WHO, WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE OF PARKINSON S DIAGNOSIS. MJFF Third Thursdays Webinar March 17, 2016

Transcription

1 WHO, WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE OF PARKINSON S DIAGNOSIS MJFF Third Thursdays Webinar March 17, 2016

2 WHAT WE LL COVER TODAY How is Parkinson s misdiagnosed? How is Parkinson s diagnosed today? Can we use DaTscan to diagnose Parkinson s disease? Why is earlier and more confident diagnosis important? How are scientists working toward more accurate and earlier diagnosis? 2

3 OUR PANELISTS Moderator: Dave Iverson Founding Member, MJFF Patient Council Panelists: Bill Bucklew Executive at Product Development Company in Illinois Diagnosed with Parkinson s in 2012 Danna Jennings, MD Clinical Research Director Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders Samantha Hutten, PhD Senior Associate Director, Research Programs The Michael J. Fox Foundation 3

4 WRONG/DELAYED DIAGNOSIS IS A PROBLEM IN PARKINSON S CARE AND RESEARCH People with PD diagnosed with other conditions Patients with gait disturbances see more delayed diagnosis than people with tremor 1 Early symptoms may be dismissed as signs of natural aging 2 People without Parkinson s told they have PD Studies show up to 20% of people diagnosed with Parkinson s do not truly have the disease 3 Essential tremor and Alzheimer s disease are among the conditions that can be mistaken for PD 4 Other parkinsonisms such as multiple system atrophy can look like PD 5 4

5 THERE IS NO OBJECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC TEST FOR PARKINSON S DISEASE PD diagnosis is still based primarily on clinical observation. Physicians observe and weigh different factors: 6 Clinical symptoms Tremor, rigidity, slowness Criteria that show it is unlikely PD Normal dopamine system imaging No response to levodopa Medications that may cause motor symptoms 5

6 WHAT ABOUT DATSCAN? Dopamine transporter (DaT) scans visualize dopamine activity in the brain DaTscan can tell if someone has a disease of dopamine loss, but there are others beside Parkinson s (e.g., multiple system atrophy) DaTscan is being used more in research to cut down on enrollment of misdiagnosed volunteers. 3. DaTscan may help test drugs trying to slow or stop early-stage disease (when see most dopamine loss). 8 Image from Cedars-Sinai 6

7 PROPER DIAGNOSIS IS IMPORTANT FOR CARE AND FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NEW THERAPIES The right diagnosis can help patients find the right treatment regimen and plan for the future. Proper diagnosis also is essential for research: 9 Scientists need to observe and learn about Parkinson s from people with the true disease. Testing treatments against Parkinson s in people without PD means successful drugs may look ineffective in trials. Earlier diagnosis would allow for testing of therapies earlier in disease. A population of more confidently diagnosed participants could also allow for smaller, less expensive and quicker studies. 7

8 MEASURING A KEY PROTEIN COULD HELP DIAGNOSE PARKINSON S EARLIER The protein alpha-synuclein clumps together in Parkinson s, which may cause cell loss and symptoms 10 Researchers are working on an imaging agent to visualize alpha-synuclein in the brain 11 Scientists may be able to measure alpha-synuclein outside the brain 12 Separate studies have measured alpha-synuclein in skin, blood, spinal fluid and tissue 12 A new study looks at alpha-synuclein across the body in one person 13 8

9 A RISK MODEL COULD DIAGNOSE OR EVEN PREDICT WHO WILL DEVELOP PARKINSON S Evaluating certain measures together could tell who had PD in a study group and could identify people who may develop PD Genetic risk score 2. Age 3. Sex 4. Family history of neurological disease 5. Smell function Researchers used data from the MJFF-led Parkinson s Progression Markers Initiative to develop this model. 9

10 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Type your questions in the Q&A box in the middle of your screen. Check the Resource List for more information.

11 PARTICIPATE IN CLINICAL RESEARCH: foxtrialfinder.org WATCH PREVIOUS WEBINARS: michaeljfox.org/webinars