Mónica Kurtis Urra

November 21, 2022

"In neuroscience, without research, there is no progress."

Dr. Mónica Kurtis Urra trained as a biologist, obtaining a Bachelor in Science from the University of Edinburgh, and later graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Navarra. She completed her specialization in neurology at the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid) and furthered her studies in Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders at Columbia University (New York), where she completed a clinical fellowship and applied neurophysiology training. Since 2008, she has been leading the movement disorders unit at the Neurology Department of the Ruber International Hospital in Madrid. This unit focuses on the care of patients suffering from various movement disorders, such as Parkinson's disease and other parkinsonisms, tremor, dystonia, chorea, tics, and functional movement disorders.

She is an elected member of the Continuing Education Committee and the Rating Scales Committee of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS). She has contributed to the advancement of knowledge about Parkinson's disease, tremor, dystonia, and functional disorders through over 80 publications in international journals and contributions to educational books. Her research interests have focused on the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and quality of life in this condition.

Additionally, Dr. Kurtis Urra has lectured in the Master's program on movement disorders at the Open University of Catalonia. She has a strong interest in public education and the dissemination of knowledge about movement disorders and neuroscience, which is why she actively collaborates with multiple patient associations. In 2016, she founded a popular science blog (www.neurofriendly.org), aimed at bringing the general public closer to the experience of diseases affecting mobility and providing a platform for interaction among patients, caregivers, neurologists, and therapists. In September 2021, she published her first popular science book, "Boost Your Creativity with Neuroscience" with the Larousse publishing house.

Project Summary and Clinical Relevance

Project: Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis via Neuroimaging Markers.

Parkinson's disease is a highly prevalent neurodegenerative disorder, affecting more than three hundred thousand people in Spain and over six million worldwide. It is considered the fastest-growing neurological disease in terms of the number of affected individuals, with its prevalence increasing exponentially in the last two decades for reasons that are not fully understood. Despite its significant social impact, there is currently no complementary test that provides a definitive diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Since it was first described by Dr. James Parkinson in the 19th century, the disease has been diagnosed based on the clinical history and neurological examination conducted by an experienced physician.

Nevertheless, research continues, and new imaging techniques are being developed that are beginning to visualize the most affected areas of the nervous system in this disease. Undoubtedly, an imaging technique that could detect neuronal death occurring in the brainstem (the region that connects the spinal cord to the brain) in patients with Parkinson's disease would be invaluable for diagnosis and monitoring.

Dr. Mónica Kurtis Urra has sought to translate advances in neuroimaging techniques into the clinical setting so that patients can benefit from cutting-edge research. For this reason, over the next two years, a multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Kurtis Urra and composed of neurologists, radiologists, and nuclear medicine specialists from various Quirónsalud hospitals in Madrid will combine efforts in a project aimed at advancing the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. The project includes a diagnostic testing protocol specifically designed for patients suspected of having Parkinson's disease. The goal is to confirm the usefulness of new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques for diagnosing patients with Parkinson's disease and other degenerative parkinsonisms.

According to Dr. Mónica Kurtis Urra, "The validation of an anatomical imaging technique that diagnoses dopamine deficiency would represent a significant breakthrough in the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and other parkinsonisms."