Taking action to fight Parkinson's disease
Today, Thursday April 11, 2024, World Parkinson’s Day, is of the utmost importance. We are committed to raising awareness, increasing understanding and intensifying research efforts for this complex neurodegenerative disease.
Sophie Cluzel, President of Fonds Clinatec, takes the floor to highlight the public health issues surrounding Parkinson’s disease. It underlines the urgent need to find innovative solutions to improve patients’ quality of life and help them maintain their autonomy despite the challenges posed by this disease.
Mrs Cluzel put three key questions to Professor Stephan Chabardes, Head of the Neurosurgery Department at Grenoble Alpes University Hospital and Director of the Clinatec Patient-Patient Sector:
What is your approach to treating Parkinson’s disease?
Within the Fonds Clinatec, the focus is on finding innovative solutions that go beyond drug treatments or deep brain stimulation, which only treat the symptoms of the disease. Among these revolutionary approaches, the use of a probe implanted in the heart of the brain to deliver infrared light stands out. This new approach aims to slow disease progression while improving patients’ quality of life.
Do you have any encouraging results?
Professor Chabardes shares promising results from research and experimental treatments carried out over the last four years as part of the NIR project. He emphasizes that probe implantation is very well tolerated by patients, with no side effects. As for the evolution of the disease, it’s still too early to make any definitive statements. However, this approach seems to have a positive impact on the disease.
When can we expect patients to be able to benefit from this?
Professor Chabardes emphasizes that the current study aims to expand its patient sample over the next four years. We hope to be able to deliver this new technology to patients by 2028 to 2030. This prospect represents real hope for people with Parkinson’s disease, offering the possibility of a better quality of life and renewed hope for the future.
“We must maintain our efforts and continue our mobilization to improve patients’ quality of life, their autonomy and their place in society. I’m counting on you!” – Sophie Cluzel
