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International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
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Scientific Issue Discussions

Controversies and Hot Topics in Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders

MDS's Scientific Issues Discussions showcase the latest in scientific advances, new developments, and trends in the field of Movement Disorders, prepared by the Scientific Issues Committee.

 


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The past, present, and future roles of α-synuclein seed amplification assays

Date: May 2024
Authors: Omar El-Agnaf, PhD; Ilham Abdi, PhD; Nobutaka Hattori, MD, PhD, FANA; Tiago Outeiro, PhD.
Editors: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD; Daniela Berg, MD, PhD; Jeffery H. Kordower, PhD 

Discovery of new repeat expansion disorders in ataxia and beyond

Date: November 2023
Prepared by SIC Member: Katja Lohmann, PhD
Authors: Melanie Bahlo, PhD, AM, FAHMS; Mathilde Renaud, MD, PhD; Stephan Züchner, MD, PhD, FAAN
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD

Exploring the path towards a biological definition of Parkinson’s Disease and its widespread implications

Date: March 2024 
Authors: Francisco Cardoso, MD; Michael S. Okun, MD; Shen-Yang Lim, MD; Njideka Okubadejo, MD; Bastiaan R. Bloem, MD; and Sirwan K.L. Darweesh, MD, PhD. 
Editors: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD; Daniela Berg, MD, PhD; Jeffery H. Kordower, PhD.  

Hot topics and controversies on Stiff Person Spectrum Disorders (SPSD)

Date: September 2023
Prepared by SIC Member: Mario Cornejo-Olivas, MD
Authors: Bettina Balint, MD; Kailash Bhatia, MD, PhD 
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD

Neurophysiology of Functional Movement Disorders

Date: June 2023
Prepared by SIC Member: Kirsten Zeuner, MD
Authors: Anne Weissbach, MD; Isabel Pareés, MD; and Carine W. Maurer, MD, PhD
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD

Model systems for understanding dystonia pathogenesis

Date: March 2023
Prepared by SIC Member: Kathryn Peall, MD
Authors: Antonia Pisani MD, PhD; Nutan Sharma MD, PhD; H.A. Jinnah, MD
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD.

Value of Neuropathology in Atypical Parkinsonism

Date: January 2023
Prepared by SIC Member: Ece Bayram, MD, PhD
Authors:  David Coughlin MD, MTR; Melissa Murray, PhD.; Shunsuke Koga, MD, PhD; and Gabor G. Kovacs MD PhD. 
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD.

Genetic architecture of Parkinson's disease: global initiatives and importance of underrepresented populations

Date: November 2022
Prepared by SIC Member: Mario Cornejo-Olivas, MD
Authors:  Andrew Singleton, PhD; Cornelis Blauwendraat, PhD.; Ignacio F. Mata, PhD. 
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD.

Functional movement disorders: Neurophysiology, diagnosis and treatment

Date: September 2022 
Prepared by SIC Member: Kirsten Zeuner, MD  
Authors:  Stoyan Popkirov, MD; Petra Schwingenschuh, MD; David L Perez MD, MMSc; Mark Edwards MBBS, BSc, PhD 
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD 

Huntington’s disease: Updates on genetics, therapeutics, and a new cohort

Date: August 2022  
Prepared by SIC Member: Jee-Young Lee, MD, PhD  
Authors: Edward Wild, FRCP, PhD; Tiago Mestre, MD, PhD; & Jee-Young Lee, MD, PhD 
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD    

Advances in Treatments of Essential Tremor

Date: July 2022 
Prepared by SIC Member: Han-Lin Chiang, MD  
Authors: W.Jeff Elias, MD; Eng King Tan, MD; Joshua Wong, MD; and Michael S. Okun, MD  
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD  

 

Sex and gender in movement disorders

Date: June 2022 
Prepared by SIC Member: Ece Bayram, MD, PhD 
Authors: Indira Subramanian, MD; Wissam Deeb, MD; Jason D. Flatt, PhD, MPH 
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD   

Animal Models of Prodromal Parkinson’s Disease

Date: April 2022 
Prepared by SIC Member: Abby L. Olsen, MD, PhD  
Authors: Nathalie Van Den Berge, PhD; Per Borghammer, MD, PhD, DMSc; Hodaka Yamakado, MD, PhD  
Editor:  Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD 

 

Genetics of Essential Tremor

Autophagy in Parkinson'sDate: March 2022 
Prepared by SIC member: Katja Lohmann, PhD. 
Authors: Pau Pastor, MD, PhD; Günther Deuschl, MD, PhD; Cornelis Blauwendraat, PhD.
Editor: Lorraine Kalia, MD, PhD.

