scope:

Preface

Parkinson's disease is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. A number of advances in genetics, epidemiology, neuropathology, and the development of new experimental models of Parkinson's disease are providing important new insights into the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Combined, they have brought spectacular advances and created a renaissance in understanding the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease. Many of these advances hold particular promise for mechanistic-based treatments that will slow or halt the progression of Parkinson's disease. Currently, there is no text that covers all the emerging aspects of Parkinson's disease and for this reason I felt that a volume dedicated to these topics was timely.

The authors are all leading scientists and clinicians working in the field of Parkinson's disease who come from different perspectives. In particular, the authors have expertise in clinical neurology, genetics, molecular neuroscience, epidemiology, pathology, and animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. I have tried to draw together a comprehensive view of the recent major advances in our understanding of Parkinson's disease. The first four chapters serve as an introduction to Parkinson's disease, they review the major aspects of the disease including neuropathology, genetics, epidemiology, clinical features and therapy. This is followed by a comprehensive review of the genetics of Parkinson's disease, which leads into chapters on the major pathogenic hypotheses of Parkinson's disease, including alpha-synuclein, PARKIN, DJ-1, PINK-1, LRRK2, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ubiquitin proteasomal dysfunction. Each chapter reviews advances and how these discoveries may lead to new therapeutic opportunities. The last section discusses animal models and summarizes the emerging new targets for therapeutics.

I hope that this book is a useful resource for clinicians, researchers, as well as experts and students alike who have an interest in Parkinson's disease. Ultimately, I hope it helps in our efforts to improve the care and ultimately cure the victims of Parkinson's disease.