Biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease
Our research group investigates biomarkers in Parkinson’s disease (PD) to improve early diagnosis and disease monitoring. We explore serum and CSF-based biomarkers, including seeding aggregation assays (SAA), to detect pathological alpha-synuclein with high sensitivity. Additionally, we study the role of pesticides in the pathophysiology of PD, using different models to understand how environmental exposures contribute to neurodegeneration. A key focus of our research is also the role of GBA1 mutations in PD, particularly their impact on alpha-synuclein pathology and disease progression. By integrating biomarker discovery, genetic risk factors, and environmental influences, our work aims to advance precision medicine and neuroprotective strategies in PD.
Diversification of Parkinson’s disease-related data
It has been widely acknowledged that the plurality of the existing data on PD is derived from Europe and North America, i.e., European ancestry, which is equivalent to only around 15% of the world’s population. This creates a huge bias in the interpretation of the data and hinders the generalization of current knowledge. In that sense, we aim to do our part of the job by providing data from Turkey and contributing to the diversification of PD-related knowledge. These include (but are not limited to) studies in genetic PD, deep brain stimulation, demonstrating attitudes of Turkish PD patients regarding COVID-19, prodromal PD, stigmatization etc.
Functional Neurosurgery
Functional neurosurgical practice and research are performed in our institution since the 1960s by pioneering neurosurgeons (namely Nurhan Avman, Yücel Kanpolat, and Ali Savaş). Departments of Neurosurgery and Neurology are in close collaboration since 1993 with primary research interests in targeting techniques, cognitive effects of deep brain stimulation, and novel procedures in ablative surgery.
Clinical Outcome Assessments (Rating Scales)
Our group puts particular interest in the quantification of clinical data and its cultural adaptation. In accordance with this Turkish standardization of several rating scales are performed in collaboration with the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS), including the MDS Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS).