastiaan Bloem, MD, PhD.
Importance of the Work
The Foltynie study adds confidence that the potential beneficial effects of exenatide for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease may be related to more than transient symptomatic benefits. The trial participants who used exenatide for one year as part of the investigators’ first trial were reviewed a year after stopping exenatide, and their “off dopaminergic medication" video assessments remained improved compared to participants who were randomly assigned to the control group.
“We have learned that careful long-term follow-up can be hugely instructive and have embraced the long-term follow up strategy in the evaluation of exenatide in our current phase 3 trial. My co-investigators and I are very honored that the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease has chosen to recognize this article in this way,” commented Prof. Foltynie.
Prof. Braak and Dr. Del Tredici review the development and rationale for the six-stage staging model they proposed for brain pathology related to sporadic Parkinson’s disease (Neurobiol Aging 2003) and ensuing controversies. This staging model continues to fuel discussions as well as new hypotheses and new experimental models pertaining to the pathogenesis and pathomechanisms of Parkinson’s disease.
“Neuropathological staging of protein misfolding disorders helps to provide insight into the regional distribution of pathology, its potential systemic spread or propagation along neuroanatomical connectivities, and the selective vulnerability of specific types of neuronal and non-neuronal cells, whereby the prion-like concept of the synucleinopathy and the theory of selective vulnerability in Parkinson’s disease are by no means mutually exclusive,” explained Prof. Braak and Dr. Del Tredici. “We would like to thank the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease Editorial Board members for their recognition of our work.
2020 Parkinson Prize Recipients
Tom Foltynie, MD, PhD, is Professor of Neurology in the Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Institute of Neurology and Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London. He is responsible for movement disorder patients, particularly Parkinson’s disease patients, undergoing advanced treatments such as deep brain stimulation, apomorphine, and duodopa. He is chief investigator for a series of trials of exenatide, a potential neurorestorative treatment for Parkinson’s disease, as well as the lead clinician at UCL for trials of alpha synuclein antibody treatment for Parkinson’s disease and Oxford BioMedica / Axovant’s gene therapy product for Parkinson’s disease, and the Transeuro Parkinson’s disease cell transplantation program.
Prof. Foltynie trained in medicine at UCL. After qualifying in 1995, he worked in Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. From 1999 to 2003, he undertook his PhD in Cambridge looking at the heterogeneity of Parkinson’s disease, describing differences in cognitive abilities between patients under the influence of various genes including COMT and BDNF, and Tau. He finished his neurology training between Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, before taking up his consultant clinical academic position in London in 2008. He was promoted to Professor in 2016.
A native of Kiel, Heiko Braak, MD, completed medical school at the University of Kiel, receiving his doctorate in 1964. After the habilitation in anatomy (1970), he became Professor of Anatomy in Kiel (1974). As Visiting Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School (1978), he worked with Prof. Norman Geschwind and published the monograph Architectonics of the Human Telencephalic Cortex (1980). He directed the Institute for Clinical Neuroanatomy, Dr. Senckenberg Anatomical Institute at Goethe University Frankfurt/Main (1980-2002). After retiring from university teaching, he was appointed Guest Researcher (2002-2009) at the Anatomical Institute until moving to Ulm University (2009), where he is Senior Professor and co-group leader of the Section Clinical Neuroanatomy (Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research).
Prof. Braak is a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (Halle/Saale) and the 2014 recipient of the Robert A. Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson’s disease Research (Michael J. Fox Foundation). In 2018, he was awarded the Federal Republic of Germany’s Great Order of Merit. His research interests include neurodegeneration, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and pathoarchitectonics of the human cerebral cortex. He was married to Prof. Eva Braak until her death in 2000 and is now married to Kelly Del Tredici.
