Five Days in Hong Kong: The International Congress of Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders

This Plenary Session covers the management of early Parkinson disease, including potential disease-modifying strategies. The presenters review the current role of rehabilitation and exercise including physical, occupational, and speech therapies and discuss management strategies for advanced Parkinson disease, including invasive interventions.

The presenters in this Plenary Session discuss the pharmacological treatment of dystonia and tremor, including the use of botulinum toxin; surgical intervention for select patients is also examined.

In this Plenary Session the presenters explain the differential diagnosis and treatment approaches for tic disorders; the causes of myoclonus and its treatment; and the pathogenesis of and treatment for restless leg syndrome.

The current state of the art of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treating movement disorders is discussed in this Plenary Session. Also covered are the advantages and disadvantages of lesion-based therapy as well as recent advances in DBS surgery.

The presenters of this Themed Plenary Session explain the basic principles of epigenetics and the possible implications of neurodegeneration. The non-coding genetic sequences in the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease and the therapeutic potential of manipulative epigenetic mechanisms are also covered.

Unless you need to hone your skills or to watch a video, you can take off and go explore the city. Sky100 on the 100^th floor of the International Commerce Centre will give you a bird’s eye view of Hong Kong. For a magnificent view of the Hong Kong skyline and the harbor, take the Peak Tram, which will take you to Victoria Peak, 400 meters above the city. Once you’ve come down to earth, have a cocktail at Quinary with its famous mixologists and go eat dim sum (Luk Yu Tea House, 24-26 Stanley Street, +852 2523 5464).

There are several Parallel Sessions in the afternoon and with such a wealth of topics it might be hard to choose just one. You might want to hear a section in one presentation and then go listen to a section in another.

This session covers the history of stem cell biology and its technological advances; the use of stem cells in the study of the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease; and the current status of stem cell therapy.

In this session the discussion centers on the current theories, neuroimaging finding, and management strategies for visual hallucinations in Parkinson disease and Lewy body dementias.

Genetic and imaging findings for prodromal Parkinson disease are discussed as well as the pathophysiological basis for Parkinson disease. In addition, future clinical trial design and strategies are examined.

The focus of this Skills Workshop is on autoimmune and infectious rare movement disorders. Diagnostic tests and therapeutic options are explained.

Novel diagnostic criteria for Huntington disease are discussed in this Plenary Session. In addition, biomarkers for diagnosis and disease progression are explained as well as new therapeutic strategies.

This Plenary Session covers the use of biometric monitoring devices in clinical research; the opportunities, challenges, and limitations of novel objective technology-based measures in observational studies and clinical trials in Huntington disease; and technology-based assessments to facilitate remote monitoring in Parkinson disease.

MRI- and neurotransmitter-based and novel imaging methods for the diagnosis of movement disorders and/or monitoring patients are explained in this Parallel Session.

This workshop covers the various clinical presentations of Parkinson disease and other parkinsonian syndromes, the sometimes-unusual presentations of other movement disorders, and atypical presentations of well-known genetic disorders.

You’ve had a long, very productive day and you deserve a night on the town. Start with a drink on a rooftop at Sevva, Sugar, or Armani-Prive; then head to Bo Innovation for “extreme Chinese Cuisine.” Need a walk post this unforgettable culinary experience? Take a stroll through the Temple Street Night Market and pick up some souvenirs.

In this Plenary Session, the characteristics of a good biomarker are explained; proposed body fluid and tissue biomarkers as well as the role of neuroimaging for predicting or monitoring clinical features of Parkinson disease are discussed.

The discussants in this Plenary Session examine the advantages and disadvantages of different surgical therapies for movement disorders and present a case for and against the “gut-brain axis.”

That’s it for the conference. Have a good trip home!