A range of non-motor symptom (NMS) including dribbling of saliva, constipation, depression, sleep disorders, apathy, hallucinations and dementia complicate the lives of People with Parkinson’s (PwP). However, even though the last 30 years have seen enormous advances in the management of the motor symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) yet the NMS complex of PD have remained relatively unexplored. NMS of PD contribute significantly to morbidity and may lead to admission to a nursing home, more than quadrupling the cost of care of PD.

The international Parkinson’s Disease Non-Motor Group (PDNMG) is a non-profit multidisciplinary educational group set up by K Ray Chaudhuri and colleagues. As of 2013 PDNMG is an officially recognised study group of the Movement Disorders Society (MDS). The group brings together neurologists, geriatricians, psychologists, sleep experts, nurse specialists, cognitive experts and patient group representatives.

  • To collect new and novel patient and carer reported information on Non-Motor Symptoms (NMS) of Parkinson’s disease from around the world
  • To develop a MDS version of a new PD non motor symptoms scale
  • To ensure that comprehensive and unified NMS assessments in clinical trials and scientific studies are increasingly used to increase the “real life” value of clinical trials and clinical studies.
  • To develop new and novel NMS instruments for use in clinics – PD pain scale (currently in development and validation); Vision scale.
  • To set up and start international cross cultural studies, to improve existing tools for NMS (e.g. NMSS and NMSQ)
  • To develop animal models addressing non-motor phenotypes of PD
  • To refine, validate and establish non-motor subtypes of PD and related biomarkers
Centre of Excellence

King’s Health Partners is one of only two centres in the UK to receive the status of National Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence for the treatment and research of Parkinson’s disease.

Led by Professor K Ray Chaudhuri, Director of the National Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence at King’s College Hospital and King’s College London, the team spans across neurosciences, nursing and therapies, and provides a full spectrum of services.

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Moving Along is a quarterly newsletter that offers The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society members up-to-date information on new developments in the field of Movement Disorders, upcoming activities, and MDS news and announcements.
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The IPMDS Non-Motor PD Study Group is fortunate to have been supported by the Parkinson’s UK as well as the European Parkinson’s Disease Association (EPDA) which has made some of the pivotal works from the group possible.

Key collaborators & international key opinion leaders
  • David Brooks
  • Pablo Martinez-Martin
  • Per Odin
  • Angelo Antonini
  • Dan Weintraub
  • Anette Schrag
  • Anthony Schapira
  • Peter Jenner
  • William Ondo
  • Kelly Lyons
  • Boem Jeon
  • Roongroj Bhidayasiri
  • Paolo Barone
  • Fabrizio Stocchi
  • Heinz Reichmann
  • Alexander Storch
  • Lars Timmermann
  • Kalyan Bhattacharya
  • Yoshio Tsuboi
  • Kazuo Abe
  • Camille Carrol (Portsomouth University)
  • Connie Marras (Toronto)
  • Antonio Straffela (Toronto)
Steering Committee
  • Anette Schrag
  • Pablo Martinez-Martin
  • Daniel Weintraub
  • Angelo Antonini
  • Per Odin
Managerial and Coordination
  • Alexandra Rizos
  • Anna Sauerbier
Standing Members
  • Paolo Barone
  • David J Brooks
  • Richard Brown
  • Peter Jenner
  • BJ Jeon
  • Kelly Lyons
  • Nicola Pavese
  • Anthony Schapira
  • Fabrizio Stocchi
  • Lars Timmermann
  • Yoshio Tsuboi

Ongoing projects

The NM-PD study group will aim to complete and publish 3 key studies adopted from the work of the international Parkinson’s disease non-motor group (PDNMG). These are:

The EuroInf study

Multicentre, European study comparing key motor, non-motor and quality of life effects of advanced conventional therapies apomorphine infusion, intrajejunal levodopa infusion and subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation in PD.
Data presented at the MDS congress in Sydney, June 2013.

The DAICE-ET study

Multicentre European study of real life comparison of immediate release, long-acting and transdermal dopamine agonists and tolerability in elderly patients with a focus on impulse control disorders.
Data presented at the MDS Congress in Sydney, June 2013.

EURO-DAWS study

Multi-centre European prospective survey of range, nature and frequency of dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome in Parkinson’s disease.

The definition, characterization and frequency of non-motor sub-types of PD and possible biomarkers exploration

The development, and clinical validation of the MDS PD non-motor symptoms scale