A native of San Francisco, Kelly Del Tredici, MD, PhD, came to Germany on a Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellowship from Harvard University (1989) after studying at Loyola University of Chicago and Fordham University. She completed medical school at the Goethe University Frankfurt/Main, receiving her doctorate in anatomy there in 2004. Following medical residency at the Clinic for Psychiatry and Neurology in Winnenden (near Stuttgart), she became a postdoctoral fellow at the Dr. Senckenberg Anatomical Institute (Institute for Clinical Neuroanatomy, Goethe University) in 2006. She moved to Ulm University (2009), where she is co-group leader of the Section Clinical Neuroanatomy (Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research). She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Her research interests include neuroanatomy, neurodegeneration, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Kelly Del Tredici is married to Heiko Braak.
Runners up for the Parkinson Prize were:
Best Research Paper:
2. Burré J. The Synaptic Function of α-Synuclein. J Parkinsons Dis. 2015;5(4):699-713. doi:10.3233/JPD-150642
3. Dorsey ER, Sherer T, Okun MS, Bloem BR. The Emerging Evidence of the Parkinson Pandemic. J Parkinsons Dis. 2018;8(s1):S3-S8. doi:10.3233/JPD-181474
4. Kannarkat GT, Boss JM, Tansey MG. The role of innate and adaptive immunity in Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2013;3(4):493-514. doi:10.3233/JPD-130250
5. Dias V, Junn E, Mouradian MM. The role of oxidative stress in Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2013;3(4):461-491. doi:10.3233/JPD-130230
Best Review Paper:
2. Polinski NK, Volpicelli-Daley LA, Sortwell CE, et al. Best Practices for Generating and Using Alpha-Synuclein Pre-Formed Fibrils to Model Parkinson's Disease in Rodents. J Parkinsons Dis. 2018;8(2):303-322. doi:10.3233/JPD-171248
3. Khoo SK, Petillo D, Kang UJ, et al. Plasma-based circulating MicroRNA biomarkers for Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2012;2(4):321-331. doi:10.3233/JPD-012144
4. Whone AL, Boca M, Luz M, et al. Extended Treatment with Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Parkinson's Disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2019;9(2):301-313. doi:10.3233/JPD-191576
5. Pagan F, Hebron M, Valadez EH, et al. Nilotinib Effects in Parkinson's disease and Dementia with Lewy bodies. J Parkinsons Dis. 2016;6(3):503-517. doi:10.3233/JPD-160867
The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease is proud to host such high-quality work, and acknowledges the excellent contributions by these authors and all those who were in the running.
REFERENCES
[1] Aviles-Olmos I, Dickson J, Kefalopoulou Z, et al. Motor and cognitive advantages persist 12 months after exenatide exposure in Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2014;4(3):337-344.
[2] Braak H, Del Tredici K. Neuropathological Staging of Brain Pathology in Sporadic Parkinson's disease: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff. J Parkinsons Dis. 2017;7(s1):S71-S85.
[3] Burré J. The Synaptic Function of α-Synuclein. J Parkinsons Dis. 2015;5(4):699-713.
[4] Dorsey ER, Sherer T, Okun MS, Bloem BR. The Emerging Evidence of the Parkinson Pandemic. J Parkinsons Dis. 2018;8(s1):S3-S8.
[5] Kannarkat GT, Boss JM, Tansey MG. The role of innate and adaptive immunity in Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2013;3(4):493-514.
[6] Dias V, Junn E, Mouradian MM. The role of oxidative stress in Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2013;3(4):461-491.
[7] Polinski NK, Volpicelli-Daley LA, Sortwell CE, et al. Best Practices for Generating and Using Alpha-Synuclein Pre-Formed Fibrils to Model Parkinson's Disease in Rodents. J Parkinsons Dis. 2018;8(2):303-322.
[8] Khoo SK, Petillo D, Kang UJ, et al. Plasma-based circulating MicroRNA biomarkers for Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2012;2(4):321-331.
[9] Whone AL, Boca M, Luz M, et al. Extended Treatment with Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Parkinson's Disease. J Parkinsons Dis. 2019;9(2):301-313.
