Nijmegen

Principal investigator:
Prof. Bastiaan R. Bloem, MD, PhD

Parkinson Centre Nijmegen (ParC)
Department of Neurology
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior
Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre
Reinier Postlaan 4
6500 HB Nijmegen
The Netherlands
Tel: 00-31-24-3615202
Fax: 00-31-24-3541122
Email: b.bloem(at)neuro.umcn.nl

Expertise of participating organization:

The Nijmegen group has a strong clinical background. The neurodegenerative staff features four dedicated movement disorder neurologists (Prof. BR Bloem, Prof. HP Kremer, Dr. RA Esselink, Dr. BP van de Warrenburg), with specific expertise in Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism, (hereditary) ataxias and dystonia. Clinical care is delivered in our multidisciplinary daycare center (a tertiary referral center), and in the regional ParkinsonNet networks that are currently present in large parts of the Netherlands. Research ranges from clinically oriented studies (e.g. health care innovations for patients with parkinsonism, guideline development, development of diagnostic protocols) to more fundamental projects (with emphasis on studies of cerebrospinal fluid in patients with parkinsonism, led by Dr. M. Verbeek). A further specific area of expertise relates to studies of falls and axial motor disability, for which we have a fully equipped gait and balance laboratory in place, including a unique and self-developed new dynamic posturography unit.

Recent publications relevant to the EMSA-SG:

Abdo WF, Bloem BR, Kremer HP, Lammers GJ, Verbeek MM, Overeem S. CSF hypocretin-1 levels are normal in multiple-system atrophy. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2008;14:342-344.

Abdo WF, Bloem BR, Van geel WJ, Esselink RA, Verbeek MM. CSF neurofilament light chain and tau differentiate multiple system atrophy from Parkinson’s disease. Neurobiol Aging 2007;28:742-7.

Abdo WF, van de Warrenburg BPC, Kremer HP, Bloem BR, Verbeek MM. CSF analysis differentiates multiple system atrophy from idiopathic late-onset cerebellar ataxia. Neurology 2006;67:474-9.

Abdo WF, Borm GF, Munneke M, Verbeek MM, Esselink RAJ, Bloem BR. Ten steps to identify atypical parkinsonism. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2006;77:1367-9.

Boonstra TA, van der Kooij H, Munneke M, Bloem BR. Gait disorders and balance disturbances in Parkinson’s disease: clinical update and pathophysiology. Curr Opin Neurol 2008;21:461-7.

Snijder AH, van de Warrenburg BP, Giladi N, Bloem BR. Neurological gait disorders in elderly people: clinical approach and classification. Lancet Neurol 2007;6:63-74.

Keus SH, Bloem BR, Hendriks EJ, Bredero-Cohen AB, Munneke M. Practice Recommendations Development Group. Evidence-based analysis of physical therapy in Parkinson’s disease with recommendations for practice and research. Mov Disord 2007;22:451-60.