Michael Okun

Can a brain parasite move us? YES. Movement disorders can present as part of a Toxoplasmosis infection. What is Toxo? Garg and colleagues describe in a new paper in Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements how central toxoplasmosis can cause a wide spectrum of movement disorders like hemichorea.

Are there clues we are missing in the gut? Spoiler alert: Microbiome differences in Parkinson’s vs isolated REM sleep behavior disorder. The intestinal microbiota refers to the trillions of microorganisms living in our gut that play critical roles in digestion, immunity and possibly brain health.

What’s on the health supplement label matters. A structure and function claim refers to language describing how a nutrient supports normal body function, for example it states supports brain health w/o stating that it prevents/treats a disease. We should teach people about this and let them choose.

Do you know how a quaking idea reshaped neuroscience, prion and the Parkinson's field? We must reflect on the discoveries that triggered shifts in a field, like the α-synuclein seeding assay for Parkinson’s.

Should we be stimulating the old vagus nerve (e.g. VNS) to steady movement and quiet inflammation in Parkinson’s and beyond? How about a 2025 update? The vagus nerve is the major parasympathetic highway linking brainstem nuclei to body organs and it can be electrically stimulated!

New nationwide data links TCE exposure to higher Parkinson’s risk. Trichloroethylene or TCE is a widely used industrial solvent and environmental contaminant that can be found in air, soil and water. New paper: TCE associated w/ increased risk of Parkinson’s in older adults across USA.

Anti-amyloid therapy moves to 'the home' as the FDA approves subcutaneous maintenance dosing for Alzheimer’s disease. Could this be the beginning of a shift in the treatment landscape for Alzheimer’s disease. @alzassociation.bsky.social

Do you know how genes and the environment shape Parkinson’s disease? Does the time (or the temporal sequence) of events matter? Genetic risk factors unfold over time, interact w/ environmental exposures and may contribute to the many ways Parkinson’s disease shows itself. @thelancet.com

KevinMD just dropped a post on expanding the Parkinson’s universe of care for persons w/ Parkinson’s, caregivers, clinicians and communities. The post is focused on an excerpt from the just published book, the Parkinson’s Plan www.pdplan.org

Could the Parkinson’s drug levodopa prime the brain to respond better to intensive rehabilitation following a stroke or injury? Enter the idea: Let’s give dopamine pills after a stroke? Spoiler alert: This new large, randomized trial published in JAMA revealed no added benefit in recovery.

Huntington’s disease treated for first time using gene therapy Preliminary results from a small trial offer the clearest evidence yet that the brain disease’s progression can be slowed.

🚨 TWO great news in medical science 🧪

1️⃣ A gene therapy targeting Huntington's Disease has shown significant success in a small clinical trial by slowing down the progression of the disease.

(1/2)

doi.org/10.1038/d415...

Having a PLAN for how you live will indeed shape your brain: New JAMA randomized trial linked lifestyle to potentially slowing cognitive decline. Baker and colleagues describe how a trial tested structured vs self-guided lifestyle programs in over 2,000 older adults at risk for dementia.

How heritable is autism when compared to Parkinson’s? Pearson in Nature: autism’s heritability has been estimated at about 80%, similar to the characteristic of height. Reading this article about autism got me thinking about Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s heritability it is substantially lower ~20%+.

Walking 7000 steps a day may help you live longer and stronger. I am on the West coast for a book tour and on all 4 stops this 'one' keeps coming up and it comes in at #21 on our Parkinson's 25 in the Parkinson's Plan Book www.pdplan.org

Do you know about the ripples in your brain important for memory? Ripples are brief bursts of high-frequency brain activity (80–150 Hz) that last about 20–100 milliseconds and are thought to help link and replay patterns of neural activity that support your memory.

A gene therapy buzz: Did AMT-130 really slow Huntington's disease by 75% at 36 months? A press release say YES. The data not yet been subjected to peer review and publication.
uniqure.gcs-web.com/news-release...

Check out this paper that unlocked the human brain networks behind tics. The research team recorded signals during tic and tic-free states revealing the rhythms that seem to drive tic generation. What was cool was that all participants had brain leads placed into two different regions.

Boom: The results of the ADAPT-PD personalized brain stimulation trial showed promise for treating Parkinson’s. First longer-term results for adaptive DBS in PD. Adaptive stimulation automatically adjusts in real time to a person’s brain signals. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social

Should we be poking more holes in the brain-first vs body-first Parkinson’s theory? The brain-first body-first hypothesis suggests Parkinson’s may begin in either the brain (olfactory bulb or amygdala) or the body (gut, skin, kidney) and then spread. Espay and Lees describe the evidence.

What is the update for skin biopsies to differentiate Parkinson's vs. MSA? Spoiler alert: under confocal microscope, skin biopsies look different in PD vs MSA. Donadio and colleagues describe in a new paper in Brain the uses of intraneural phosphorylated α-synuclein. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social

The book, The Parkinson’s Plan is back on Oprah Daily w/ 7 practical tips for prevention and for brain health. Prevention means identifying risks and taking action, before symptoms start. How about shifting care models toward prevention and lifestyle interventions?
www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/...

A 2025 update on 'multi-site neurostimulation' and how it is making its move into the treatment toolbox for Parkinson's, Tourette, OCD and other neuropsychiatric conditions. Neurostimulation means using electricity to modulate brain networks and also using it to reduce symptoms of brain diseases.

How long does a Parkinson’s tremor stay on one side of the body? Spoiler alert: In more than half of cases it stays on one side. Tremor, which usually begins on one side, may spread across the body over time. In science terms, contralateral simply means moving to the opposite side of the body.

A surprising result from a randomized treatment trial of an ataxia treatment: high intensity aerobic exercise beat out simple balance training. Until now, treatment has focused mainly on balance training. The new randomized study found something unexpected.

Air pollution and Lewy body dementia: A wake-up call. A new study published in Science revealed that fine particle pollution (PM2.5) does not simply worsen general dementia risk. It may directly promote Lewy body dementia (LBD). @sfn.org

To shunt or not to shunt, that is the (NPH) question? The first large randomized trial of shunting for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) just dropped in NEJM, and there was clear benefit for walking, and it favored the group receiving shunts. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social

Five year outcomes for Vercise deep brain stimulation (DBS) in Parkinson's disease are in, and they look very good. Specific features: independent control of each contact, rechargeable batteries, directional leads to steer current and MRI compatibility. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social

Does air pollution lead to or potentially worsen Alzheimer’s related brain changes? Spoiler alert: YES, there is a convincing association that we should all pay attention to. Kim and colleagues provide compelling evidence that the air we breathe may worsen Alzheimer’s disease pathology.

Pesticides are drifting above us, and for diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, drifting 'chemical filled clouds' will be bad news for everyone. A new study revealed that pesticides are not just in the soil and water, they are traveling long distances and accumulating in cloud water.

Acupuncture offers relief for older adults w/ chronic low back pain w/ or without Parkinson. A new randomized trial published in JAMA Network Open by DeBar and colleagues tested acupuncture in 800 older adults and found sustained improvements in both pain and disability.@parkinsondotorg.bsky.social