The findings "emphatically confirm the incredible risk that patients with RBD have for developing neurodegenerative disease. This is completely unique, this ability to identify a neurodegenerative disease 10 years before it can be diagnosed. It provides profound opportunities to study early stages of disease and perhaps to test preventative treatments that could be applied to Parkinson’s disease and related disorders," Dr. Postuma said when asked to comment on the Spanish study.
"I don’t think you could imagine a better group to intervene with neuroprotective therapy than this one," he said.
Dr. Boeve’s research has been supported by Cephalon, Allon Therapeutics, and GE Healthcare. Dr. Postuma disclosed personal support from Teva and Novartis.