Overview

The “modern clinician” is a practical and caring clinician who realizes that therapeutic advancements in Parkinson’s disease are occurring at an unprecedented pace. Much of today’s treatment approach is based on clinical trial findings. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to not only be updated with the clinical trial results, but also to know the hypotheses behind them, the strengths, weaknesses and other findings outside the primary objectives of these clinical trials. This educational program is unique because it intends to discuss the current approaches to the treatment of Parkinson’s disease in the context of the “lessons learned” in clinical trials to date. The program also intends to provide a sneak peak of the future in PD treatment based on planned and on-going clinical trials. Finally, the second day of the program serves as a “forum” for both faculty and attendees to share their most challenging parkinsonian cases and discuss the therapeutic strategies for each of these.

Objectives

After completing this activity, participants should be able to:

• Highlight the current and emerging treatment approaches for the newly diagnosed parkinsonian patient;
• Review the current and future treatment options for motor complications in Parkinson’s disease;
• Recognize and treat the most common “non-motor” problems associated with Parkinson’s disease;
• Describe the role of Deep Brain Stimulation and other advanced therapies for Parkinson’s disease;
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of clinical trials, and how it has contributed to today’s evidence-based treatment approach to Parkinson’s disease.

Target Audience

This educational activity is intended for all clinicians who treat patients with Parkinson’s disease including: neurologists, family practice doctors, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners.s