Autophagy in Parkinson’s disease

Autophagy in Parkinson'sDate: September 2021 
Prepared by SIC member: Hideki Mochizuki, MD, PhD 
Authors: Maria Xilouri, PhD., Dimitri Krainc, MD, PhD., Noriyuki Matsuda, PhD. 
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD 

Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s Disease

Date: August 2021
Prepared by SIC Member: Han-Lin Chiang, MD 
Authors: John Rothwell, MS, PhD., Robert Chen, MA, MBBChir, MSc, FRCPC, Yoshikazu Ugawa, MD, PhD.   
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD 

Istradefylline, Does it Work?

Date: July 2021 
Prepared by SIC member: Abby L. Olsen, MD PhD 
Authors: Wataru Sako MD PhD and Michael Schwarzschild, MD PhD  
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD  

Can we make a new diagnosis and treat Parkinson’s disease by telemedicine?

Close-up shot of middle-aged cardiologist standing next to his senior patient and showing her how to use fitness trackerDate: March 2021
Prepared by SIC Member: Roy Alcalay, MD, MS
Authors: Ray Dorsey, MD; Stanley Fahn, MD;  T. Poplar, MD (Pseudonym)
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD

COVID-19 and Movement Disorders: potential relationship and mechanisms

SARS-COV2 and Movement DisordersDate: August 2020
Prepared by SIC Member: Alvaro Sanchez-Ferro, MD
Authors: Tiago Outeiro, PhD.; Mariana HG Monje, Patrik Brundin, MD PhD
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD

Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery

AI in Drug DiscoveryDate: June 2020
Prepared by SIC Member: Lorraine V. Kalia, MD, PhD
Authors: Igor Jurisica, PhD, DSc; Alix Lacoste, PhD
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD

What Can Molecular Imaging Offer for the Differential Diagnosis of Parkinsonism?

Molecular ImagingDate: May 2020
Prepared by SIC Member: Ece Bayram, MD, PhD
Authors: Cecilia Peralta, MD; David Eidelberg, MD
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD

Cognitive Impairment in Multiple System Atrophy

Cognitive Impairment in MSADate: April 2020
Prepared by SIC Member: Han-Lin Chiang, MD
Authors: Shunsuke Koga, MD, PhD; Takayoshi Shimohata, MD, PhD; Gregor Wenning, MD, PhD, MSc
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD

Technological Advances for Tremor Assessment

Close-up shot of middle-aged cardiologist standing next to his senior patient and showing her how to use fitness trackerDate: March 2020
Prepared by SIC Member: Ece Bayram, MD, PhD
Authors: Rodger J. Elble, MD, PhD; Dietrich Haubenberger, MD, MHSc; Fatta B. Nahab, MD
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD

Immunotherapy in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

ImmunoglobulinDate: January 2020
Prepared by SIC Member: Abby L. Olsen, MD PhD
Authors: Adam L. Boxer, MD PhD; Prof. Maria Stamelou, FEAN
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD

Mannitol Treatment for Parkinson's Disease

Date: January 2020Flowering Ash
Prepared by SIC Member: Roy Alcalay, MD, MS
Authors: Eliezer Masliah, MD; David Arkadir, MD PhD; Brian Fiske, PhD
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD

Parkinson's Disease or Diseases: Are PD Subtypes Useful in Predicting Disease Progression?

Doctor with patientDate: November 2019
Prepared by SIC Member: Alvaro Sanchez-Ferro, MD.
Authors: Eduardo De Pablo-Fernández, MD; Ron Postuma, MD, MSc
Editor: Un Jung Kang, MD

Sleep Problems in MSA

Sleep ProblemsDate: August 2019
Prepared by SIC Member: Han-Joon Kim, MD, PhD
Authors: Pietro Cortelli, MD, PhD, IRCCS-ISNB, University of Bologna, Italy, and Tetsutaro Ozawa, MD, Department of Neurology, Uonuma Institute of Community Medicine, Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan
Editors: Stella M. Papa, MD, and Un Jung Kang

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Neurodegenerative DiseaseDate: July 2019
Authors: Alfonso Fasano, MD, PhD, Sokratis Papageorgiou
Commentators: Anthony Lang, OC, MD, FRCPC, and Joachim Krauss, MD
Editor: Stella M. Papa, MD

Rehabilitation as a Therapeutic Approach for Dystonia

RehabilitationDate: June 2019
Prepared by SIC Member: Aparna Wagle Shukla, MD
Authors: Amit Batla, MBBS, MD DM, Lynley Bradnam, PhD, and Teresa Kimberley, PhD
Editors: Stella Papa, MD

