Biochemical premotor biomarkers for Parkinson's disease

A biomarker is a biological characteristic that is objectively measured and evaluated as an indicator of normal biological or pathologic processes or of pharmacologic responses to a therapeutic intervention. We reviewed the current status of target protein biomarkers (eg, total/oligomeric a-synuclein and DJ-1) in cerebrospinal fluid, as well as on unbiased processes that can be used to discover novel biomarkers. We have also provide ddetails about strategies toward potential populations/models and technologies, including the need for standardized sampling techniques, to pursue the identification of new biochemical markers in the premotor stage of Parkinson's disease in the future. (C) 2012 Movement Disorder Society