[10] Pagan F, Hebron M, Valadez EH, et al. Nilotinib Effects in Parkinson's disease and Dementia with Lewy bodies. J Parkinsons Dis. 2016;6(3):503-517.
13 September 2017
Novel Genetic Mutation Discovered in Parkinson’s Disease Patient
According to a new report in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, researchers identified the first case of a patient with Parkinson's disease carrying a mutation in the ACMSD gene.
31 July 2017
Two New Studies Offer Insights into Gastrointestinal Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Patients
Constipation is one of the most common non-motor related complaints affecting Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients.
23 March 2017
Exercising 2.5 Hours Per Week Associated with Slower Declines in Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive condition that often results in mobility impairments and can lead to decreased health-related quality of life (HRQL) and death. There is evidence that physical activity can delay decline in PD patients.
23 March 2017
Journal of Parkinson’s Disease Celebrates Key Breakthroughs that Shaped PD Research over the Last 200 Years
Marking the 200th anniversary of James Parkinson’s first published description of the disease that would come to bear his name, the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease is proud to publish
7 March 2017
Extended Use of MAO-B Inhibitors Slows Decline in Parkinson’s Disease Patients
There has long been interest in whether monoamine oxidase type B (MAO-B) inhibitors slow progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and improve long-term outcomes. They have shown neuroprotective effects in cell culture and animal studies of PD, but clinical trial results have been mixed and have failed to convincingly demonstrate disease modifying effects in people with PD. In a retrospective analysis by Hauser et al. in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, researchers looked at the results from a large study and found that participants who received an MAO-B inhibitor for a longer period of time experienced slower clinical decline.
13 February 2017
Altmetric Data Analysis Reveals How Parkinson’s Disease Research Affects the World
ÜberResearch and Altmetric, leading data and analytics companies serving scientific funders and research organizations, have published an analysis of Parkinson’s disease research papers with the highest Altmetric Attention Scores in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. The publication is the first in a series aimed at utilizing Altmetric data to provide a more nuanced understanding of how the announcements of new medical discoveries affect the wide-range of disease-specific stakeholders including researchers, funders, care providers, and patients.
15 November 2016
Hospital Admissions Rising for Elderly Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
Although treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD) is significantly extending the lives of patients, these patients are now being admitted to hospitals at increasing rates. In a study reported in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, researchers in Ireland have found that the top five reasons for hospital admission of PD patients are urinary tract infections, pneumonia, lower respiratory tract infections, aspiration pneumonia and femur fracture. More troubling is the stark increase in PD patients requiring long-term nursing home care on discharge, with 27% of the over 65 group discharged to a nursing home compared to 12% admitted from a nursing home.
15 November 2016
Parkinson’s Disease Patients Benefit from Physical Activity
A comprehensive review published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease confirms that people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) can benefit from being physically active, especially when it comes to improving gait and balance, and reducing risks of falls. It concludes that health professionals should be confident about prescribing physical activity to improve the health and quality of life of PD patients.
Blog Guidelines
GUEST BLOGGER SUBMISSION AND REVIEW GUIDELINES
The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease invites scientists, clinicians, advocates and people with Parkinson’s to submit blog ideas for consideration. We strongly encourage those interested to reach out prior to drafting the post. Submissions should be sent to: jpd@iospress.com.
- Blog posts must cover a topic important to Parkinson’s disease research or the Parkinson’s community. Scientists, clinicians, and advocates are welcome to submit.
- Blog posts will be reviewed by a journal editor and staff as well as external experts, as appropriate. Reviewers will provide the author with feedback.
- Blog posts should be factually and scientifically sourced and accurate. As appropriate, please provide citations with links.
- Blog posts may not be defamatory.
- The journal reserves the right to edit for grammar, length, clarity and editorial style. Authors will be advised of edits prior to publication. As appropriate, the editor/journal may return the post for revisions prior to publication.
