Beyond Motor Symptoms: The Power of Connection in Parkinson Disease

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“If we can accept that exercise is medicine with Parkinson's, we can accept that connection is medicine.”

The 2026 Advanced Therapeutics in Movement & Related Disorders (ATMRD) Congress, held June 5-7 in Washington, DC, featured presentations, discussions, and emerging research focused on movement disorders and related neurologic conditions. Concluding the meeting's first day, actor and Parkinson disease (PD) advocate Ryan Reynolds moderated a panel discussion on the hallucinations and delusions that can occur in people with PD, bringing attention to the often-overlooked nonmotor symptoms that can significantly affect patients and their care partners.

Beyond discussions of motor and nonmotor symptoms, ATMRD also featured sessions focused on supporting patients outside the traditional clinical setting. Among them was a presentation from Robert Cochrane, PhD, founder and CEO of Yes And...X, who examined the role of connection and community engagement in PD care.

Drawing on survey findings from support group leaders and participants, Cochrane and colleague Indu Subramanian, MD, discussed how the psychosocial challenges of living with PD often extend beyond the clinic and may remain unmet between routine appointments. The session explored the value of support groups in fostering community, shared problem-solving, and improved quality of life, while also considering how patient and caregiver experiences can complement traditional medical care and inform future provider-focused research. To learn more about these concepts, NeurologyLive^® sat down with Cochrane during the meeting.

In the interview, Cochrane discussed the often-overlooked importance of community engagement in PD care. The conversation explored the concept of "connection as medicine," as well as the idea of the "Parkinson's prison," a framework developed through research that describes the self-imposed limitations and isolation that can emerge as individuals adapt to life with the disease. Throughout the discussion, Cochrane emphasized the importance of fostering meaningful connections, embracing uncertainty, and encouraging participation in supportive communities as key components of living well with PD.

Click here for more ATMRD 2026 coverage.