Bridging knowledge gaps in movement disorders

Abstract

This special issue of Basal Ganglia brings together the insight, recommendations, and predictions of several international movement disorder experts who participated in the 2nd International Conference on Knowledge Gaps in Parkinson’s disease and other Movement Disorders, held in February 2012 in Santa Margherita Ligure – Italy, with the support of the Movement Disorder Society and the Italian Association for Parkinson’s disease and Extrapyramidal Disorders (LIMPE). The success of the first ‘‘Gaps’’ conference held in Taormina – Italy, on February 2010 and the numerous unresolved issues in the complex field of movement disorders drove us to the second edition of this symposium. The original goal of the conference was to focus on aspects of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders that are insufficiently understood or have been recently challenged on genetic, pathogenetic, clinical or therapeutic grounds. The structure of this special issue mirrors the rationale of a symposium gathering under one roof clinical and basic scientists brainstorming on ways to overcome roadblocks in the field of movement disorders. Each of the articles written for this issue is meant to reproduce the spirit of the conference, whereby the main knowledge gaps are identified and potential solutions are proposed. Accordingly, the articles are divided into three sections: recent advances (what we have recently known), knowledge gaps (what we don’t know – but should), and bridging knowledge gaps (how will we know). We expect these papers will provide a concise update on the progress in the pathogenesis, natural history and treatment of Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, Huntington’s disease, and progressive myoclonic encephalopathies. Even more importantly, these re-