Dates: April 18-22, 2026
Location: McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Organizer: American Academy of Neurology
Track: Movement Disorders
The Parkinson's disease sessions at AAN 2026 will address the full spectrum of Parkinson's care and research, from basic science to clinical management. As part of the Movement Disorders track, this session brings together neurologists, researchers, and care providers working to improve outcomes for the millions living with Parkinson's disease worldwide.
AAN 2026 will highlight recent advances in disease modification, neuroprotection, and comprehensive care, while addressing remaining challenges in motor complications, non-motor symptoms, and personalized treatment approaches.
¶ Diagnosis and Assessment
- Clinical diagnostic criteria
- Prodromal markers
- Neuroimaging biomarkers
- Smell testing and other screening tools
- Initial therapy selection
- Levodopa optimization
- Dopamine agonist use
- MAO-B inhibitor strategies
- Motor fluctuations management
- Dyskinesia treatment and prevention
- Off-period management
- Advanced delivery systems
- Sleep disorders: RBD, insomnia, daytime sleepiness
- Neuropsychiatric: Depression, anxiety, psychosis
- Autonomic dysfunction: Orthostasis, constipation, urinary
- Cognitive impairment: MCI to dementia
AAN 2026 will feature significant updates on therapies targeting alpha-synuclein pathology:
- Immunotherapies: Active and passive vaccines targeting alpha-synuclein aggregates
- Small molecule aggregation inhibitors: Preventing misfolding and oligomerization
- Seed amplification assays: Using synuclein SAA for diagnosis and trial enrollment
- Strain diversity: Understanding how different alpha-synuclein strains affect disease progression
¶ Gene Therapy and Cell-Based Approaches
Gene therapy for Parkinson's disease is maturing rapidly:
- AAV2-GAD: Glutamic acid decarboxylase gene therapy for subthalamic nucleus (completed trials)
- AXO-Lenti-PD: Lentiviral vector delivering three dopaminergic enzymes (TH, AADC, GCH1)
- Cell replacement: iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons entering clinical trials
- Gene silencing: ASOs targeting GBA and LRRK2 mutations
Genetic stratification is enabling personalized therapeutic approaches:
- LRRK2 mutation carriers: GBA-enhancing therapies, LRRK2 kinase inhibitors
- GBA variants: Enzyme enhancement strategies, substrate reduction
- SNCA duplications: Alpha-synuclein-targeted approaches
- Polygenic risk scores: Combining multiple genetic variants for risk prediction
¶ Neuroprotection and Disease Modification
Key trials in disease modification:
- Inosine: Raising urate as neuroprotective strategy
- CoQ10: Mitochondrial support in early PD
- GM1 ganglioside: Restoring dopaminergic function
- Anti-inflammatory approaches: GLP-1 receptor agonists with neuroprotective effects (e.g., exenatide trials)
¶ Digital Measures and Remote Monitoring
Digital biomarkers are transforming PD assessment and clinical trials:
- Wearable accelerometry: Objective motor symptom quantification
- Smartphone-based assessments: Remote monitoring of tremor, bradykinesia, gait
- Voice analysis: Detecting speech changes as early PD markers
- Digital twin models: AI-driven prediction of disease progression
- Extended-release formulations
- Novel dopamine agonists
- Adenosine A2A antagonists
- 5-HT1A agonists
- STN vs. GPi targeting
- Directional leads
- Closed-loop systems
- Patient selection criteria
- AAV-based gene delivery
- GCH1, AADC, TH genes
- Glutamate decarboxylase
- Clinical trial results
- Stem cell approaches
- Embryonic dopaminergic cells
- iPSC-derived neurons
- Clinical trial updates
- Movement disorder specialists
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech and swallowing therapy
- Exercise-based interventions
- LSVT BIG therapy
- Balance training
- Fall prevention
- Depression and anxiety treatment
- Psychosis management
- Impulse control disorders
- Sleep behavior disorders
- Nutritional considerations
- Sleep hygiene
- Patient education
- Support groups
- Aggregation mechanisms
- Spreading hypothesis
- Strain diversity
- Therapeutic targets
- LRRK2 mutations
- GBA variants
- SNCA duplications
- PRKN, PINK1, DJ-1
- Fluid biomarkers
- Imaging markers
- Clinical progression markers
- Treatment response predictors
- Disease-modifying trials
- Antioxidant approaches
- Mitochondrial protection
- Anti-inflammatory strategies
- Parkinson's disease: From symptom control to disease modification
- Alpha-synuclein: Target validation and therapeutic development
- Update on dopaminergic therapies
- Deep brain stimulation: State of the art
- Non-motor symptoms: Recognition and management
- Gene therapy and cell replacement
- Botulinum toxin injection techniques
- Neuropsychological assessment
- Advanced Parkinson's management