EAN 2022 | Advancing diagnosis in Parkinson’s disease: the search for a reliable biomarker

Fabrizio Stocchi, MD, PhD, IRCCS San Raffaele Rome, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, discusses the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Currently, the clinical diagnosis remains the most important process as no biomarkers are available. Although neuroimaging techniques can be used to identify dopaminergic dysfunction, they can’t differentiate PD from other types of Parkinsonism, such as multiple system atrophy or tauopathies. Genetic studies in PD have led to the discovery of several causal and risk genes associated with a high risk of PD: mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) and glucocerebrosidase (GBA) represent the two most common genetic causes of PD. Such discoveries have made clinicians more aware of those subgroups of patients. However, the most considerable research effort is finding a reliable PD biomarker that could significantly improve the diagnosis of the disease. This interview took place at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) 2022 Congress in Vienna, Austria.