A Neurological Disease Paradigm Shift

In a paper published in The Lancet Neurology, a group of scientists, including NAPS Co-Investigator, Ronald Postuma, MD, MSc (McGill), argue that developing effective treatments for Parkinson’s disease demands a new way of classifying the disease for research purposes, one based not on clinical diagnosis but biology. The authors have called their biological model “SynNeurGe”.

The “Syn” stands for alpha-synuclein, a protein that in most Parkinson’s patients causes abnormal deposits called Lewy bodies. Abnormalities in synuclein identify and probably cause degenerative changes in the brain that can impact movement, thinking, behavior and mood.

“Neur” stands for neurodegeneration. This is the breakdown of the function of neurons in the brain. In doctor’s offices, dysfunction of specific neurons within the dopamine system is the way that Parkinson’s is diagnosed. In the SynNeurGe model, however, neurodegeneration in all areas of the brain is included in the classification.

The “Ge” stands for genetics. The role of genetics in Parkinson’s is complex. Mutations in many different genes have been found to predispose someone to the disease. The likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease depends on the gene involved, the specific mutation within the gene and environmental exposures.