- Authors are asked to consider royalty-free artwork that may accompany their posts. The authors must be able to provide permission to the journal to use these images or otherwise provide proof that the images are royalty free (with or without accreditation).
- The suggested length for posts is 500 to 1500 words. For lengthy submissions, the journal reserves the right to suggest reducing length or split the article into multiple posts.
- The post title should be clear about the point of the post – what's in it for for the reader? How will they benefit by reading?
- We suggest including a call to action (for instance, by asking questions) and prompting the reader to “learn more”.
- We suggest thinking in terms of a broader story. What motivated you to start the feature?
- Authors retain copyright on their content and may reproduce it elsewhere. The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease/IOS Press retains the right to use the content on promotional materials for the journal. We encourage authors to share the post from its location on the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease website.
Media
Quarterly Parkinson's Webinars
As part of the Quarterly Parkinson's Webinar Series, delivered by Journal of Parkinson's Disease and Cure Parkinson's, the discussion of specific research topics is brought into the open. Recordings of previous webinars are available via this page.
This webinar series is on hold. There will be a break in running the webinars during 2022. We will update this page once any further information is available.
May 13, 2024: Webinar #18
Inflammation & Parkinson's > Watch the recording!
This hour-long webinar is for the Parkinson’s community and allows the opportunity to hear first-hand from experts in the field, to learn more about the underlying mechanisms of Parkinson's and progress being made within the research arena.
The panel of experts, including Professor Malu Tansey, Dr Kirsten Scott, and Alison Anderson discuss inflammation and its role in Parkinson's as well as recent advances in clinical trials within this field of research.
You can view a recording of the webinar now at: Watch online today!
March 6, 2024: Webinar #17
Diet and the gut vs the brain > Watch the recording!
This webinar focuses on the relationship between the gut and nutrition and Parkinson’s, and the emerging understanding of how the gut-brain connection has a role in Parkinson’s progression.
You can view a recording of the webinar now at: Watch online today!
Sep 25, 2023: Webinar #16
World Parkinson Congress 2023 Highlights > Watch the recording!
During this webinar, chaired by The University of Edinburgh’s Professor Tilo Kunath, we hear from four panellists about their time at the World Parkinson Congress (WPC). The World Parkinson Congress (WPC) is a meeting held every 4 years that brings together scientists and researchers, people living with Parkinson’s and their loved ones, and clinicians and healthcare professionals.
You can view a recording of the webinar now at: Watch online today!
Sep 11, 2023: Webinar #15
Clinical Trials Targeting Alpha-Synuclein > Watch the recording!
Presented by Edinburgh University, Journal of Parkinson’s Disease and Cure Parkinson’s, the latest instalment of this quarterly webinar series discussed clinical trials targeting alpha-synuclein, with Edinburgh University’s Professor Tilo Kunath as chair.
You can view a recording of the webinar now at: Watch online today!
December 8, 2021: Webinar #14
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) > Watch the recording!
The latest webinar on Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) took place on December 8, 2021. The discussion was chaired by Patrik Brundin (Van Andel Institute, USA) in conversation with: Helen Bronte-Stewart, MD, MS (Stanford University, USA); Tom Foltynie, MD, PhD (University College London, UK); Aryn H. Gittis, PhD (Carnegie Mellon University, USA); and David Jones, a pharma entrepreneur who has undergone DBS in the UK. The discussion focused on global research around new DBS approaches and targets.
You can view a recording of the webinar now at: Watch online today!
August 4, 2021: Webinar #13
Genetic Markers and the Progression of Parkinson's > Watch the recording!
The webinar on Genetic Markers and the Progression of Parkinson's took place on August 4, 2021. The discussion was chaired by Patrik Brundin (Van Andel Institute, USA) in conversation with Mark R. Cookson (NIH, USA) (investigator of the effects of mutations associated with PD on protein function), Clemens Scherzer (Harvard) (investigating PD through genetics and big data), Stephen Mullin (University of Plymouth, UK) (researching the genetic and clinical stratification of the risk of PD), and advocate for research Jessi Keavney (USA) (carrier of the LRRK2 mutation).
