Jul 25, 2025
Jeroen Habets on Treating Levodopa-induced Dyskinesia
Levodopa is one of the most widely used and effective medications for treating motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Over time, however, many patients develop a common side effect: levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). LID is characterized by involuntary, erratic movements that can affect various parts of the body. Although more than half of all people who take levodopa experience LID, the underlying neurological mechanisms remain poorly understood.
Dr. Jeroen Habets, a postdoctoral fellow supported by the Parkinson’s Foundation, is working to close this knowledge gap. In the laboratory of Prof. Andrea Kühn at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, he is using magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate what happens in the brain during episodes of dyskinesia. These non-invasive recordings reveal distinct patterns of brain wave activity, which can help identify which regions of the brain become abnormally active during involuntary movements.
The goal of this research is twofold: first, to define reliable brain wave biomarkers of LID and second, to target those biomarkers using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) — a technique that uses magnetic pulses to modulate neural activity at the surface of the brain. This approach is entirely non-invasive and has shown promise in earlier studies.
“During dyskinesia, some processes at the surface of the brain are more active than they should be or than they normally are,” explains Dr. Habets. Earlier research suggests that magnetic stimulation can reduce this overactivity and the severity of dyskinesia symptoms for several hours afterward.
The potential for personalized TMS protocols tailored to individual brain wave patterns could open new pathways for treatment. Still, translating these findings into everyday clinical care remains a challenge. According to Dr. Habets, a better understanding of dyskinesia is the necessary first step.
The project is made possible through the support of the Parkinson’s Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship program. As Dr. Habets notes, funding like this not only fuels scientific progress but also helps early-career researchers grow into the next generation of innovators in Parkinson’s research.
To the full article and video interview
© Picture: Parkinson’s Foundation
