The Challenges and Innovations in Parkinson Treatment: Michael Soileau, MD, FAAN

WATCH TIME: 5 minutes

"There are a lot of patients that we see that have gone years and years not getting aggressive treatment, and they have lost quality of life during that time."

Parkinson disease (PD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative disorder characterized by movement challenges such as bradykinesia, resting tremor, rigidity, and postural instability. As clinicians’ understanding of PD deepens, new therapies are being developed to manage symptoms with fewer adverse eventsand to slow disease progression. These innovative approaches include drug repurposing, gene therapies, cell-based treatments, and advanced neurosurgical techniques like refined deep brain stimulation, all of which hold potential to revolutionize PD treatment in the near future.¹

A panel discussion was held at the recently concluded 3rd Annual Advanced Therapeutics in Movement and Related Disorders (ATMRD) Congress, held by the PMD Alliance from June 22-25, 2024, that centered around transforming the landscape of care for PD beyond levodopa treatment. In the discussion, experts in the field talked about the history and progress made in PD treatment and discussed multidisciplinary strategies for engaging patients and care partners in the changing care landscape. The panel consisted of 4 speakers which included the following experts: Michael Soileau, MD, FAAN; Cheryl Kyinn, PA-C; Fiona Gupta, MD; and Sherrie Gould, MSN, NP-C.

After the panel discussion, Soileau, a movement disorder specialist at Texas Movement Disorder Specialists, sat down with NeurologyLive^® in an interview to discuss some effective strategies for managing motor fluctuations in patients with PD. Soileau, who also serves as a clinical assistant professor of medical education at Texas A&M Health Science Center, spoke about how healthcare providers may balance the administrative burden with the need to deliver aggressive and innovative treatments. Furthermore, he talked about some of the latest advancements in PD treatments showcased at the meeting and comments from the audience given during the panel discussion.

Click here for more coverage of ATMRD 2024.

REFERENCES
1. Stoker TB, Barker RA. Recent developments in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. F1000Res. 2020;9:F1000 Faculty Rev-862. Published 2020 Jul 31. doi:10.12688/f1000research.25634.1