You can view a recording of the webinar now at: Watch online today!
March 31, 2021: Webinar #12
Young Onset Parkinson's > Watch the recording!
On March 31, 2021, there was a webinar on the topic of: Young Onset Parkinson's. Panelists included chair Patrik Brundin (Van Andel Institute, USA), researchers Bart Post (Radboud Institute of Health, NL), Rodolfo Savica (Mayo Clinic, USA), and Sara Bandres Ciga (NIH, USA), and patient views from Veerle Aertsen (Belgian advocate and contributor to EUPATI).
You can view a recording of the webinar now at: Watch online today!
January 13, 2021: Webinar #11
Coronavirus and Parkinson's Webinar > Watch the recording!
View the recording of the webinar on the topic of: Coronavirus and Parkinson's that took place on January 13, 2021 with the chair Patrik Brundin from Van Andel Institute, USA, joined by: Alfonso Fasano (University of Toronto, Canada); David Beckham (University of Colorado, USA); and Soania Mathur (retired family physician based in Toronto, Canada). The discussion was focused around recent publications highlighting research into COVID-19 and Parkinson's.
You can view a recording of the webinar now at: Watch online today!
September 2, 2020: Webinar #10
Prodromal Parkinson's Webinar > 
View the webinar that was on the topic of: Prodromal Parkinson's. It took place on Wed 2 Sep with the chair Patrik Brundin from Van Andel Institute, USA, joined by: Daniela Berg (University of Kiel, Germany); Philip Hebert( retired from University of Toronto, Canada); and Alastair Noyce (Queen Mary University of London, UK). The discussion focused around Prodromal Parkinson's, which refers to the stage at which individuals do not fulfil diagnostic criteria for PD but do exhibit signs and symptoms that indicate a higher than average risk of receiving a diagnosis of PD in the future.
Watch the recording of webinar #10 on the IOS Press channel on YouTube, or watch by clicking below.
June 3, 2020: Webinar #9
Neurotrophic Factors and Parkinson's Webinar
Webinar on the topic of: Neurotrophic Factors and Parkinson's. It took place on Wed 3 Jun with the eminent panel: Patrik Brundin (chair) from Van Andel Institute, USA; Howard Federoff from Aspen Neuroscience, USA; Mart Saarma from University of Helsinki, Finland; and CPT trustee Lyndsey Isaac from the UK. The discussion was focused around the findings of a workshop that was held in 2019 and the results of which that were published recently in a GDNF consensus paper in JPD (view the press release about this paper here).
Watch the recording of webinar #9 on the IOS Press channel on YouTube, or watch by clicking below.
March 3, 2020: Webinar #8
Inflammation and Parkinson's Webinar
Watch the webinar was on the topic of: Inflammation & Its Role in Parkinson's. It took place on Tue 3 Mar with the eminent panel: Patrik Brundin (chair) from Van Andel Institute, USA; Roger Barker (clinical expertise) from the University of Cambridge, UK; Ashley Harms (pre-clinical expertise) from UAB, US; and Richelle Flanagan (Parkinson's advocate and a PwP, with an interest in inflammation and previous experience as a dietician) from Ireland.
Watch the recording of webinar #8 on the IOS Press channel on YouTube, or watch below.
January 8, 2020: Webinar #7
Excercise and Parkinson’s Webinar
The webinar in this quarterly series took place on Wed 8 Jan and as on the topic of Excercise and Parkinson’s. The eminent panel, once again chaired by Van Andel Institute’s Professor Patrik Brundin, comprises clinical expertise from Professor Bas Bloem (Radboud University Medical Centre, the Netherlands), pre-clinical expertise from Dr Michael Jakowec (University of Southern California, USA), and patient views from Professor Karen Raphael, an epidemiological research scientist (New York University School of Medicine, USA).
