Penn Medicine’s Movement Disorders Center participates in groundbreaking research to improve available treatments and address the current needs for people with Parkinson’s disease. We quickly integrate research findings into our clinical care, so you get the best results. If you’re eligible to take part in research studies and clinical trials, we discuss the options with you and help you make the right choice.
Improving the Efficacy of Levodopa as a Parkinson’s Treatment
Our clinicians and researchers are addressing major issues that affect the care of people with Parkinson’s disease, especially those with advanced disease who experience decreased effectiveness of levodopa over time.
As a dose of levodopa wears off, unpredictable side effects may include:
- Freezing of gait (the inability to move forward when walking)
- Involuntary body movements (dyskinesia)
- Motor fluctuations (also known as “on-off” times) where the drug works and suddenly doesn’t, rapidly changing the ability to move
Researchers in our program are investigating new ways to deliver more consistent doses of levodopa to decrease the occurrence of side effects.
Redesigning Parkinson’s Clinical Trials to Develop More Effective Treatments
Penn Medicine is one of the leading sites participating in an international biomarker study funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. We collect and analyze data from willing clinical trial participants to identify biomarkers (measurable indicators) of Parkinson’s disease and many other neural diseases.
Once identified, biomarkers for Parkinson’s will help design more efficient clinical trials and provide information needed to develop medications that more effectively slow down disease progression. These biomarkers may even help detect signs of the disease earlier.
Groundbreaking Genetics Research for Parkinson’s Disease
Penn's Movement Disorders Center is a part of the Perelman School of Medicine’s Molecular Integration in Neurological Diagnosis (MIND) Initiative. The MIND Initiative is home to a large clinical and genetic databank containing more than 1,500 DNA samples from people with Parkinson’s. Our researchers use this resource to actively search for genes that increase risk for certain neurological diseases.
Every patient in our program has access to genetic testing that looks for known genes involved in Parkinson’s. Patients may also opt to contribute their samples to our research databank. Our goal is to develop and test treatments that target the genetic bases of conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and ataxia.
Other Impactful Clinical Trials and Research Studies
Despite significant advances in our understanding of the disease, there is still much to learn about the causes, progression, and treatment of Parkinson’s. Research experts and pioneers at Penn Medicine are engaged in clinical studies that involve testing new interventions as well as the efficacy of existing therapies to improve upon what we already know.
Assessing Effectiveness of Deep Brain Stimulation
Many people with Parkinson’s experience sleep disturbances. Poor sleep can make physical and cognitive symptoms of Parkinson’s worse.
Our neurosurgeons are investigating whether deep brain stimulation (DBS) improves sleep quality and motor symptoms for people with Parkinson’s disease.
Improving Delivery and Effectiveness of Levodopa
Delayed gastric emptying—when food in the stomach does not empty into the intestines quickly enough—may affect the absorption of medications like levodopa and cause dyskinesia and motor fluctuations.
Researchers are examining different ways of giving levodopa that completely bypass the stomach. One method pumps a gel-like formulation of levodopa (DUOPA) directly into the intestines. This treatment requires minor surgery to place a feeding tube into the intestines.
The BouNDless trial is investigating a levodopa pump implanted in fatty tissue under the skin. This pump ensures a continuous delivery of medication. Penn researchers are also studying possible side effects of this method of delivery in another clinical trial.
Investigating New Parkinson’s Medications
Our researchers and clinicians are testing the effectiveness of new drug treatments for Parkinson’s. In one study, we are analyzing the effectiveness of a new drug called dipraglurant for controlling dyskinesia in people taking levodopa.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which disability increases over time. Another clinical trial is assessing the efficacy of a new oral medication that might prevent progression of Parkinson’s from early to advanced stages.
Pioneering Treatments for Comorbid Conditions
Our researchers are exploring the effectiveness of treatment options including DBS and noninvasive treatments such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, and focused ultrasound, to effectively manage conditions that often occur along with Parkinson’s disease, including:
- Cognitive problems
- Psychiatric conditions
- Sleep disturbances such as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder
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