The Connecticut chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) recently featured Jesse Cedarbaum, MD professor adjunct of neurology and psychiatry, in its September educational webinar series, “Preventing Parkinson’s Disease: The Long and Winding Road that Leads to YOUR Door.” The hour-long virtual presentation provided an overview for those affected by Parkinson’s disease (PD) of the current research surrounding the prevention and treatment of PD and stressed the importance of opportunities for participation in clinical and therapeutic research studies.
Key takeaways for patients included a summary of promising, new approaches to therapies and treatments, including two new subcutaneous levodopa continuous infusions that are nearing FDA approval, as well as the leading candidates in disease-modifying therapies. Though the most recent clinical trials for the disease-modifying α-sinuclein antibody drugs from Biogen and Roche proved negative, Dr. Cedarbaum explained Roche’s justification for moving forward with a second clinical trial with its drug, Prasinezumab. Based on exploratory results that showed improvements in test subjects’ clinical motor exams, as well as a delay in symptom progression based on continuous monitoring via a mobile app, the Roche team felt confident enough in investing further in their drug.
Dr. Cedarbaum then followed up with an explanation of the newest mobile apps and wearable sensors for symptom tracking, and he encouraged patients to make use of the three FDA-approved apps currently available: StrivePD©, Parkinson Kinetograph© and Mon4t Brain Monitor©. Such apps can prove useful in identifying and communicating symptom patterns with providers.
The educational component of the webinar concluded with a description of the studies in which Yale is currently involved, including the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s-funded research that looks at the link between early inflammatory markers in prodromal signs of PD, such as REM sleep disorder (RBD) and the development of PD. This study is currently accepting volunteers, including healthy controls. Please contact Kara Mead, clinical research project manager for the Yale School of Medicine Department of Neurology, for more information.