Watch the recording of webinar #7 on the IOS Press channel on YouTube, or watch below.
October 2019: Webinar #6
Dyskinesia in Parkinson’s Webinar
The webinar, on Oct 2, was on the topic of Dyskinesia in Parkinson’s. The eminent panel, once again chaired by Van Andel Institute’s Patrik Brundin, comprised clinical expertise from Ray Chaudhuri (Kings College, London, UK) and Robert Hauser (University of South Florida, USA), pre-clinical insights from Angela Cenci Nilsson (Lund University, Sweden), and patient views from Martin Taylor, founder of the Parkinson’s Research Interest Group on Facebook (UK).
The discussion focused on publications in the field, in particular the recent open access JPD paper "Clinical Trials Hilghights: Dyskinesia" by Kevin McFarthing, Neha Prakash, and Tanya Simuni, which can be read at: http://tiny.cc/JPD-CT-Dyskinesia.
Watch the recording of webinar #6 on the IOS Press channel on YouTube, or watch below.
June 2019: Webinar #5
Stem Cells (Cell Replacement Therapy) Webinar
The webinar on the topic "Stem Cells in Parkinson's (Cell Replacement Therapy)" took place on June 12 with panelists Roger Barker (University of Cambridge, UK), Claire Henchcliffe (Weill Cornell Medical College, USA) and Gaynor Edwards (East Sussex, UK) joining our regular host Patrik Brundin (Van Andel Research Institute, USA).
The discussion focused on publications in the field of dopamine replacement cell therapy for Parkinson's. It is topical and timely following the meeting that was held in April 2019 with an international panel of stem cell researchers at the annual "G-Force-PD meeting" that was hosted by Prof. Barker in Cambridge, UK. This event brought together researchers leading the dopamine replacement cell therapy clinical trials.
Watch the recording of webinar #5 on the IOS Press channel on YouTube, or watch below.
March 2019: Webinar #4
Sleep & Parkinson's Webinar
The March webinar was a great success and a full house! All the more reason to be sure you sign up for our newsletter to be in with a chance of watch the next webinar live-and-as-it-happens, so you can submit questions and interact with the panel.
Webinar #4 took place on March 6, 2019 and the discussion was on the topic: "Sleep and Parkinson's disease". The host was JPD Editor-in-Chief Patrik Brundin and fellow panelists included: –Jerrah Holth from Washington University School of Medicine, USA; –Michele Hu from the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre, UK; –Soania Mathur, speaker, writer and Parkinson's advocate from Canada; and –Aleksandar Videnovic from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA. The discussion covered: –What "sleep" is from a medical standpoint, and how it can be distrupted in PD
–Whether sleep deprivation/disturbances can, in turn, impact other symptoms of PD
–Sleep disorders as a predictor of neurodegenerative diseases
–Whether sleep disorders are driving or are a trigger of PD.
The research in the following papers were also discussed: –"The sleep–wake cycle regulates brain interstitial fluid tau in mice and CSF tau in humans" (published in Science on February 22, 2019); and
–The recent study "Risk and predictors of dementia and parkinsonism in idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder" (published in Brain on March 1, 2019).
View the webinar #4 recording on the IOS Press channel on YouTube, or watch below.
December 2018: Webinar #3
The third webinar was a great success and a full house! All the more reason to be sure you sign up for our newsletter to be in with a chance of watch the next webinar live-and-as-it-happens, so you can submit questions and interact with the panel!
It took place on December 5, 2018 and the discussion was on the topic: 'Therapies targeting the genetics of Parkinson's disease’. The host was JPD Editor-in-Chief Patrik Brundin and fellow panellists included: Ron N. Alcalay; Ziv Gan-Or; Benjamin Stecher; Gaurav Gupta; and Jonathan Silverstein. The discussion focused on three recent research studies.
