PathPark

Our research team is hosted in the Lyon Neuroscience Research Center.

The major aim of our group is to uncover the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of non motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease and related disorders with the long-term goal of developing new therapies.

Beyond the cardinal motor features of the disease, Parkinson's disease is indeed associated with a plethora of non-motor symptoms ranging from apathy, anxiety, depression,  hyposmia, pain, sleep disorders, cognitive decline to an heterogenous group of non-motor complications mostly drug-induced (impulsivity, behavioral addictions, hallucinations). This cluster of non motor symptoms was largely neglected in the past but severely impairs patients’ quality of life and is now recognized as a major contributor to morbidity. However, their underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. In this context, our team is invested in applying and combining molecular and structural/functional imaging methods to better understand the underlying mechanisms of  these non-motor manifestations.

We are particularly interested in :

- Investigating the mechanisms of specific non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease such as apathy, anxiety, depression, hyposmia, pain as well as impulsive-compulsive disorders (ICDs) with a particular interest in understanding the role of the serotonergic, noradrenergic and opioidergic systems in Parkinson's disease

- Understanding specific parkinsonian symptoms (e.g. ICDs) through modeling of normal function.

Ultimately, our research aims, through a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms beyond dopamine, at understanding the heterogeneity of Parkinson's disease in terms of clinical presentation and prognosis and to be able to propose personalized management approaches and/or novel therapeutic options. 

In addition, our team remains interested in understanding the consequences of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in various pathologies (Wilson's disease, dystonia, Parkinson's).

PATHPARK's project builds mainly on the CERMEP-imaging platform infrastructure. This platform, where the majority of the team is located, is dedicated to functional brain imaging (MRI, PET, MRI-PET) and benefits from a hospital-based location. 

Methods and Techniques

Human Behavioural studies

Neuroimaging : structural and functional MRI, positron emission tomography (PET) 

Neurophysiology: electroencephalography (EEG) 

Neurostimulation: deep brain stimulation 

Pharmacology 

Clinical trials