A New Frontier in Parkinson’s: Norway’s Mohn Research Center Aims to Prevent It Before It Starts

A pioneering new research center in Bergen, Norway, is taking an exciting first-of-its-kind approach to Parkinson’s and related disorders. Instead of waiting until symptoms appear, the goal is to protect the brain—and ideally prevent these diseases in the first place. Parkinson’s is currently the world’s fastest-growing brain disease, yet we still have no treatment that stops or slows its progression. That’s where the new Mohn Research Center comes in. Supported by about $5 million in funding from the Trond Mohn Research Foundation and anchored at the University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital, this center aims to shift the paradigm from reactive care to proactive brain protection. Catching it early: The role of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) One unique and powerful focus area is REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). People with RBD “act out” their dreams—an unusual symptom that can appear early, before Parkinson’s symptoms emerge. Many people with RBD already show the earliest changes in their brain long before anything else. That means RBD offers a rare window of opportunity to understand what's going wrong and to test ways to intervene before full disease develops. What the center intends to do The team has outlined several ambitious and strategically connected goals: - Create a national RBD cohort for top-tier clinical research. - Develop and validate early detection tools—like digital measures, molecular biomarkers, and advanced imaging. - Run prevention trials with people who are at risk—testing whether early action can truly change the course of disease. - Harness the power of artificial intelligence to spot patterns in health data that could indicate risk even before symptoms appear. Who’s behind it Leading this is Professor Charalampos (Haris) Tzoulis, an expert in neurology and neurogenetics with strong clinical and research credentials at both the University of Bergen and Haukeland Hospital. He also heads related research centers—a perfect foundation for this new mission. Nicholas Nunn, managing director of the Trond Mohn Foundation, expressed confidence that this work will significantly advance our understanding of Parkinson’s and related disorders. Why it matters to you—and the bigger picture For people affected—or those who care—it’s revolutionary. We’ve had Parkinson’s treatments that help manage symptoms, but not slow change. This center is built to change that. By detecting changes earlier, tracking shifts in brain health more accurately, and testing interventions in real time, the team aims to prevent damage before it’s irreversible. In short, they want to protect the brain, not just react to its damage. As Parkinson’s continues to affect more people worldwide, this initiative provides real hope—and a shift toward prevention-driven brain care that could reshape how we approach treatment and support.