MDS 2021 | How should patients with Parkinson’s be subcategorized?

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a heterogenous neurodegenerative disorder, with significant variation in clinical presentation, progression rates, and risk of disease complications. This heterogeneity has significant implications for clinical trial design, with one-size-fits-all approaches unlikely to be successful. Etienne Hirsch, PhD, Institut du Cerveau-ICM, Inserm, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France, discusses the need to define and validate PD subtypes where the underlying disease biology differs. Prof. Hirsch emphasizes the importance of considering the exposome as well as the genome, as both these factors are likely to play a significant role in disease pathogenesis. This interview took place during the 2021 International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders.