Michael Okun
@michaelokun.bsky.social
NY Times Besting Author of the Parkinson’s Plan, Medical Advisor Parkinson Foundation, Author 15 books http://pdplan.org Distinguished Professor and Director of the Fixel, Associate Editor JAMA Neurology, co-founder @DBSThinkTank
Pinned
Michael Okun
@michaelokun.bsky.social
· Dec 15
Check out my new Substack column in Parkinson's & Brain Health:
Rebuilding Care for Chronic Diseases:
Fund Boldly, Listen Closely, Act Together
cutt.ly/etp3pk50
@parkinsondotorg.bsky.social #parkinson #alzheimer #pain
Rebuilding Care for Chronic Diseases:
Fund Boldly, Listen Closely, Act Together
cutt.ly/etp3pk50
@parkinsondotorg.bsky.social #parkinson #alzheimer #pain
Honor to be on NPR Science Friday today to create dialogue w/ host Flora Lichtman and movement disorders neurologist Emily Tamadonfar from USC. We tackle PD, biomarkers, the new book, The Parkinson's Plan www.pdplan.org
www.sciencefriday.com/segments/par...
www.sciencefriday.com/segments/par...
January 16, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Honor to be on NPR Science Friday today to create dialogue w/ host Flora Lichtman and movement disorders neurologist Emily Tamadonfar from USC. We tackle PD, biomarkers, the new book, The Parkinson's Plan www.pdplan.org
www.sciencefriday.com/segments/par...
www.sciencefriday.com/segments/par...
Does Parkinson’s disease affect the colon? YEP. PARK2 and LRRK2 genes may provide important clues on links. New paper J PD on how Parkinson’s disease may influence colorectal health including colorectal cancer risk through shared genetics, gut inflammation and the gut-brain axis.
January 16, 2026 at 12:42 PM
Does Parkinson’s disease affect the colon? YEP. PARK2 and LRRK2 genes may provide important clues on links. New paper J PD on how Parkinson’s disease may influence colorectal health including colorectal cancer risk through shared genetics, gut inflammation and the gut-brain axis.
B vitamins and Parkinson’s survival: The timing may matter. Spoiler alert: Earlier is better. Mortality means the risk of death over time. New paper in Movement Disorders how intake of folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 before and after Parkinson’s disease diagnosis related to survival.
January 15, 2026 at 3:07 PM
B vitamins and Parkinson’s survival: The timing may matter. Spoiler alert: Earlier is better. Mortality means the risk of death over time. New paper in Movement Disorders how intake of folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 before and after Parkinson’s disease diagnosis related to survival.
Azathioprine and early Parkinson’s: new randomized study tests the immune hypothesis. Greenland and colleagues describe a new paper in The Lancet Neurology as to whether azathioprine, an immune suppressing medication, could slow progression in early Parkinson’s disease. Looks like a NO.
January 14, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Azathioprine and early Parkinson’s: new randomized study tests the immune hypothesis. Greenland and colleagues describe a new paper in The Lancet Neurology as to whether azathioprine, an immune suppressing medication, could slow progression in early Parkinson’s disease. Looks like a NO.
When repeats break the brain: solving the polyglutamine puzzle. What is polyglutamine? Gonzalez and Zoghbi describe in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM) how polyglutamine diseases arise from a shared genetic mechanism, yet they unfold through a remarkably complex set of molecular events.
January 13, 2026 at 1:27 PM
When repeats break the brain: solving the polyglutamine puzzle. What is polyglutamine? Gonzalez and Zoghbi describe in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM) how polyglutamine diseases arise from a shared genetic mechanism, yet they unfold through a remarkably complex set of molecular events.
Are there blood-based clues that appear after a bump to the head. Check out this 2025 update on TBI biomarkers. Lyons and colleagues describe in a new paper in Brain Communications how biomarkers found in biofluids may help predict post-concussion symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).
January 12, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Are there blood-based clues that appear after a bump to the head. Check out this 2025 update on TBI biomarkers. Lyons and colleagues describe in a new paper in Brain Communications how biomarkers found in biofluids may help predict post-concussion symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Is shopping bag tremor a thing? Shopping bag tremor is a form of task specific tremor that appears when a weighted object like a bag is carried and it may reflect abnormal muscle activation during sustained posture. Kishav and colleagues just dropped new paper in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice
January 11, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Is shopping bag tremor a thing? Shopping bag tremor is a form of task specific tremor that appears when a weighted object like a bag is carried and it may reflect abnormal muscle activation during sustained posture. Kishav and colleagues just dropped new paper in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice
Can we vaccinate against Parkinson’s disease? Ma, Tamgüney and colleagues describe in a new paper in the journal Brain, a vaccine based strategy designed to generate immunity against toxic alpha synuclein aggregates that may contribute to Parkinson’s disease. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
January 10, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Can we vaccinate against Parkinson’s disease? Ma, Tamgüney and colleagues describe in a new paper in the journal Brain, a vaccine based strategy designed to generate immunity against toxic alpha synuclein aggregates that may contribute to Parkinson’s disease. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
What is essential tremor and why it matters. Check out the beautiful person w/ disease page that just dropped in JAMA. Remember folks, it is more than just tremor (also clumsiness, falling, thinking, voice, hearing). Voelker describes what ET is, how it shows up, and how it can be treated.
