Congratulations to Dr. Michael Okun on the publication of “Definition of Implanted Neurological Device Abandonment,” which appears in the April 30th edition of JAMA. Abstract Importance  Establishing a formal definition for neurological device abandonment has the potential to reduce or to prevent the occurrence of this abandonment. Objective  To perform a systematic review of the literature and develop an expert consensus definition for neurological device abandonment. Evidence Review  After a Royal Society Summit on Neural Interfaces (September 13-14, 2023), a sy ..read more

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Okun on the publication of “Exploring the path towards a biological definition of Parkinson’s Disease and its widespread implications.” This article appears on the website of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. The conversation around definition, classification, and staging for Parkinson’s Disease has been sparked by a series of recent papers (Box 1). Two proposals – one by Höglinger, et al. and the other by Simuni et al. – attempt to define Parkinson’s disease based on what is currently known about the underlying pathobiological proce ..read more

Essential tremor is the most prevalent movement disorder, affecting up to 4% of the general population. Although the exact cause remains largely unknown, about half of all cases are familial, and transmission is most consistent with an autosomal dominant mechanism. Essential tremor progresses slowly over time and can result in significant disability, affecting daily tasks and work responsibilities. As a result, patients often withdraw from social interactions and many develop depressive disorders. Medical treatments such as beta-blockers and anticonvulsants are available to most patients, but ..read more

University of Florida Health is offering a new drug therapy that could temporarily slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in some patients. Lecanemab is thought to successfully target and eliminate clusters of sticky proteins, or amyloid plaques, that form between the brain’s nerve cells and play an important part in the processes that diminish cognitive function wrought by the disease. The medication was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year. “It is the only medication that we have that is disease-modifying,” said Nicholas Doher, D.O., an assistant profess ..read more

Congratulations to Dr. Srinivasa Subramaniam on the publication of “Ribosome Profiling and Mass Spectrometry Reveal Widespread Mitochondrial Translation Defects in a Striatal Cell Model of Huntington Disease,” which appears in the April edition of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics. Abstract Huntington disease (HD) is caused by an expanded polyglutamine mutation in huntingtin (mHTT) that promotes prominent atrophy in the striatum and subsequent psychiatric, cognitive deficits, and choreiform movements. Multiple lines of evidence point to an association between HD and aberrant striatal mitochond ..read more

Congratulations to Drs. Michael Okun and Kelly Foote on the publication of “Assessment of lmage-guided Programming (IGP) on Bilateral STN and GPi Deep Brain Stimulation Programming Time,” which appears in the April edition of Neurology. Abstract Objective: Assessment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patient outcomes using an image-guided programming (IGP) applied during initial deep brain stimulation (DBS) programming, either with STN or GPi as brain target. Background: Optimization of DBS programming can be a lengthy, empirical trial-and-error process potentially leading to extended programming se ..read more

Congratulations to Drs. Visual Perera and Michael Okun on the publication of “The History of the Term “Catatonia” in Cases of Encephalopathy,” which appears in the April edition of Neurology. Abstract Objective: The neuropsychiatric term catatonia was born in the 19th century. We explored primary source documents to define the founder’s intent for its application in neurology and psychiatry. Background: Catatonia was originally described as a ‘tonic-mental disorder’ in 1874 by Dr. Karl Ludwig Kahlbaum, which included 17 distinct clinical signs or symptoms. Since its introduction to c ..read more

Congratulation to Drs. Michael Okun and Kelly Foote, on the publication of “Real-world Outcomes Using DBS Systems with Directionality and Multiple Independent Current Control: USA Experience,” which appears in the April edition of Neurology. Abstract Objective: Here, we present preliminary outcomes from an ongoing prospective, multicenter outcomes registry conducted at centers in the United States consisting of patients implanted with directional Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Systems capable of multiple independent current control (MICC) for use in management of the motor signs and symptoms in ..read more

Congratulations to Dr. Srinavasa Subramaniam on the publication of “SUMO modifies GβL and mediates mTOR signaling,” which appears in the April edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. Introduction The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is influenced by multiple regulatory proteins and post-translational modifications; however, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we report a novel role of small ubiquitin–like modifier (SUMO) in mTOR complex assembly and activity. By investigating the SUMOylation status of core mTOR components, we observed that the regulatory subunit ..read more

Michael Okun, medical director of the Parkinson’s Foundation, told AFP that from a practical standpoint, the differences in patient outcomes were not clinically significant, but “statistically and compared to other studies, this type of difference should draw our interest and attention.” “Experts will likely argue whether this study meets a minimum threshold for neuroprotection, and it likely does not,” continued Okun, adding the weight loss side effect was concerning for Parkinson’s patients.  ..read more