Parkinson ’ s Disease Monitor & Commentary Parkinson ’ s Disease Monitor & Commentary Practical Analysis on Today ’ s Findings in Parkinson ’ s Disease

Studies of modest size and scope are challenging. When addressing questions unlikely to be soon answered by level 1 evidence from a multicenter randomized trial, the data they generate may be influential despite reservations about their limitations. By asking our commentators to address the clinical relevance of such studies, which are particularly well represented in this issue of PD Monitor & Commentary, the primary goal is to stimulate our readers to consider why they would or would not apply the conclusions to patient care. One example is a positive study of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating impulse control behaviors. Dr. Daniel Weintraub of the University of Pennsylvania explains why a small, single-center study might be relevant. Conversely, Dr. John Fang of Vanderbilt University outlines the reasons to remain circumspect about early use of neurostimulation to treat PD despite positive results from a much larger study. Dr. John Morgan of Georgia Health Sciences University discusses the practical value of a driving fitness evaluation, while Dr. Joohi Jimenez-Shahed of Baylor University considers how the high risk of hip fracture relates to care of PD patients. We round out the commentaries section with a piece on the limited value of dopaminergic drugs in treating nonmotor PD symptoms, which is provided by Dr. Jayne Wilkinson of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Philadelphia, and my own views on a study of a selegiline-torasagiline switch. We hope the opinions expressed provide context for clinicians to reach their own decisions. In the Q&A section, I address what is on the horizon for treatment of PD. Finally, in “Research News Roundup,” we offer brief summaries of some of the most interesting presentations related to PD from the 65th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, held from March 16 to 23, 2013, in San Diego, California. Please feel free to reach me with comments or suggestions at [email protected].