PSP National Platform Trial Development and Initiation
Description
In this presentation, Dr. Wills will present an update on the landscape of PSP trials including the PSP Trial Platform design, compounds selected, and initial enrollment.
Unravelling Mechanisms and Improving Therapeutics for Movement Disorders*
Date: October 20, 2026
Time: 11:00 am to 12:30 pm
Room: Coral 3
Track: Traditional Special Interest Group (SIG)
Session Description
The 2026 Movement Disorders Special Interest Group session highlights a shift from phenotype-based classification to biologically driven, mechanism-based frameworks that are shaping therapeutic development. Advances in molecular genetics, proteinopathies, and systems neuroscience are redefining disease heterogeneity, progression, and treatment response across disorders such as dystonia, Parkinson’s disease (PD), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
This session will feature leaders in mechanistic discovery, biomarker development, and innovative clinical trial design. Topics will include molecular stratification in dystonia, genetic and lysosomal pathways in PD, and the role of tau pathology in cognitive and neuropsychiatric features. In addition, emerging platform trial designs in PSP will be discussed as scalable models for evaluating disease-modifying therapies. Attendees will gain a forward-looking framework for integrating biologic insights into clinical care and research in movement disorders.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Describe emerging biologic mechanisms in movement disorders and their role in redefining disease classification.
- Apply biomarker and genetic insights to enhance patient stratification and inform clinical trial design.
- Integrate principles of precision neurology into clinical practice for diagnosis, prognosis, and management.
Speakers
- (Chair) Chi-Ying (Roy) Lin, MD, FAAN, MPH
- (Co-Chair) Joohi Jimenez-Shahed, MD, FANA
- (Speaker) Anne-Marie Wills, MD, MPH
- (Speaker) Nicole Calakos, MD, PhD, FANA
- (Speaker) Joshua Shulman, MD, PhD
- (Speaker) Kathleen Poston, MD, MS, FAAN, FANA
Are Dystonias Ready for Molecular Pathophysiological Groupings? The Case for the Integrated Stress Response
Description
In this presentation, Dr. Calakos will explore how human genetic and preclinical studies highlight potential mechanistic connections across dystonias that have historically been considered in isolation.
GBA1 and Lysosomal Oligogenic Risk for Parkinson’s Disease
Description
In this presentation, Dr. Shulman will discuss how cross-species genetics reveal that GBA1 penetrance in Parkinson’s disease is modified by variation in other lysosomal genes, supporting an oligogenic model.
Mixed Pathology is the Rule: Emerging Biomarkers to Assess the Impact of Amyloid and Tau on Clinical Progression in Parkinson’s Disease
Description
In this presentation, Dr. Poston will discuss how multiple proteinopathies often coexist in neurodegenerative diseases. We will discuss biomarker performance and outcome prediction in PD and DLB.