Press Release | Zurich, Switzerland | 06 January, 2025 

03 January, 2025 — The Women’s Brain Foundation (WBF) is proud to announce groundbreaking work on Parkinson’s disease (PD) supported by Abbvie. 

The article, Enhancing Care in Parkinson’s Disease: Sex and Gender-Informed Policy as a Gateway to Precision Medicine and Care, published in Nature Medicine, emphasizes the importance of sex- and gender-informed approaches in PD. As the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disorder globally, PD presents unique challenges for women, including differences in symptoms, progression, cognitive and emotional impacts, delayed diagnosis, and underrepresentation in research. Hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause can worsen symptoms and affect responses to treatments like levodopa. Additionally, reports indicate a rising incidence of young-onset PD in women, potentially linked to hormonal factors and environmental exposures.  

The innovation of this work lies in its patient-centric approach, originating from the 2023 Policy Roundtable, which united patients, caregivers, policymakers, scientists, and healthcare professionals to address the unmet needs of women with PD. The research highlights sex differences in PD, including later onset, higher rates of non-motor symptoms, and greater susceptibility to levodopa-induced dyskinesias in women, influenced by hormonal fluctuations that remain underexplored in research. 

“It is so important for women with Parkinson’s disease and the wider community, to have our voices raised” said Richelle Flanagan, one of the authors and co-founder of My moves Matter a spin-off of a WBF organized Hackathon.

“We know from direct patient’s voice that sex hormone fluctuations impact disease symptoms and treatment response. Women often experience delayed diagnosis, unique symptom patterns, and differing treatment responses, which underscores the need for more personalized care strategies”. said Dr. Antonella Santuccione, CEO and founder of the Women’s Brain Foundation (WBF).  

“Scientific work, such as this pivotal manuscript by the WBF, sheds light on the current knowledge gaps in our understanding of the sex-specific mechanisms underlying the disease. The study also emphasizes the crucial need to include females at different stages of the life cycle in Parkinson’s preclinical studies, involve more women in clinical trials, and address gender disparities.” said Dr. Roberta Marongiu, one of the authors and an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, as well as the scientific lead for the WBF in the US.  

This work serves as a wake-up call for all stakeholders involved to incorporate a sex and gender precision medicine approach in the design of clinical trials and preclinical research. The WBF calls on the global medical community and policymakers to adopt these recommendations to ensure optimal care for all patients, regardless of gender. 

Contact information 
Email: info@womensbrainproject.com  
Website: www.womensbrainproject.com