Focusing on Prevention and Patient-Centered Care in Parkinson Disease: Michael S. Okun, MD

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"In the book, we talk about navigation of new therapies [for the] short, medium, and long term. We think there’s tremendous hope, tremendous things on the horizon, but we need to be thinking short, medium, long term, while also investing in prevention at the same time and teaching people that Parkinson is not a death sentence; it’s a life sentence."

Emerging evidence underscores the significant role of environmental factors in the risk of developing Parkinson disease (PD). Recent studies have identified associations between long-term exposure to pesticides, heavy metals, and air pollutants with an increased risk of PD. For instance, a recently published study reported that coexposure to multiple pesticides was associated with greater damage to dopaminergic neurons.¹ These findings highlight the potential need for public health initiatives aimed at limiting exposure to these environmental toxins to reduce the risk of PD.

In parallel, patient-centered strategies are expanding to support patients living with PD. For example, patient programs specifically for those with PD can provide information for them to the point where they may feel motivated and capable to collaborate with their caregivers, and health care providers. At the same time, advances in therapy, including longer-acting levodopa formulations, continuous apomorphine infusion, and adaptive deep brain stimulation, offer additional options for patients to manage their motor symptoms. By combining these interventions with patient empowerment initiatives, clinicians can deliver a comprehensive, personalized approach to PD management.

These strategies are central to The Parkinson’s Plan: A New Path to Prevention and Treatment, a new book by movement disorder experts Ray Dorsey, MD, and Michael S. Okun, MD. In a recent interview with NeurologyLive^®, Okun, director of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health and national medical adviser for the Parkinson's Foundation, highlighted the book’s comprehensive framework for addressing PD. He emphasized that The Parkinson’s Plan focuses on practical prevention, understanding the mechanisms underlying disease onset and progression, and amplifying patient voices through a coordinated, patient-centered care model.²

Click here to learn more about The Parkinson’s Plan by Ray Dorsey, MD, and Michael S. Okun, MD.

REFERENCES
1. Paul KC, Krolewski RC, Lucumi Moreno E, et al. A pesticide and iPSC dopaminergic neuron screen identifies and classifies Parkinson-relevant pesticides. Nat Commun. 2023;14(1):2803. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38215-z
2. Dorsey R, Okun MS. The Parkinson’s Plan. PublicAffairs; 2025.