Dr. Anthony Lang Presents Novel SynNeurGe Model of Parkinson Disease Identification

Dr. Anthony Lang, Professor of Neurology and Jack Clark Chair for Parkinson’s Disease Research at the University of Toronto, presented a new model for identifying Parkinson disease (PD) at the 26th World Congress of Neurology. The new model, SynNeurGe, is a framework consisting of 3 distinct and measurable biological criteria related to PD:

• Syn: Presence of the alphasynuclein protein, the aggregation of which is associated with PD and other synucleinopathies
• Neur: Presence of neurodegeneration associated with PD progression
• Ge: Presence of PD genetic factors

There is currently no single test for diagnosing PD. Under the current approach for PD diagnosis, health care providers (HCPs) must identify signs and symptoms in a clinical setting, while the underlying biological causes driving the disease may go unexamined due to testing limitations. Additionally, a number of diseases have similar symptoms and presentations to PD, such as multiple system atrophy (MSA), meaning there is a risk for misdiagnosis. Consequently, PD diagnosis is a complicated and time-intensive process.

The SynNeurGe model was developed to focus on 3 specific PD biomarkers, enabling PD identification despite potential variations in presentations based on individual patients, such as forms of genetic PD that show no posthumous presence of alpha-synuclein in the brain. The model is currently intended for use in research only, with potential future clinical applications pending large prospective studies.

“We can't limit ourselves just to saying Parkinson's is a synuclein disease,” said Dr. Lang. “If we're ever going to change the research and advance our understanding of all aspects of the disease — understanding the underlying biology and the various mechanisms whereby cells die, understanding the epidemiology of the disease, developing new biomarkers and eventually moving to precision medicine and successful disease modification — we really need a different classification. Our classification is a much broader, all-encompassing way of looking at Parkinson's.”