Nutrition-Based Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease

Fruits and VegetablesDate: May 2019
Blog Prepared by SIC Member: Praween Lolekha, MD, MSc
Authors: Maria Stamelou, MD, PhD, FEAN; Xiang Gao, MD, PhD
Editors: Stella Papa, MD, and Un Jung Kang, MD

Apathy in Parkinson's Disease

Apathy in Parkinson's DiseaseDate: April 2019
Prepared by SIC Member: Jau-Shin Lou, MD, PhD, MBA
Authors: Javier Pagonabarraga, MD, PhD; Tanya Harlow, MD; Jau-Shin Lou, MD, PhD, MBA
Editor: Stella M. Papa, MD


LRRK2 in Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease

LRRK2Date: March 2019
Prepared by SIC Member: Lorraine V. Kalia, MD, PhD
Authors: J. Timothy Greenamyre, MD, PhD; Andrew West, PhD; Connie Marras, MD, PhD
Editor: Stella M. Papa, MD

Early-stage predictors of Parkinson’s disease evolution – what do we know about REM Sleep Behavior disorder (RBD) and the link to PD?

REM SleepDate: February 2019
Prepared by SIC member: Susanne A. Schneider, MD
Authors:  Susanne Schneider, MD; Ron Postuma, MD; Daniela Berg, MD
Editor: Stella Papa, MD

β2-Adrenoreceptor Agonists and Antagonists and Parkinson’s Disease

Stethoscope and TextbookDate: January 2019
Prepared by SIC member: Connie Marras, MD
Authors:  Lorraine V. Kalia, MD, PhD, FRCPC; Raymond Y. Lo, MD, PhD
Editor: Stella Papa, MD

Hey Siri, Do I Have Parkinson's?

Hey Siri, Do I have Parkinson's?Date: December 2018
Prepared by SIC member: Álvaro Sanchez-Ferro, MD
Authors:  Alberto Espay, MD, MSc and Walter Maetzler, MD
Editor: Stella Papa, MD

MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound (FUS) to Treat Movement Disorders

Brain ScanDate: November 2018
Prepared by SIC Member: Hideki Mochizuki, MD, PhD
Authors: Takaomi Taira, MD, PhD; Andres M. Lozano, MD, PhD; José A. Obeso, MD, PhD CINAC
Editor: Stella Papa, MD

Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Multiple System Atrophy

NeuronDate: September 2018
Prepared by SIC Member: Han-Joon Kim, MD, PhD
Authors:  Hirohisa Watanabe, MD, PhD and Horacio Kaufmann, MD, FAAN
Editor: Stella M. Papa, MD

 

Genetic Testing for GBA and LRRK2 Mutations

GBA & LRRK2Date: August 2018
Prepared by SIC Member: Roy Alcalay, MD, MS, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
Authors:  Jill S. Goldman, MS, MPhil, CGC; David K. Simon, MD, PhD; Nir Giladi, MD
Editor: Stella M. Papa, MD

Biomarkers in Clinical Practice and Research in Parkinson’s Disease

BiomarkersDate: July 2018
Prepared by SIC Member:  Un Jung Kang, MD
Authors: Alice Chen-Plotkin, MD; Jing Zhang, MD, PhD; Brit Mollenhauer, MD
Editor: Stella M. Papa, MD

 

Off Label Prescribing of Disease-Modifying Therapies Under Investigation: Balancing Uncertain Risks and Benefits

Prescription DrugsDate: June 2018
Prepared by SIC Member: Connie Marras, MD, PhD
Authors: Roger Albin, MD; Samuel A. Frank, MD; Albert Hung, MD; Soania Mathur, MD
Editor: Stella M. Papa, MD

 

 

Multisensory Hallucinations and Delusions in Parkinson’s Disease

Hallucinations and PDDate: May 2018
Prepared by SIC member: Praween Lolekha, MD, MSc
Authors:  Joseph H. Friedman, MD; Gregory Pontone, MD; Jorge L. Juncos, MD
Editors: Stella Papa, MD and Un Kang, MD

Dance for Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's Disease and DancingDate: April 2018
Prepared by SIC member: Lorraine V. Kalia, MD, PhD, FRCPC
Authors:  Gammon Earhart, Pt, PhD; Madeleine E. Hackney, PhD; Ron Postuma, MD, MSc; Sarah Robichaud; Susan Fox, MRCP(UK), PhD
Editors: Stella Papa, MD and Un Kang, MD

'Feeling the Guts': Controversies About the Role of the Gastrointestinal System in the Development of Parkinson’s Disease

