Congratulations to Dr. Michael Okun on the publication of “Exploring the path towards a biological definition of Parkinson’s Disease and its widespread implications.” This article appears on the website of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
The conversation around definition, classification, and staging for Parkinson’s Disease has been sparked by a series of recent papers (Box 1). Two proposals – one by Höglinger, et al. and the other by Simuni et al. – attempt to define Parkinson’s disease based on what is currently known about the underlying pathobiological processes. Each paper then outlines a classification or staging system, respectively. Parkinson’s disease has historically been only defined by the clinical presentation of the disease, however, the unified interest in slowing progression of the disease will undoubtedly require the identification of the disease before the motor symptoms appear. Therefore, these papers represent attempts to redefine the disease in a way that could allow for earlier diagnosis. The discussion below is from a global group of leaders who examine the obstacles and implications of these proposals.