Jill Giordano Farmer, DO, MPHOn this World Brain Day 2020, neurologists and researchers around the world are turning their attention to Parkinson disease, which affects more than 10 million people globally. The disease, which disproportionately impacts men, is associated with direct and indirect health care costs estimated at $52 billion annually in the US alone.Long dominated by levodopa therapy, the Parkinson disease treatment pipeline has seen some recent reinvigoration, with more attention turned to symptom control and slowing disease progression. Nonpharmacological treatments have also captured positive attention as the industry works to refine treatment targets and improve the safety and efficacy of the therapy in hopes of broadening the eligible patient pool.
NeurologyLive: What area of research in Parkinson disease do you find particularly promising or interesting?
Jill Giordano Farmer, DO, MPH: I am particularly interested in research looking at disease-modifying therapies, in particular the repurposing of tyrosine kinase inhibitors since these are readily available and repurposed from oncology. We do not have any medications that modify progression and it is the thing patients always ask about.
What technology/therapeutic innovation are you most excited about in treatment of PD? What advantages will this bring to disease management?
Closed loop deep brain stimulation is a fascinating frontier. It is available in other neuromodulation technologies for other specialties, but has never been used in movement disorders. Real-time response to changes in brain signaling that can be transmitted to adjustments in stimulation to maintain symptom control just oozes with potential.