Biomarker Assessment in Parkinson's Disease Progression
Summary
Parkinson’s disease is characterised by the gradual loss of dopaminergic neurons and the accumulation of pathological α-synuclein aggregates. Biomarker assessment seeks to detect molecular and structural changes that precede or accompany clinical decline, enabling earlier diagnosis, prognosis and monitoring of therapeutic response. Fluid biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid and blood, including misfolded α-synuclein, glial fibrillary acidic protein and neurofilament light chain, provide insights into protein aggregation, neuroinflammation and axonal injury. Imaging biomarkers such as dopamine transporter single‐photon emission computed tomography and advanced MRI techniques offer non-invasive measures of nigrostriatal integrity and tissue microstructure. Multi‐modal strategies that combine fluid assays with structural and functional imaging enhance sensitivity and specificity, support patient stratification in disease-modifying trials and facilitate personalised treatment plans. Ongoing challenges include assay standardisation, inter-laboratory reproducibility and distinguishing Parkinson’s disease from related synucleinopathies. Longitudinal studies and integrated biomarker panels promise to refine staging systems, predict rate of progression and guide the development of targeted interventions with global relevance for clinical practice and research.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Biomarker Assessment in Parkinson's Disease Progression publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in biomarker assessment in parkinson's disease progression across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
α-synuclein seed amplification assay: A laboratory technique that amplifies misfolded α-synuclein aggregates to detect and quantify their presence in biological fluids.
Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP): An astrocyte‐derived intermediate filament protein measured in cerebrospinal fluid or plasma as a marker of neuroinflammation and astroglial activation.
Neurofilament light chain (NfL): A neuronal cytoskeletal protein released into fluids following axonal damage, used to gauge the extent of neurodegeneration and disease progression.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF): The clear fluid that circulates within the brain’s ventricles and around the spinal cord, offering direct access to central nervous system biomarkers.
Plasma: The liquid component of blood, employed for minimally invasive measurement of circulating biomarkers reflecting pathological processes.
References
- How should we be using biomarkers in trials of disease modification in Parkinson’s disease?. Brain (2023).
- Cerebrospinal fluid GFAP is a predictive biomarker for conversion to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease-associated biomarkers alterations among de novo Parkinson’s disease patients: a prospective cohort study. Journal of Neuroinflammation (2023).
- Neurofilament light predicts worse nonmotor symptoms and depression in Parkinson's disease. Neurobiology of Disease (2023).
- Validation of Serum Neurofilament Light Chain as a Biomarker of Parkinson's Disease Progression. Movement Disorders (2020).
- Multiple modality biomarker prediction of cognitive impairment in prospectively followed de novo Parkinson disease. PLOS ONE (2017).
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.