🎙️ We’re back with the eighteenth episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.

In this episode, Bas discusses new evidence on an old drug: amantadine. He reviews the PREMANDYSK study, a large multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled trial conducted across 15 specialist centres in France and published in Movement Disorders, which investigated whether early use of amantadine can delay or prevent the development of levodopa-induced dyskinesias in people with Parkinson’s disease.

Bas walks listeners through the study’s innovative delayed-start and washout design, explains why amantadine’s unique dopaminergic and NMDA-antagonist properties make it biologically plausible for this role, and highlights the key findings — including a 50% reduction in peak-dose dyskinesias at 18 months, lower levodopa dose escalation, and modest benefits for freezing of gait, fatigue, and quality of life, without an increase in adverse events.

He also offers a balanced interpretation of what the results do — and do not — tell us about true disease modification, discusses important limitations such as follow-up duration and patient selection, and reflects on how these findings may influence clinical decision-making today. Bas closes by reappraising amantadine’s place in Parkinson’s care, particularly as an underrated, cost-effective option for the right patient, while emphasising the need for further long-term research.

👉 You can read the full article here:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41316871/

Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

🎙️ We zijn terug met de zeventiende aflevering van Parkinson Weekly, gepresenteerd door prof. Bas Bloem.

Bas bespreekt het Artikel van de Week: Incidence and Spatial Variation of Parkinson’s Disease in the Netherlands in 2017–2022, gepubliceerd in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. Hij licht de innovatieve methodologie van het onderzoek toe, waarbij meerdere nationale databronnen zijn gebruikt om nieuwe gevallen van de ziekte van Parkinson in Nederland in kaart te brengen. Daarnaast belicht hij de belangrijkste bevindingen, waaronder een stabiele incidentie gedurende de onderzoeksperiode, duidelijke regionale patronen in nieuwe diagnoses en demografische verschillen in risico. Bas staat ook stil bij wat deze resultaten wel — en niet — zeggen over de rol van omgevingsfactoren bij de ziekte van Parkinson, de beperkingen van het onderzoek en de mogelijke richtingen voor toekomstig onderzoek.

👉 Je kunt het volledige artikel hier lezen:

https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2666-7762%2825%2900357-6

Heb je een vraag die je Bas in een toekomstige aflevering zou willen stellen? Stuur ons een e-mail via [email protected] – we horen graag van je.

🎙️ We’re back with the seventeenth episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.

Bas discusses the Article of the Week: Incidence and Spatial Variation of Parkinson’s Disease in the Netherlands in 2017–2022, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. He breaks down the study’s innovative methodology, which used multiple national data sources to map new Parkinson’s cases across the Netherlands, and highlights the key findings, including stable incidence over the study period, distinct regional patterns in new diagnoses, and demographic differences in risk. Bas also considers what these results may — and may not — tell us about environmental contributions to Parkinson’s disease, the study’s limitations, and where future research might be headed.

👉 You can read the full article here:

https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S2666-7762%2825%2900357-6

Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

🎙️ We’re back with the sixteenth episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.

In this episode, Bas discusses the Article of the Week: Mucuna pruriens in untreated Parkinson’s disease in sub-Saharan Africa: A 12-month, multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. He explores the study’s design, key findings, and what this important research tells us about alternative, accessible treatment options for Parkinson’s disease, particularly in under-resourced settings, as well as its broader implications for global Parkinson’s care.

👉 You can read the full article below:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41269916/

Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

🎄🎙️ We’re back with a special Christmas bonus episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.

In this festive episode, Bas reflects on the many developments, conversations, and lessons from 2025, offering a thoughtful and wide-ranging look at where Parkinson’s disease research and care stand today. From scientific progress and clinical practice to people, policy, and purpose, he shares his perspective on what has changed — and what still needs to evolve. Bas also looks ahead to the future, outlining his outlook on Parkinson’s disease treatment in the years to come, with a message of realism, optimism, and continued collaboration as we move into the next chapter.

Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

🎙️ We’re back with the fifteenth episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.

In this week’s episode, Bas explores the next generation of neuromodulation with a focus on Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation (aDBS), joined by special guest Dr. Martijn Beudel. Together, they unpack how aDBS moves beyond traditional continuous stimulation by dynamically responding to a patient’s brain signals in real time. The discussion highlights the potential of this personalised approach to improve symptom control, reduce side effects, and reshape the future of Parkinson’s disease treatment, while also addressing the clinical challenges and research still needed to bring aDBS into wider practice.

Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

🎙️ We’re back with the fourteenth episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.

In this week’s episode, Bas delves into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and its growing influence on Parkinson’s disease care and healthcare in general. He explores how AI-driven tools offer remarkable new possibilities — from earlier diagnosis to personalised treatment strategies — while also highlighting the ethical, clinical, and practical concerns that come with relying on algorithms in healthcare. Bas reflects on how the promise of AI must be balanced with caution, transparency, and rigorous scientific validation.

Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

🎙️ We’re back with the thirteenth episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.

In this week’s episode, Bas explores the powerful intersection between art and Parkinson’s disease — how creativity, expression, and the artistic process can offer unique insights into living with the condition. From movement and emotion to identity and resilience, Bas reflects on the ways art can illuminate aspects of Parkinson’s that clinical measures often overlook.

The article of the week, “Shades of grey: The continuum of therapies for Parkinson’s disease along the spectrum of credibility” dives into the nuanced landscape of Parkinson’s treatments. Bas discusses how different therapeutic approaches — from well-established evidence-based interventions to emerging and unconventional options — fit along a continuum, and why understanding this spectrum is essential for both clinicians and people with Parkinson’s.

👉 You can read the full article below:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40746025/

Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

🎙️ We’re back with the twelfth episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.

In this week’s episode, Bas examines whether today’s clinical study assessments are truly prepared for the future of Parkinson’s research and care. With rapid advances in technology, emerging biomarkers, and new digital tools, long-established rating scales and outcome measures are increasingly being questioned.

Do they genuinely reflect what matters most to people living with Parkinson’s? And how might clinical studies adapt to capture the full complexity of the condition?

Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.

🎙️ We’re back with the eleventh episode of Parkinson Weekly, hosted by Prof. Bas Bloem.

This week’s Article of the Week delves into the emerging role of faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) as a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease.

Building on growing evidence linking gut health and neurological function, the study examines whether restoring a healthy gut microbiome could help alleviate symptoms and possibly influence disease progression.

👉 You can read the full article below:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2821254

Have a question you’d like Bas to answer in a future episode? Email us at [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you.