View the webinar #3 recording on the IOS Press channel on YouTube, or watch below.
September 2018: Webinar #2
The topic of the second webinar in the series, which took place on September 20, 2018, was: 'How does Parkinson's disease begin?’ The host was JPD Editor-in-Chief Patrik Brundin and his fellow panellists included Dr Viviane LaBrie, Dr Filip Scheperjans and Dr Jon Stamford. The discussion focused on the 2017 paper by Per Borghammer entitled: “How does Parkinson's disease begin? Perspectives on neuroanatomical pathways, prions, and histology".
View the webinar #2 recording on the IOS Press channel on YouTube, or watch below.
June 2018: Webinar #1
The first webinar in our quarterly series took place on June 19, 2018. The topic for discussion was: "Does exenatide reduce non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease?” The webinar was chaired by JPD Editor-in-Chief Patrik Brundin and joined by fellow panellists: Tom Foltynie from UCL in London, who let the exenatide trial; Nigel Greig and Dimitrios Kapogiannis from the NIA (National Institute of Aging); and exenatide trial participant Penny Kustow. To read our news item about the webinar, go here; and to view the recording of webinar #1, click below.
Webinars Background
Early in 2018, JPD began working in partnership with The Cure Parkinson's Trust (CPT) to provide information about breaking research news to be featured on the new web portal for people with Parkinson’s (PwPs) called Parkinson’s Movement: parkinsonsmovement.com. Parkinson’s Movement strives to strengthen the position of Parkinson's as a health priority globally: "By providing a genuine, powerful tool for driving change, we can inform and influence the agenda of the wider Parkinson’s community." One section of the site is dedicated to sifting through recent research in order to concisely capture a snapshot of the science and translate it to deliver better understanding for all. Assessing the impact of published PD-related research is done through a panel of experts, researchers and PwPs. Providing invaluable perspective, these panel members rate papers according to their impact and relevance, so that patients can be informed how relevant the latest PD scientific research news actually is. The JPD scientific panel consists of JPD Editor-in-Chief Patrik Brundin and a number of members of the JPD Editorial Board. Communicating about research is a vital aspect of creating awareness. The Parkinson's Movement website features research articles that hit the news and it particularly focuses on debunking myths, balancing over hyped headlines and ensuring the research is placed in context. A number of published JPD papers have already been the focus of attention and a new JPD research study about exenatide was also under scrutiny at the launch of the Quarterly Parkinson's Webinar Series; view the recording from the webinar above. By bringing the discussion of specific research topics into the open, the whole process of rating research will become even more transparent. For details about how to be involved in future webinars, please get in touch: market@iospress.nl. Mbr />
Update: In early 2021, CPT rebranded to Cure Parkinson's and the work of Parkinson's Movement has been incorporated within the parent organization.
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Non-Webinar Content: Video Archive
April 2013:
Watch JPD editorial board member Andres Lozano, MD, PhD (University of Toronto, Canada) discussing seep brain stimulation and looking at emerging techniques in which a woman with Parkinson's instantly stops shaking and brain areas eroded by Alzheimer's are brought back to life (filmed at TEDxCaltech).
Abstracting/Indexing
Biomedical Reference Collection
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)
Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
Embase
Google Scholar
MEDLINE / Pubmed
PsycINFO
Pubmed Central
PubsHub
Scopus
Web of Science: Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition
Web of Science: Science Citation Index-Expanded (SciSearch®)
12 July 2016
Leukemia Drug Shows Early Promise for Treating Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder that causes a range of motor and non-motor symptoms. During the course of the disease, dopamine (DA)-producing neurons are lost and bundles of proteins known as Lewy bodies (LBs) form in the brain. A study reported in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease provided molecular evidence that the FDA-approved leukemia drug nilotinib may restore brain dopamine and reduce toxic proteins associated with LB formation in PD and dementia patients.
21 June 2016
Follow JPD on Twitter
We are pleased to inform you that the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease (JPD) now has its own Twitter account: @journal_PD.