January 9, 2026 at 1:43 PM
What is essential tremor and why it matters. Check out the beautiful person w/ disease page that just dropped in JAMA. Remember folks, it is more than just tremor (also clumsiness, falling, thinking, voice, hearing). Voelker describes what ET is, how it shows up, and how it can be treated.
Neuropathy in parkinsonism: 2025 update. Cristina Moreno Lopez and colleagues describe in a new paper in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice how peripheral neuropathy is far more common in parkinsonism than many of us recognize, and why it may matter. #neuropathy
January 8, 2026 at 12:22 PM
Neuropathy in parkinsonism: 2025 update. Cristina Moreno Lopez and colleagues describe in a new paper in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice how peripheral neuropathy is far more common in parkinsonism than many of us recognize, and why it may matter. #neuropathy
Does anxiety track w/ suicide risk in Parkinson’s? Anxiety refers to persistent worry, fear or tension that goes beyond normal stress and can affect thinking, behavior and body responses. A new paper in the Journal of PD how anxiety relates to suicidality in the setting of Parkinson’s. #parkinson
January 7, 2026 at 1:47 PM
Does anxiety track w/ suicide risk in Parkinson’s? Anxiety refers to persistent worry, fear or tension that goes beyond normal stress and can affect thinking, behavior and body responses. A new paper in the Journal of PD how anxiety relates to suicidality in the setting of Parkinson’s. #parkinson
Could we use peripheral nerves to repair Parkinson's brain networks and do it during DBS surgery? MAYBE. van Horne and colleagues describe in a new paper in Neurosurgery Practice two cases where a person’s own peripheral nerve tissue was implanted into both nucleus basalis and the substantia nigra.
January 6, 2026 at 12:50 PM
Could we use peripheral nerves to repair Parkinson's brain networks and do it during DBS surgery? MAYBE. van Horne and colleagues describe in a new paper in Neurosurgery Practice two cases where a person’s own peripheral nerve tissue was implanted into both nucleus basalis and the substantia nigra.
When air shifts the brain, physiology can save the day during DBS surgery. Walker-Pizarro and colleagues describe in a new paper in Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements a real world DBS case where 'pneumocephalus' threatened accurate lead placement, and how physiology changed the outcome.
January 5, 2026 at 4:53 PM
When air shifts the brain, physiology can save the day during DBS surgery. Walker-Pizarro and colleagues describe in a new paper in Tremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements a real world DBS case where 'pneumocephalus' threatened accurate lead placement, and how physiology changed the outcome.
Could dopamine be important in timing your steps when you walk? A new paper that just dropped in Brain; how dopamine shapes the moment to moment interaction between brain signals in the STN and the leg muscle activity that occurs during parkinsonian stepping. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
January 5, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Could dopamine be important in timing your steps when you walk? A new paper that just dropped in Brain; how dopamine shapes the moment to moment interaction between brain signals in the STN and the leg muscle activity that occurs during parkinsonian stepping. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
What is the road roadmap for optogenetics to reach human level treatments? Can we go from light to insight? Lüscher, Deisseroth and colleagues describe in Nature Neuroscience how optogenetics is shaping discoveries today, and laying out more realistic paths toward future human therapies.
January 4, 2026 at 1:45 PM
What is the road roadmap for optogenetics to reach human level treatments? Can we go from light to insight? Lüscher, Deisseroth and colleagues describe in Nature Neuroscience how optogenetics is shaping discoveries today, and laying out more realistic paths toward future human therapies.
