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Brain Sciences
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Advances in Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders
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Advances in Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurodegenerative Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1778

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gabriele Imbalzano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", University of Turin, Via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy
Interests: Parkinson's disease; movement disorders; tremor; dystonia; gait disorders; chorea
Dr. Domiziana Rinaldi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Sapienza University of Rome, 700189 Rome, Italy
Interests: neurology; Parkinson's disease; movement disorders; autonomic dysfunction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Parkinson’s disease and related movement disorders remain a major challenge in neurology due to their complex pathophysiology, progressive course, and impact on quality of life. Recent advances are reshaping both our understanding and management of these conditions, with research into genetic mutations, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation highlighting disease variability and opening new paths to targeted molecular therapies. Modern neuroimaging and fluid biomarkers, including α-synuclein and tau seeding assays, are improving early diagnosis, refining clinical classification, and strengthening clinical trials designs. Moreover, therapeutic options have expanded beyond dopamine replacement, with advances in continuous drug delivery, new non-dopaminergic agents, and important technological progress in device-assisted interventions such as deep brain stimulation and focused ultrasound (also applied in cases of tremor and dystonia). Beyond Parkinson’s, important breakthroughs include the approval of omaveloxolone, the first disease-modifying therapy for Friedreich’s ataxia, and the use of VMAT2 inhibitors, which have improved care in hyperkinetic disorders such as tardive dyskinesia and chorea. At the same time, digital health technologies—from wearable sensors to AI-driven analytics—are transforming longitudinal monitoring and supporting more personalized care. Given this background, this Special Issue will highlight multidisciplinary contributions that integrate basic science, clinical practice, and technological innovation across the spectrum of movement disorders.

Dr. Gabriele Imbalzano
Dr. Domiziana Rinaldi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Parkinson’s disease
  • movement disorders
  • biomarkers
  • device-aided therapies
  • genetics
  • disease-modifying therapies
  • digital health technologies
  • neuromodulation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 2668 KB  
Article
Two-Dimensional Sagittal-Plane Gait Evaluation and Similarity Analysis in Parkinson’s Disease Under ON and OFF Conditions: A Pilot Study
by Jocabed Mendoza-Martínez, Fiacro Jiménez-Ponce, Karla Nayelli Silva-Garcés, Sergio Rodrigo Méndez García, Adolfo Angel Casarez Duran and Christopher René Torres-SanMiguel
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(4), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16040385 - 31 Mar 2026
Viewed by 416
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Freezing of gait (FoG) is a disabling motor manifestation of Parkinson’s disease (PD) associated with impaired neural control of locomotion and increased gait variability. Quantitative characterization of gait kinematics may provide biomechanical insight into FoG-related instability, particularly under different dopaminergic states. Methods: [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Freezing of gait (FoG) is a disabling motor manifestation of Parkinson’s disease (PD) associated with impaired neural control of locomotion and increased gait variability. Quantitative characterization of gait kinematics may provide biomechanical insight into FoG-related instability, particularly under different dopaminergic states. Methods: This pilot study evaluated sagittal-plane knee kinematics in healthy individuals (n = 27) and patients with PD. (n = 8) under OFF and ON dopaminergic medication conditions using two-dimensional videogrammetry (Kinovea®). Knee flexion–extension trajectories were time-normalized to 0–100% of the gait cycle, and group ensemble profiles (mean ± SD) were computed. Results: Phase-specific range of motion (ROM), within-subject variability, and interlimb coordination were quantified. Interlimb coordination was assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficients (r) and cross-correlation lag analysis computed per subject and summarized statistically across groups. Compared with healthy participants, PD patients in the OFF state exhibited significantly reduced knee ROM during stance and swing (p < 0.05), accompanied by increased kinematic variability and disrupted temporal coordination. Interlimb correlation was significantly lower in PD OFF compared to healthy gait groups (p = 0.010), with larger temporal lags, indicating impaired bilateral synchronization. Following medication intake (ON state), knee excursion increased and interlimb coordination partially improved; however, correlation values and timing symmetry did not fully normalize to healthy levels. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that sagittal-plane knee kinematics and interlimb coordination metrics derived from low-cost 2D videogrammetry are sensitive to the dopaminergic state and reveal persistent neuromotor deficits in PD. The proposed framework provides an interpretable and accessible approach for characterizing gait organization in Parkinson’s disease and supports future integration with clinical assessment and longitudinal monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders)
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12 pages, 832 KB  
Article
The Effect of Stress on Working Memory in Persons with Parkinson’s Disease
by Andrew Zaman, Caelia Marshall and Elizabeth L. Stegemöller
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(3), 319; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16030319 - 17 Mar 2026
Viewed by 401
Abstract
Background: In addition to motor symptoms, persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience several non-motor symptoms with challenges in working memory being particularly common. These cognitive challenges may worsen under stress. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine how physical stress affects [...] Read more.
Background: In addition to motor symptoms, persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD) experience several non-motor symptoms with challenges in working memory being particularly common. These cognitive challenges may worsen under stress. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine how physical stress affects working memory in persons with PD. Methods: Eight individuals with PD and 11 healthy older adults (HOAs) completed digit span forward and backward tasks following a socially evaluated cold pressor stressor and a control condition. Results: Under non-stressful conditions, persons with PD had a smaller digit span backward capacity and were slower during the digit span forward task compared to HOAs. However, during the stress condition, individuals with PD performed comparably to HOAs on the backward digit span task. Stress negatively affected response times on the backward task for both groups but did not alter capacity or response time on the forward task. Conclusions: These findings provide an initial step in understanding the effects of physical stress on working memory in PD. Since working memory supports many daily activities, understanding how stress influences this cognitive process may inform interventions that enhance stress regulation and improve cognitive and functional outcomes for individuals living with PD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders)
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Other

