Neuro-SysMed Seminar October 14, 2026

Speaker

This seminar gives you an introduction to work package 3 (Prodromal interventions) and work package 4 (Biomarker development) of the new Centre for Research Driven Innovation: ICoN. 

In this seminar, Professor Janne Grønli will present results from the NOR-RBD (Norwegian cohort of Prodromal α-synucleinopathies and researcher Johannes Gaare will present INTERCEPT: A new approach to disease-modifying trials in prodromal α-synucleinopathies. Work packages 3 and 4 are led by Grønli and Gaare. 

Topic

α-Synucleinopathies: Prodromal Phase Biomarker Discovery and Early-phase Intervention Trials 

Registration

Please register through this link (external link). The deadline if you would like to join the lunch is Oct. 12 at 11.00. Till the seminar starts, if not. 

Time and place

Place: The auditorium in Armauer Hansens Hus

When: October 14, 2026 at 11:30 - 13:00 (lunch 11:30 - 12:00).

Abstract

Isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) is a robust marker of prodromal α-synucleinopathy, with >90% of affected individuals progressing to a clinically manifest α-synucleinopathy: Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), or multiple system atrophy (MSA) within 15 years. To identify new scalable biomarkers for assessing progression during the prodromal phase and risk of phenoconversion, we quantitatively assessed REM sleep without atonia (RWA) in individuals with iRBD and prodromal RBD. The latter were defined as individuals with subtle RWA who do not meet the criteria for RBD. Our preliminary findings show an association between more pronounced RWA and increased slow-wave activity during REM sleep, which suggests a shift in cortical REM sleep electrophysiology toward reduced activation. This electrophysiological signature may have potential value as a biomarker of disease progression and future phenoconversion. The hypothesis that the severity of RWA could reflect the extent of the neurodegenerative process during prodromal stages of α-synucleinopathies requires confirmation in larger longitudinal cohorts.

INTERCEPT: A new approach to disease-modifying trials in prodromal α-synucleinopathy: 
iRBD offers a unique opportunity to intervene in the prodromal phase of α-synucleinopathies, before more prominent symptoms of α-synucleinopathies emerge. However, clinical progression at this stage is typically slow and variable, so conventional trials require very large sample sizes and lengthy follow-up. INTERCEPT is a phase 2 randomised controlled trial in iRBD that utilises novel imaging and polysomnography markers of disease progression as endpoints. The aim is to test promising disease-modifying therapies in a smaller, faster and more feasible way.