Do you know why some dystonia cases improve faster following GPi DBS? Enrique Martinez Nunez and colleagues describe in a new paper that just dropped in Movement Disorders, how brain network connections help predict who improves 'earlier' following GPi DBS for dystonia. #dystonia
January 3, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Do you know why some dystonia cases improve faster following GPi DBS? Enrique Martinez Nunez and colleagues describe in a new paper that just dropped in Movement Disorders, how brain network connections help predict who improves 'earlier' following GPi DBS for dystonia. #dystonia
A Tribute to Mark Hallett, MD (1943-2025): A life that shaped how we understand movement and the brain. Jankovic and Deuschl describe in a moving tribute, published in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, the life work and lasting impact of Mark Hallett. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
January 3, 2026 at 12:34 PM
A Tribute to Mark Hallett, MD (1943-2025): A life that shaped how we understand movement and the brain. Jankovic and Deuschl describe in a moving tribute, published in Movement Disorders Clinical Practice, the life work and lasting impact of Mark Hallett. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
Cortico-basal rhythms reveal how the brain changes during DBS. Lawrence, Little and colleagues describe in a new paper that just dropped in Brain how cortico-basal oscillations track natural everyday movements in individuals receiving deep brain stimulation for PD. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
January 2, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Cortico-basal rhythms reveal how the brain changes during DBS. Lawrence, Little and colleagues describe in a new paper that just dropped in Brain how cortico-basal oscillations track natural everyday movements in individuals receiving deep brain stimulation for PD. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
How about skin biopsies for Lewy Body Dementia? Check out this new paper that just dropped. New paper in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology shows how detecting phosphorylated alpha synuclein in skin biopsies may help identify Lewy body dementia. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
January 1, 2026 at 1:22 PM
How about skin biopsies for Lewy Body Dementia? Check out this new paper that just dropped. New paper in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology shows how detecting phosphorylated alpha synuclein in skin biopsies may help identify Lewy body dementia. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
Can we salvage GCase to develop better treatments for Parkinson’s and especially GBA1 genetic related Parkinson's? New paper in Movement Disorders how small molecule therapies are being developed to rescue glucocerebrosidase function in GBA1 associated Parkinsonism. #parkinson
December 31, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Can we salvage GCase to develop better treatments for Parkinson’s and especially GBA1 genetic related Parkinson's? New paper in Movement Disorders how small molecule therapies are being developed to rescue glucocerebrosidase function in GBA1 associated Parkinsonism. #parkinson
Looking for a better approach to treat your low back pain? Check out a new randomized JAMA trial. For acute or subacute low back pain, clinician-supported self-management "resulted in a small reduction in disability, but not pain, over a follow-up time of one year vs. medical care." #pain
December 31, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Looking for a better approach to treat your low back pain? Check out a new randomized JAMA trial. For acute or subacute low back pain, clinician-supported self-management "resulted in a small reduction in disability, but not pain, over a follow-up time of one year vs. medical care." #pain
Long-Term Tofersen: Could targeting SOD1 change ALS trajectory? Spoiler alert: YES. Miller and colleagues describe in a new paper in JAMA Neurology the long-term outcomes of Tofersen in SOD1 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, integrating the VALOR trial and its open-label extension.
December 30, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Long-Term Tofersen: Could targeting SOD1 change ALS trajectory? Spoiler alert: YES. Miller and colleagues describe in a new paper in JAMA Neurology the long-term outcomes of Tofersen in SOD1 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, integrating the VALOR trial and its open-label extension.
Parkinson’s disease and male sexual health, do you know the neural pathways underpinning the dysfunction? Rafetto and colleagues describe in a new paper in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease a practical road map for evaluating and managing male sexual dysfunction in Parkinson’s.
cutt.ly/OtfIo0zH
cutt.ly/OtfIo0zH
December 29, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Parkinson’s disease and male sexual health, do you know the neural pathways underpinning the dysfunction? Rafetto and colleagues describe in a new paper in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease a practical road map for evaluating and managing male sexual dysfunction in Parkinson’s.
cutt.ly/OtfIo0zH
cutt.ly/OtfIo0zH
What truly matters most in Parkinson’s disease? Spoiler alert: you have to ask the people w/ Parkinson’s to get the real answer(s). What folks living w/ Parkinson’s say matters most for their quality of life. How priorities differ from person to person are important considerations. #parkinson
December 28, 2025 at 2:47 PM
What truly matters most in Parkinson’s disease? Spoiler alert: you have to ask the people w/ Parkinson’s to get the real answer(s). What folks living w/ Parkinson’s say matters most for their quality of life. How priorities differ from person to person are important considerations. #parkinson
Should we use 'early amantadine' to tame dyskinesia before it starts? Rascol and colleagues describe in a new paper in Movement Disorders how adding immediate release amantadine early to levodopa therapy may reduce the manifestation of dyskinesia in PD. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social
December 27, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Should we use 'early amantadine' to tame dyskinesia before it starts? Rascol and colleagues describe in a new paper in Movement Disorders how adding immediate release amantadine early to levodopa therapy may reduce the manifestation of dyskinesia in PD. @parkinsondotorg.bsky.social