MDS Podcast

In this episode, host Dr. Michele Matarazzo interviews Dr. Nicolaas Bohnen about his team’s recent study using FEOBV PET to investigate cholinergic deficits in Parkinson’s disease patients with dopa-unresponsive freezing of gait (FOG). The results reveal a distinct pattern of cortical cholinergic denervation that may underlie this challenging and poorly treatable symptom. Dr. Bohnen discusses the...

Dr. Mitra Afshari interviews Drs. Patricia Krause and Andrea Kühn on the results of a 10-year prospective follow-up study of a multicenter trial of GPI-DBS in isolated generalized and segmental dystonia. Together they discuss motor, non-motor, and safety outcomes, as well as the strong and stable long-term improvements in dystonia from pallidal DBS. Further, they provide their expert insights on t...

Could gene therapy with neurotrophic factors help restore dopaminergic terminals in Parkinson’s disease? Dr. Michele Matarazzo speaks with Dr. Amber Van Laar about her team’s Phase 1b trial of AAV2–GDNF gene therapy delivered directly to the putamen. They discuss the preclinical evidence for GDNF, how advanced delivery techniques and higher putamen coverage may overcome past challenges, and the en...

Ms. Nicole Duff and Dr. Amanda Currie discuss the potential role of the social worker in deep brain stimulation (DBS) and the work of Dr. Currie’s team in creating a simple pneumonic that could be used to determine whether a social worker's involvement would be beneficial to DBS patients. They also discuss the clinical implications of this study as well as possible future directions to further out...

Mutations in LRRK2 are a common cause of familial and sporadic Parkinson’s. Though clinical features resemble typical PD, about half of cases lack Lewy pathology. Doctors Hiroaki Sekiya and Nanna Møller Jensen discuss their recent studies on the neuropathology of LRRK2-PD patients. They dive into their methods and how proximity ligation assays may compare to alpha-synuclein seeding assays in ident...

Dr. Hugo Morales interviews Drs. Malco Rossi and Lucas Alessandro about their work on an AI-powered virtual assistant designed to aid in the diagnosis of chronic ataxias. They discuss how the assistant performed when put to the test, evaluating its diagnostic accuracy head-to-head against movement disorder experts. Journal CME is available until May 21, 2026 Read the article.

Prof. Marina de Koning-Tijssen interviews Prof. Sabine Fuchs on the potential of prime editing as a future therapy for cortical myoclonus. This exciting new development holds promise for the treatment of rare genetic disorders such as GOSR2. In the interview, Prof. Fuchs provides valuable insights into the science and potential applications of this groundbreaking technique.

In this episode, Prof. Tiago Outeiro interviews Prof. William Langston on the intriguing history of drug addicts manifesting parkinsonism in the 1980s, and how MPTP became a tool compound for modeling certain aspects of Parkinson's disease.

Prof. Marina de Koning-Tijssen interviews Prof. Kathryn Peall about her expertise on a topic that lies at the heart of her work: Myoclonus dystonia. We’ll hear her insights on both the motor and non-motor challenges faced by patients, and how deep brain stimulation is reshaping treatment possibilities.

In this episode, we explore the role of genetics and genetic testing in the decision-making and outcome of deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease with two experts in the field: Dr. David Arkadir and Dr. Saar Anis. This interview is also available in the text format within the MDS Scientific Issues: Read the issue

In this episode, Prof. Marina de Koning-Tijssen interviews Prof. Mark Edwards. Together they delve into both the clinical and electrophysiological aspects of propriospinal myoclonus, and explore the distinguishing features and current treatment options for functional movement disorders.

Dr. Sarah Camargos talks with Prof. Laura Bannach Jardim about how rural living might influence the age at onset of Machado-Joseph disease. Read the article.

Prof. Marina de Koning-Tijssen interviews Dr. Christos Ganos on the differential diagnosis of myoclonus. Dr. Ganos explains how he distinguishes between jerky movements based on clinical history and examination, and discusses the differential diagnosis across various parts of the body.

Dr. Hugo Morales Briceno interviews Prof. David Devos from the University of Lille, France, about the results of the phase 1/2 clinical trial using intracerebroventricular anaerobic dopamine in Parkinson’s disease with L-dopa-related complications. Read the article.

Prof. Marina de Koning-Tijssen interviews Professors Anna Latorre and Shabbir Merchant on the topic of electrophysiology, with a focus on cortical myoclonus. Together they discuss the potential applications of electrophysiology for myoclonus in clinical practice. They also explore the complex interface between cortical myoclonus and epilepsy.

Dr. Michele Matarazzo interviews Prof. Irena Rektorová about her recent study on early changes in the locus coeruleus in mild cognitive impairment with Lewy bodies. Using neuromelanin-sensitive MRI, the study reveals selective vulnerability of the caudal locus coeruleus and its association with specific cognitive and other nonmotor features. The conversation explores the implications for early dia...

Prof. Marina de Koning-Tijssen interviews Prof. John Caviness on the topic of myoclonus, focusing on its new classification and treatment. They discuss the long-awaited recently published classification of myoclonus and explore the latest treatment options.

On this special World Parkinson’s Day episode, Dr. Michele Matarazzo is joined by John Dean—speech-language pathologist and Chair of the MDS Allied Health Professionals Group—to explore the essential roles of care partners, allied health professionals, and the broader Parkinson’s community. From physiotherapists to family members, we shine a light on the many people who support those living with P...

Dr. Sara Schaefer discusses with Dr. Michelle Fullard the similarities and differences in how men and women with Parkinson's disease approach the decision of whether or not to undergo deep brain stimulation. Read the article.

In this episode, Dr. Michele Matarazzo interviews Prof. Tom Foltynie about the recently published phase 3 clinical trial of exenatide as a disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson’s disease in The Lancet. While the findings were disappointing, ongoing post-hoc analyses aim to understand the discrepancy with previous phase 2 results and explore how they might shape the future of exenatide and other...

Prof. Sarah Camargos interviews Prof. Sun Ju Chung about his recent paper in the Movement Disorders Journal investigating diagnostic and prognostic capabilities of measuring blood mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-CN) for Parkinson’s disease. Journal CME is available until March 3, 2026 Read the article.

Dr. Sara Schaefer and Dr. Davide Martino discuss his recent paper exploring the use of transcranial direct current stimulation over the supplementary motor area for the suppression of tics in patients with Tourette Syndrome. Read the article.

There is an important role for cost-effective clinical biomarkers in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Dr. Eduardo de Pablo-Fernández and Dr. Cecilia Tremblay discuss how accurate hyposmia and REM sleep behavior disorder can predict Lewy pathology in a non-selected population using data from the Arizona clinicopathological study on Aging and Neurodegeneration. Read the article.

Dr. Jennifer Eisenhauer joins Dr. Sara Schaefer to discuss her recent article describing a combined therapy approach for adult patient with tics: habit reversal therapy (HRT) + acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). They further discuss what these therapies are, their effect in tics, what is gratifying about working with patients with tics, and next steps to determine efficacy of this approach....

Dr. Eduardo de Pablo-Fernández and Dr Tommaso Schirinzi discuss the results of his study evaluating markers of immune response, metabolism, inflammatory regulation and tau levels in blood cells in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). They also discuss how these results contribute to the growing evidence of neuroinflammation contributing to the pathogenesis of PSP. Journal CME is ava...