Feeling the GutsDate: February 2018
Authors: Filip Scheperjans, MD, Glenda Halliday, MD, Álvaro Sánchez-Ferro, MD
Editor: Stella Papa, MD

The Relationship Between Diabetes and Parkinson's Disease

Diabetes and Parkinson's DiseaseDate: January 2018
Editor: Stella M. Papa, MD
Authors: Tom Foltynie, PhD, MRCP; Marios Politis, MD, PhD, FRCP, FEAN; Eduardo Tolosa, MD; and Leonidas Stefanis, MD, PhD

Fatigue in Parkinson's Disease

Fatigue in Parkinson's DiseaseDate: December 2017
Authors: Jau-Shin Lou, MD, PhD, MBA; Joseph Friedman, MD; Benzi Kluger, MD; Kelvin Chou, MD
Editor: Stella Papa, MD

'Direct to Consumer' Genetic Testing

Genetic TestingDate: November 2017
Authors: Prof. Enza Maria Valente, Dr. Scott Roberts, and Prof. Thomas Gasser
Editor: Stella Papa, MD

When Does Social Media, Email and Internet Use Cross the Line to a Psychiatric Disorder?

Internet AddictionDate: August 2017
Authors: Francisco Cardoso, MD, PhD, FAAN, and Marc N. Potenza, MD, PhD
Editors: Michael S. Okun, MD, Stella Papa, MD, and Daniel Weintraub, MD

Cannabinoids in Movement Disorders

CannabibidoidsDate: October 2017
Authors: Nestor Galvez-Jimenez, MD, MSc, MHA; Camilo Garcia, MD; Ramon Rodriguez, MD; Connie Marras, MD
Editor: Stella Papa, MD

Recent Advances in Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Technology

Recent advances in DBSDate: March 2018
Prepared by SIC member: Aparna Wagle Shukla, MD
Authors: Alfonso Fasano, MD, PhD; Chandan Reddy, MD; Kelly Foote, MD
Editors: Stella Papa, MD and Un Kang, MD

Do-It-Yourself Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (DIY tDCS): Is It Safe?

Do It Yourself Transcranial Direct Current StimulationDate: June 2017
Authors: Jau-Shin Lou, MD, PhD, MBA; Robert Chen, MA, MBBChir, MSc, FRCPC; Velijko Dubljevic, PhD, DPhil
Editors: Michael S. Okun, MD, and Stella M. Papa, MD

 

 

Autonomic Issues in Parkinson's Disease

Autonomic Issues in Parkinson's DiseaseDate: April 2017
Authors: Nestor Galvez-Jimenez, MD, MSc, MHA; Ramon Lugo-Sanchez, MD; Tarannum Khan, MD
Editors: Michael S. Okun, MD, and Stella M. Papa, MD

Cognitive Problems in Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's DiseaseDate: March 2017
Author: Beth A. Vernaleo, PhD
Editors: Michael S. Okun, MD, and Stella M. Papa, MD

Immunotherapies in Parkinson's Disease

Immunotherapies in Parkinson's DiseaseDate: February 2017
Authors: Howard E. Gendelman, MD, Martin Ingelsson, Vladimir Kostić, MD, PhD, Leonidas Stefanis, MD, PhD
Editors: Michael S. Okun, MD, and Stella M. Papa, MD

Psychogenic Movement Disorders in the News and on the Internet

Psychogenic Movement DisordersDate: January 2017
Authors: Mark Edwards, MD, Mark Hallett, MD, Susan Jeffrey, Executive Editor, Medscape Neurology
Editors: Susanne A. Schneider, MD, Michael S. Okun, MD, and Stella M. Papa, MD

What Do Single Gene Mutations Really Tell Us About What Goes Wrong in Idiopathic PD?

Single gene mutationsDate: December 2016
Authors: Leonidas Stefanis, MD, PhD; Thomas Gasser, MD; Roger Barker, MBBS, MRCP, PhD
Editors: Michael S. Okun, MD, and Stella M. Papa, MD

Role of Physical Therapy and Exercise in Management of Parkinson's Disease

Physical Therapy and ExerciseDate: October 2016
Authors: Tanya Simuni, MD, Connie Marras, MD, PhD, and Terry Ellis, PhD, PT, NCS
Editors: Michael S. Okun, MD, and Stella M. Papa, MD

Inflammation in Parkinson's Disease

Inflammation in Parkinson's DiseaseDate: March 2016
Authors: Malú Tansey, MD, David Sulzer, MD, and David Standaert, MD, PhD
Editors: Michael S. Okun, MD, and Stella M. Papa, MD

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