From cognition to action in Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the fastest growing neurological disorder. It is characterized by prominent movement symptoms and concurrent nonmotor symptoms like cognitive impairment are common, debilitating, and difficult to treat. Loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and associated dysfunction of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuits are thought to underlie motor and cognitive symptoms. Dopamine replacement therapy is the foundation of PD treatment, but its effects fluctuate and vary from person to person. Functional neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and neuromodulation approaches can be used to study the neurophysiological mechanisms of PD and other movement disorders. This research aims to identify oscillatory biomarkers of symptoms and treatment effects, which will help refine existing therapies, and guide the development of medications, therapeutic technology, and neuromodulation.