Sleep disturbances, such as insomnia, sleep fragmentation, excessive daytime sleepiness, and REM sleep behavior disorder are common in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Poor sleep quality can also impact other domains of function, including motor function. Prior research has shown that a type of photoreceptor cell in the retina, called melanopsin cells, provide the main light signals to the brain to initiate sleep, and function of these cells is impaired in PD. Dr. Beatix Feigl and her colleagues developed a novel light therapy intervention that selectively activates the melanopsin photoreceptor cells, and in this episode, she discusses the results of a recent randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of this melanopsin photoreceptor-directed light therapy on sleep and circadian rhythm, as well as motor behaviors. She also discusses her earlier work on melanopsin cells that led to the development of standard measures to assess their function. Beatrix is an Ophthalmologist and an Associate Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Center for Vision and Eye Research, as well as the Faculty of Health, at the Queensland University of Technology.

This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

Though existing evidence supports that dysfunction in the clearing of cellular debris plays an important role in the development of Parkinson's disease, many unanswered questions remain regarding the mechanisms of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway involved in this process. In particular, research in the field has been limited by a lack of reliable, quantitative tests for monitoring autophagy-lysosome activity. In this interview, Dr. Zhenyu Yue describes his research investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms for Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on their work examining the regulation of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, potential therapeutic targets, and MJFF-funded research that aims to develop sensitive, robust autophagy-lysosome assays to facilitate the discovery of biomarkers for PD using stem cell-derived neurons and biofluids. Zhenyu is the Aidekman Research Professor in the Department of Neurology and Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also the Director of the Center of Parkinson’s Disease Neurobiology and Director of Basic Research of Movement Disorders at Mount Sinai.

This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.

Evidence supports that dysfunction in the homeostasis of iron and other elements likely contributes to the pathophysiological mechanisms of Parkinson's disease, but we have yet to develop suitable elemental biomarkers for use in diagnosing and monitoring the progression of Parkinson's disease. Dr. Paul Lingor discusses his work in this area to identify patterns of bioelements in CSF that could serve as PD biomarkers. Beyond CSF, he is also examining tear fluid as a potential biomarker source that is easier to collect. In addition to work on biomarkers, Paul has been involved in developing and evaluating new treatments for Parkinson's disease. In this episode, he discusses an ongoing phase II clinical trial evaluating the ROCK inhibitor Fasudil, as well as research examining combinations of advanced therapies for people with later-stage Parkinson's disease. Paul is Professor of Neurology at the Technical University of Munich and head of the outpatient clinics for motor neuron disease and co-head of the outpatient clinics for Parkinson’s disease.

This podcast is geared toward researchers and clinicians. If you live with Parkinson’s or have a friend or family member with PD, listen to The Michael J. Fox Foundation Parkinson’s Podcast. Hear from scientists, doctors and people with Parkinson's on different aspects of life with the disease as well as research toward treatment breakthroughs at https://www.michaeljfox.org/podcasts.