Parkinson’s Foundation Presents Six Studies at MDS Virtual Congress 2021

MIAMI & NEW YORK (September 22, 2021) —The Parkinson’s Foundation presented six scientific posters highlighting research, care and education at the MDS Virtual Congress 2021 hosted by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society. The Foundation’s PD GENEration: Mapping the Future of Parkinson’s poster received the special honor of “Top Abstract,” including an invitation to attend a live panel discussion during the Congress.

“The selection of PD GENEration as a Top Abstract is an honor and testament to the commitment the Parkinson’s Foundation has to delivering improvements to care and life for those with PD,” said James Beck, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of the Parkinson’s Foundation. “Genetic testing empowers people with PD and their care team to improve care, and thanks to the dedication of PD GENEration research investigators, these remarkable results support the expansion of this study for the community.”

Parkinson’s Foundation poster presentations included:

Providing Genetic Testing and Genetic Counseling to the Parkinson’s Disease Community: The PD GENEration Pilot Study Experience

Selected as a “Top Abstract,” this study examines the feasibility of offering genetic testing and counseling to people with PD through PD GENEration: Mapping the Future of Parkinson’s Disease. It also highlights the Foundation’s participants survey that measured the satisfaction levels of those who received genetic testing and counseling through the pilot study.

Implementing Systematic Screening and a Treatment Algorithm for Depression in Parkinson’s Disease

Depression is a common symptom of PD, and this study aims to boost quality of life for those living with the disease by finding a way to address the unmet need of updating clinical practices to improve care. This two-year study aims to determine barriers and devise solutions to incorporating depression screening into routine screening for people living with PD.

A New Phase of the Parkinson’s Outcomes Project Registry Study

The Parkinson’s Outcomes Project, a study tracking and monitoring the care of people with PD over time at select Parkinson’s Foundation Centers of Excellence across four countries, marked a new phase in 2021 with expanded data collection focus areas. The study’s efforts, combined with providing genetic testing to all participants to better understand the causes of the disease, aims to address crucial gaps in PD research and will lead to improvements in care.

A Pandemic Care Partner Summit: Online Program Helps Parkinson’s Care Partners Take Positive Actions

The Parkinson’s Foundation Care Partner Summit | Cumbre Para Cuidadores was held virtually in 2020 in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlights survey results measuring what positive actions registrants have taken since the Summit, as well as insight into which of their loved one’s PD symptoms has been the most challenging for them as a care partner.

Pathway to Parkinson’s Exercise Education Accreditation Competencies for Exercise Professionals and Exercise Education Programs

In response to the critical need for unified, PD-specific guidelines for exercise professionals, this study outlines the Foundation’s efforts to standardize educational programs and ensure competence of exercise professionals working with people with PD. A pilot project aims to determine the feasibility of a Parkinson’s Foundation accreditation for PD exercise education programs.

Care Partners in Parkinson’s: Who Calls the Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline and Why?

Finally, these findings shed light on the top reasons care partners contact the Parkinson’s Foundation Helpline. The study assesses gender differences in the reason for calling or emailing and the time since diagnosis, for the five-year period between 2016 to 2021.

To view and learn more about the research findings presented by the Parkinson’s Foundation at the MDS Virtual Congress 2021 visit Parkinson.org/Blog. Find more about the Parkinson’s Foundation commitment to research at Parkinson.org/Research.