President's Letter

MDS has published a viewpoint on the hot topic of developing biological frameworks of Parkinson’s disease, including recommendations about how to move forward together as a clinical and research community. The proponents of the synuclein-anchored neuronal synuclein disease and synuclein-neurodegeneration-genetic biological definition and classification schemes, intended for research purposes but at risk of creeping outside these boundaries, are to be congratulated in bringing biological concepts into the foreground. I encourage you to read the recommendations and reasoning as the Society plans the next steps in incorporating biological frameworks that are transferable and relevant to our global community.

What are your thoughts? Join us at the upcoming International Congress — just a few short weeks away — to be part of the ongoing discussions, and to stay up to date on the evolving science around this and other key questions.

You can also be first to hear about impactful discoveries on the horizon: The new Breakthroughs Session will announce results from recent clinical trials and other prominent research. These findings could influence every one of us working in this field, so I am looking forward not only to the presentations, but also the diverse discussions that will follow.

Another compelling reason to join us in Philadelphia: the cornerstone Presidental Lectures. These presentations allow noted leaders in the field to speak on any topic they find interesting, which offers a fascinating insight into the passions and curiosity of the field’s leading minds. This year’s esteemed honorees and their selected topics are:

Marina de Koning-Tijssen, presenting the Stanley Fahn Lecture Award on “Next Generation Phenotyping in Movement Disorders”

Virginia Lee, presenting the C. David Marsden Lecture Award on “Transmission of Misfolded α-Synuclein Protein in Lewy Body Diseases”

After Congress, I hope you will share about the 2024 World Movement Disorders Day on November 29, because it is an opportunity to elevate conversations around movement disorders to the general public. There is a startling lack of knowledge about our field, even among other physicians and general neurologists. It’s important we change that, so that people can seek and receive the proper care and diagnosis earlier. There is a toolkit of informative media you can use, or you can share your own experiences.

This is an area of growing importance to the Society: Deeper engagement of patients in our decision making. The MDS leadership is in the process of implementing a formal structure to create opportunities for MDS to engage with patients and carers and vice versa, so that we can listen to their voices in order to understand their perspectives — to help guide our efforts, to provide the highest level of clinical and scientific guidance to their community, and to give them opportunities to support Society efforts. It is an important acknowledgement of the significance of the perspective of the patient and carer community in helping to guide the MDS in its missions. Our commitment to patients is precisely why we are the leader in the field, and by more officially integrating them into our work, MDS hopes to continue to ensure their voices remain central to how we shape the field.