CONy 2021 | Novel targets for Parkinson’s disease: thinking beyond the status quo

Lars Wojtecki, MD, PhD, Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany, discusses potential mechanisms beyond the dopaminergic system that could be targeted in Parkinson’s disease. The basal ganglia are known to play an important role in motor control, and adenosine receptors are considered to be present specifically in that brain region. Therefore, modulation of the adenosine system is a potential strategy beyond levodopa and dopamine agonist treatments. Targeting the adenosine receptors would directly interfere with the indirect pathway, and it’s plausible that it could affect motor function, prolong “on” time and even increase the quality of the “on” time, but it could also affect non-motor aspects. This interview was conducted during the virtual 2021 World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy).