Mechanism of neurodegeneration and treatment of motor disability and drug-induced side effects in movement disorders, particularly Parkinson’s Disease.

 Symptomatic treatment in Parkinson’s disease

 Parkinson’s disease is one of the few neurodegenerative disorders where the symptoms are reasonable well treated, particularly early in the disease progression. However, there are a number of problems associated with the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Firstly long-term use of the existing treatments, for example levodopa, results in unpredictable responses to the drug, or the onset of abnormal involuntary movement (dyskinesia). Part of our research is investigating the cause of these side effects and finding better pharmacological agents to treat the motor symptoms, and to prevent or reduce dyskinesia. Secondly, the present treatments only treat the symptoms associated with movement, and do not address the other non-motor symptoms of the disease. We are investigating the pathology associated with these non-motor symptoms which include sleep disorders, autonomic dysfunction, anxiety, depression and pain, all of which significantly affect the patient’s quality of life, with a view to understanding their cause and improving their treatment

 Neuroprotection in Parkinson’s disease

Although the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can be reasonably well controlled, the drugs do not slow or stop the progression of the disease. We are further investigating the mechanisms of cell death associated with Parkinson’s disease including proteasomal dysfunction, autophagy and apoptotic cell death and searching for novel agents that are able to slow its progression. We are particularly interested in the neuroprotective role of an endogenous protein called osteopontin, inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase and histone deacetylase inhibitors

 Symptomatic treatment in Parkinson’s disease; Neuroprotection in Parkinson’s disease