12 April 2016
Researchers Identify Tissue Biomarker for Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson’s Disease
Accurate diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, and the related disease “dementia with Lewy bodies,” can be difficult in the early stages of both conditions. While brain biopsies can be more accurate, the risk of complications has been considered too high. New research published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease indicates that a biopsy of the submandibular gland can help identify the same pathology that is seen in the brain, providing some of the increased accuracy of brain biopsy, but not the increased risk.
Most Popular Articles
21 April – 2 May
Abstracts of the 3rd World Parkinson Congress, October 1–4, 2013, Montréal, Canada
Are Stem Cell-Based Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease Ready for the Clinic in 2016?
Variation in Recent Onset Parkinson’s Disease: Implications for Prodromal Detection
1 April - 21 April
26 March - 1 April
Abstracts of the 3rd World Parkinson Congress, October 1-4. 2013, Montreal, Canada
31 March 2016
Parkinson’s Disease Funding Analyzer Launched on Journal of Parkinson’s Disease Website
The Journal of Parkinson’s Disease (JPD) is proud to announce the launch of the Parkinson’s Disease Funding Analyzer (PDFA) on the JPD website. It is a free service that is part of a new suite of online features that have been designed to serve the needs of the Parkinson’s disease (PD) research community.
29 March 2016
Are Stem-Cell Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease Ready for Clinical Trials?
As stem cell-based therapies are moving rapidly towards clinical trials, treatments for Parkinson’s Disease (PD), an incurable condition, may be on the horizon. A recent announcement of a Phase I/IIa clinical trial involving transplantation of stem cells into the first human subjects has raised hope among patients and sparked discussions in the research community. In a commentary published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, authors propose five key questions that should be addressed as this trial begins.
PD Funding
It is hard to keep up with all of the organizations currently funding Parkinson's disease research around the globe. For this reason, JPD is investigating ways to offer its community data on Parkinson's disease funding.
One option is to visit the Dimensions website (dimensions.ai) where users can search for grants, patents, clinical trials and policy documents through a free app.
We invite you to get in touch if you have further suggestions.
18 March 2016
'Slow thinking' a conversation stopper for people with Parkinson's
Cognitive impairment could affect the conversational ability of people with Parkinson’s more than physical speech problems - according to research from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the University of Aberdeen.
A new study published today is the first to assess the extent to which a patient’s ability to think quickly forms a barrier to communication – rather than experiencing physical speech problems.
17 February 2016
Researchers Identify Biomarker for Early Cognitive Decline in Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Many patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Identifying biomarkers for cognitive impairment could be instrumental in facilitating both early diagnosis of MCI and developing new cognitive-enhancing treatments. New research published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease indicates that lower concentrations of α-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is associated with reduced performance on several cognitive tests.
8 January 2016
Researchers Face Potential Danger from Protein Particles in the Lab
Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites are found in the brains of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. They consist primarily of fibrils of the protein alpha-synuclein (α-Syn), which self-assembles into fibrils in vitro. If introduced into the human body, these seeds can act as prions and trigger the formation of toxic protein deposits. Because α-Syn fibrils are often used in research, it is important that they are not accidentally transferred to humans or cell cultures. Researchers reporting in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease describe three cleaning procedures that effectively remove and disassemble these α-synuclein seeds.
4 January 2016
Use of Anticholinergic Drugs Does Not Increase Risk for Dementia in Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Recent evidence has shown a greater risk of dementia, in particular Alzheimer’s disease (AD), in individuals using anticholinergic medications regularly. These drugs are widely used by older adults to treat bladder dysfunction, mood, and pain, and many of them are available without prescription. Since these drugs are often used to treat both motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), there is concern for increased risk of dementia. Contrary to expectations, a study in the current issue of the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease determined that the cognitive performance of PD patients taking anticholinergic medications did not differ from those who did not.
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