Research Area Parkinson’s Disease

From molecular mechanisms to patient care

Research Area generic

Using our combined expertise, we aim to understand the mechanisms behind the disease and improve prevention, diagnosis and therapy

About Parkinson’s disease research

Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease with its main symptoms being trembling, stiffness and general slowness of movements. Around 4000 people in Luxembourg, and 7 – 10 million worldwide are affected, and it is very likely that these numbers will double until 2050.

Both genetic as well as environmental factors are thought to play a pivotal role in the faster ageing and degeneration of dopamine-producing nerve cells that underlie this disease. But how exactly they trigger the pathological process in those cells is not clearly understood yet.
The National Centre for Excellence in Research on Parkinson’s Disease (NCER-PD) is a collaborative project among five partners in Luxembourg aimed at advancing research on Parkinson’s disease, funded by Fonds National de la Recherche (FNR). More than 1600 volunteers participated in our cohort studies allowing researchers to focus on identifying new biomarkers and at-risk populations for earlier detection and intervention.
To improve the therapy patients already receive today, we established ParkinsonNet Luxembourg in 2017. This integrated care concept developed in the Netherlands trains healthcare professionals to treat patients based on international guidelines, and facilitates the information exchange between the different healthcare disciplines.

Research groups