One of the discussions that really resonated at the Aspen Movement Disorders Course centered on a deceptively simple question: is "palatal myoclonus" really myoclonus? Joe Jankovic made the case that myorhythmia may actually be a more accurate term. Or maybe -ish as Mark Hallett and I considered.

One of the discussions that really resonated with me in Aspen was why some people with Wilson's disease have a much more difficult clinical course than others, even when they receive appropriate treatment. Susan Fox shared a memorable case highlighting white matter changes on MRI. Maybe genetics?

Aspen Movement Course: Long-standing unilateral rest tremor, sometimes accompanied by a postural tremor, but without clear bradykinesia. Years ago, Professor David Brooks and colleagues used 18F-dopa PET imaging to show that the vast majority of these individuals had Parkinson's disease.

One of the most practical discussions at the Aspen Movement Course centered on a terrific new JAMA review of RLS. What really resonated was the simplicity of the diagnostic and treatment flow charts, which translate a complex disorder into a stepwise approach clinicians can use immediately.

One of the best discussions at the Aspen course was the use of the term parkinsonism. Parkinsonism is a broad clinical syndrome characterized by bradykinesia possibly accompanied by rest tremor, rigidity, and/or postural instability, regardless of the underlying cause.

One topic that generated lively discussion at the Aspen Movement Disorders Course was whether the next generation of wearable, AI-driven closed-loop devices might finally begin to fulfill the promise of treating tremor. Many experts remain appropriately skeptical, but check out this study!

What really resonated with me during our discussions at the 36th Annual Aspen Movement Course was the application of the Gartner Hype Cycle to stem cell therapies for Parkinson's disease. The excitement surrounding several new clinical studies is real, and it should be.

Functional movement disorders rarely come with a single "aha" moment. One of the messages from Tony Lang's outstanding Aspen Movement Course lecture this morning that really resonated with me was that there is no single smoking gun for making the diagnosis.

One of my favorite teaching pearls from Tony Lang at the Aspen Movement Disorders Course this morning was deceptively simple: always pay attention to the tempo of an ataxia. The time course often provides the biggest clue to the diagnosis.

Do you know all the imaging signs of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP)? Jen Goldman reviewed this morning in Aspen. Over the last two decades, neuroimaging has transformed how we recognize this challenging disorder.

Have you ever wondered the potential link between the name of the Aspen course and movement disorders? It is much more than the location of Aspen, CO. The quivering Aspen tree has long captured the imagination because its leaves seem to tremble even in the gentlest breeze.

Tip of the hat to the late Mark Hallett and dystonia as we liftoff today for the 36th annual Aspen course.

How is the burden of Parkinson’s disease accelerating worldwide and what can be done to change its trajectory? The growing global burden reflects a complex interaction of aging, environmental exposures, genetics, and disparities in health care. Focus on the "modifiable."

Could the sound outside your home influence your Parkinson's disease risk? Sørensen et. al. describe a new paper JAMA Neurology whether years of living in noisier environments are associated w/ a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Seems there is something 'in the air.' cutt.ly/wytjYp8H

Can replacing lost dopamine cells finally move us toward restoring the Parkinson’s brain? Paul, Barker and colleagues describe in new paper in Nature Medicine the first 12-month results of the STEM-PD phase 1/2 trial. Good results, one fatality due to immunosupression. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Do you know what your magic sleep number should be for your Parkinson's disease? Better nights lead to better days. Do you have a sleep plan and a sleep sensor? I provide a discussion in my newest Substack article. cutt.ly/lyrKzYU6

What Is the Magic Sleep Number If You Have Parkinson’s?

Better nights produce better days

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How do you choose the best sleep sensor for Parkinson's disease and neurodegenerative disorders? Remember that total sleep time is really important and we tell folks in my clinic to shoot for ~6-8 hours if possible. Nice discussion in this paper. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Blood biomarkers are transforming how we diagnose Alzheimer's disease. However, this study reminds us that no diagnostic test performs equally well in every clinical setting. A history of TBI appears to alter the biology enough that these promising blood tests become less reliable. cutt.ly/lyw3fTfv

Are you checking out all the heading of the ball in the World Cup? What happens to p-tau after a header? New paper in JAMA Neurology about how heading soccer ball during real-world amateur matches was associated w/ short-term increases in blood biomarkers linked to neural injury. cutt.ly/4yecT3wP

Do DBS candidates have less Lewy bodies in their brains? Biopsies taken during the DBS procedure could inform this question. New paper in npj PD the results from the Sinai Living Brain study. This was an intriguing observation in a cohort of carefully screened folks w/ DBS for Parkinson’s disease.

Multiple sclerosis is entering a new era: from controlling relapses to preventing progression. Progression independent of relapse activity means that disability can slowly accumulate even when there are no obvious attacks or new MRI lesions. This concept is reshaping how we think about MS.

What do folks with late-stage Parkinson's disease die from? The answer may change how we care for the final years of life. Decade long study followed 107 individuals living w/ late stage Parkinson's disease and examined mortality, causes of death and factors associated w/ survival.

When Tourette syndrome is more than tics in adults: the hidden impact of depression and ADHD on quality of life. New paper in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice how psychiatric symptoms influence tic severity and quality of life in 227 adults living w/ Tourette syndrome from Canada and France.

Save the dates for the upcoming DBS Think Tank, taking place September 16–18, 2026. We are looking forward to another year of engaging discussions and collaboration in the field of DBS. Stay tuned for additional details, including the Zoom registration link and full program information.

Focused ultrasound and pallidotomy: what can lesions teach us that DBS cannot? Zaidel and colleagues described in a fascinating paper (2008) in the European Journal of Neuroscience how prior pallidotomy lesions altered the physiology of the subthalamic nucleus years later in folks living w/ PD.

When the scale drops in Parkinson's disease, should we worry? Unintentional weight loss means losing weight without trying. In PD it may signal changes in nutrition, swallowing, metabolism, cognition or disease progression: All hands on deck. movementdisorders.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Can we prevent Parkinson's disease before it begins? Well, the new 8 C's framework just dropped in a new paper and it aims to change the conversation. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Billie Eilish’s Tourette isn’t fishy, it’s another reminder that science often finds clues in unexpected places. www.boredpanda.com/billie-eilis... #billieeilish #eilish

Doctor Steps In After Billie Eilish Gets Accused Of Pretending To Have Neurological Disorder

Billie Eilish was accused of faking her Tourette syndrome symptoms for attention. “She’s so fake” and an “attention-seeking narcissist,” the internet snarked. Celebrities, Entertainment

boredpanda.com

A remarkable life in Parkinson's disease and movement disorders: remembering Regina Katzenschlager. Susan Fox and colleagues describe, in a moving tribute, in Movement Disorders the extraordinary career and contributions. movementdisorders.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Could a blood test help track tau pathology in BPAN? Plasma pTau217 levels were markedly elevated in children and adolescents w/ Beta-Propeller Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration (BPAN), a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by WDR45 mutations.