For many years, Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies have been defined using clinical features. With recent advances in biomarkers, particularly the alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay that allows us to detect misfolded and aggregated alpha-synuclein in cerebrospinal fluid, it is now possible to identify the presence of pathological neuronal alpha-synuclein in living patients. With input from diverse stakeholders, a new biological definition of neuronal alpha-synuclein disease (NSD) has been proposed, along with an integrated staging system (NSD-ISS). In this interview, we discuss the development of this biologic definition for Parkinson’s disease and the staging system with Dr. Lana Chanine, one of the lead authors of the recently published manuscript in The Lancet Neurology that describes this work. It is important to note that the NSD and NSD-ISS are for research purposes only right now, and they are not ready to be implemented in the clinic. Lana is a Movement Disorders Neurologist and Associate Professor of Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Foundation’s landmark research study is exploring the connection between sense of smell and brain disease. People with and without Parkinson's can help by taking a free scratch-and-sniff test. Get yours at mysmelltest.org/request.

This podcast episode was part of a limited series created by The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2023 and 2024 for clinicians and researchers in our audience.  These episodes provide a deeper dive into exciting new scientific research in Parkinson’s disease, as well as innovative tools and valuable resources, through conversations with a variety of experts in the field. We hope you enjoy the conversation.