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11 pages, 424 KB  
Brief Report
Outcome of People with Parkinson’s Disease Treated with Levodopa-Entacapone-Carbidopa Intestinal Gel Who Failed Previous Subcutaneous Foslevodopa/Foscarbidopa
by Diego Santos García, Inés Legarda, Tamara M. González Fernández, Ana Rodríguez Sanz, Maria Isabel Morales-Casado, Alejandro Peral, Nuria Caballol, María Álvarez Sauco, Iria Campos Rodríguez, Déborah Alonso Modino, Lydia López Manzanares, Jesús Olivares Romero and Alberto Blanco Ollero
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(3), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16030343 - 22 Mar 2026
Viewed by 582
Abstract
Introduction: The clinical outcome of switching to levodopa-entacapone-carbidopa intestinal gel (LECIG) after failure of subcutaneous foslevodopa/foscarbidopa (fLD/fCD) is unknown. We analyze it in people with Parkinson’s disease (PwP) treated in Spain. Methods: Retrospective analysis of PwP who had previously received fLD/fCD but dropped [...] Read more.
Introduction: The clinical outcome of switching to levodopa-entacapone-carbidopa intestinal gel (LECIG) after failure of subcutaneous foslevodopa/foscarbidopa (fLD/fCD) is unknown. We analyze it in people with Parkinson’s disease (PwP) treated in Spain. Methods: Retrospective analysis of PwP who had previously received fLD/fCD but dropped out for different reasons and started before this LECIG in Spain up to 30 November 2025. Non-parametric tests were applied to evaluate the changes between the pre- (Vpre) and post-treatment (Vpost) (LECIG) periods. Results: Data about 14 patients (57.1% males; 66.6 ± 8.6 years old) from 12 hospitals out of a total of 15 who were treated with LECIG were included. The mean time with fLD/fCD was 98.6 ± 92.3 days, with 92.9% and 57.1% experiencing side effects and lack of response, respectively. Specifically, significant subcutaneous nodules were reported in up to 64.3% of the patients. LECIG was a direct switch from fLD/fCD in 35.7% of the patients. LECIG was well tolerated, with only one dropout due to complications related to dementia. Adverse events were reported in 28.6% and 35.7% of the patients in the optimization and final follow-up evaluation (mean follow-up of 233.7 ± 157.4 days) phases, respectively. From Vpre to Vpost, “Off” time was reduced in 2.9 ± 1.9 h (p = 0.002) and motor symptoms burden improved significantly (p = 0.013), whereas a trend of significance was found for non-motor symptoms burden (p = 0.050) and quality of life (p = 0.126). Conclusions: LECIG could be an alternative therapeutic option in PwP who failed fLD/fCD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders)
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