MDS 2023 | Advances in the assessment and treatment of non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease

Ray Chaudhuri, MD, DSc, FRCP, FEAN, King’s College London, London, UK, describes recent advances in the assessment and treatment of non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease. Prof. Chaudhuri mentions the importance of addressing non-motor symptoms such as postural hypotension, urinary dysfunction, sleep dysfunction, apathy, and anxiety, which often receive less attention than motor symptoms. Ongoing research and trials for various non-motor symptoms, including fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and urinary dysfunction, are underway. Exciting developments include the effectiveness of therapies, such as opicapone for pain control and a vestibular caloric stimulation device for non-motor symptom improvement. Additionally, subcutaneous levodopa formulation has shown efficacy in improving nocturia and sleep. Establishing non-motor subtypes, such as the noradrenergic and cholinergic subtypes, has helped personalize treatments and enrich populations for clinical trials. Overall, there is still a need for further research in this area. This interview took place at the 2023 International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders in Copenhagen, Denmark.

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