In recognition of World Parkinson’s Day on 11 April, we’re pleased to bring together relevant content from across our publications.

Parkinson’s is a chronic neurological disease which has devastating impacts on patients' quality of life, and for which currently there is no cure. Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurological condition, and one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. An estimated 8.5 million people are living with Parkinson’s – this has doubled in the past 25 years and is projected to double again by 2040 due to increases in life expectancy. Although the greatest risk factor for developing Parkinson’s is ageing, an estimated 4% of people with Parkinson’s are diagnosed before the age of 50.  

The main symptoms of Parkinson’s are problems with motor function, such as uncontrollable tremors in the hand, arms or leg, and stiffness and slowness of movement. However, people with Parkinson’s also experience many non-motor symptoms, such as mood changes, sleep disruption, digestive and sensory issues, fatigue and pain. These non-motor symptoms are often untreated and can cause profound effects on the quality of life of patients and their carers. Individual people with Parkinson’s can suffer from different combinations of symptoms, and this array of symptoms can change over time.

Currently-used drugs treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s, but do not prevent the disease from worsening. There is a large global research effort to develop new therapies aimed at slowing down the disease in the brain, and ultimately ensuring that patients have a better quality of life.

Professor Aideen Sullivan, Associate Editor of Neuronal Signaling and a researcher in this area, has highlighted the importance of research into the disease:

“Researchers are addressing the unmet clinical need for disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson’s by using laboratory models to identify and screen candidate therapeutic targets. The translation of therapies from preclinical models to clinical application is dependent on open, engaged and collaborative research. Communication between people with Parkinson’s, scientists and clinicians is critical to ensuring that these research efforts are channelled to providing the best possible outcomes for patients.”

Further reading

• Back to the future: lessons from past viral infections and the link with Parkinson’s disease
• Animal models of Parkinson’s disease: a guide to selecting the optimal model for your research
• Protective mechanisms by glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor against the α-synuclein accumulation in Parkinson's disease
• From structure to ætiology: a new window on the biology of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 and Parkinson’s disease
• Impact of 100 LRRK2 variants linked to Parkinson's disease on kinase activity and microtubule binding