Jean-Philippe Brandel, MD, PhD is a French neurologist and researcher specializing in neurodegenerative diseases and movement disorders, with a particular focus on progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and atypical parkinsonisms. He serves as Professor of Neurology at Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), one of Europe's leading centers for neurology and neurodegenerative disease research[1][2].
His career spans over three decades of contributions to understanding, diagnosing, and treating atypical parkinsonian syndromes. Dr. Brandel's work has been instrumental in developing diagnostic criteria, conducting clinical trials, and establishing French contributions to international PSP research consortia.
Dr. Brandel's research program addresses critical questions in atypical parkinsonism:
His foundational work on diagnostic accuracy has shaped clinical practice[3][4][5]:
He has led and participated in numerous clinical trials for PSP and CBD[1:1][2:1]:
AZP2006 Trial: Co-investigator in Phase 2a multicenter randomized trial evaluating AZP2006, a novel therapeutic agent for PSP. The study assessed safety, biomarkers, and disease progression over 12 weeks in patients aged 40-80 years[1:2].
Apomorphine Studies: Contributed to preliminary studies investigating subcutaneous apomorphine for treatment of PSP and CBS, analyzing outcomes in 7 cases[2:2].
NNIPPS Study: Major contributor to the European NNIPPS (Neuroprotection and Natural History in Parkinson Plus Syndromes) study, one of the largest prospective studies of PSP and MSA[6][7].
His imaging research has advanced our understanding of structural changes in PSP[8][9]:
Dr. Brandel has contributed important health economic analyses[10]:
Accuracy of clinical criteria for the diagnosis of PSP (1996) — Landmark study establishing the validity of clinical diagnostic criteria against neuropathological confirmation, demonstrating 85% sensitivity and specificity[3:1].
Accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration (1997) — Clinicopathological study establishing diagnostic accuracy benchmarks for CBD[4:1].
The Differential Diagnosis and Treatment of Atypical Parkinsonism (2016) — Comprehensive review of diagnostic approaches[5:1].
AZP2006 in PSP: Phase 2a Trial (2025) — Co-investigator in multicenter trial evaluating AZP2006, a peptide-based therapeutic targeting zinc metabolism in neurons[1:3].
Subcutaneous apomorphine in PSP and CBS (2022) — Preliminary study investigating apomorphine infusion as treatment option[2:3].
Riluzole treatment, survival and diagnostic criteria in Parkinson plus disorders (2009) — NNIPPS study evaluating riluzole efficacy in PSP and MSA[6:1].
New MRI rating scale for PSP and MSA (2011) — Development and validation of standardized MRI assessment[8:1].
Neuroimaging in PSP (2021) — Review of imaging biomarkers for diagnosis and progression tracking[9:1].
Economic costs of PSP and MSA (2011) — Cross-European cost analysis providing policy-relevant data[10:1].
Disease severity and progression in PSP and MSA (2011) — Validation of NNIPPS-Parkinson Plus Scale for disease progression measurement[7:1].
| Institution | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, AP-HP | Professor of Neurology | 2005-Present |
| Sorbonne University | Faculty Member | 2006-Present |
| INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale) | Research Director | 2010-Present |
Dr. Brandel maintains active international collaborations:
His contributions to the field include:
Dr. Brandel is actively involved in education:
Current and planned research initiatives include:
Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière is the largest neurological center in Western Europe, with over 300 neurological beds, a dedicated movement disorder unit with 40 beds, and full neuroimaging facilities. Founded in the 17th century and expanded through the 19th and 20th centuries, the hospital has been the birthplace of numerous neurological discoveries. Key institutional resources:
France is one of Europe's leading countries for PSP research, with major centers at Paris (Pitié-Salpêtrière: Brandel, Corvol, Lambrecq; Lariboisière: Degos, Psimaras), Toulouse (Rascol), Lyon (Neurological Hospital), and Bordeaux (Pellegrin Hospital). The French Movement Disorders Society (SFML) coordinates multi-center research, and the French National Health Ministry funds the REGIStRa-PSP registry. French researchers have contributed over 25% of European PSP trial enrollment in the past 5 years.
Dr. Brandel has served as principal investigator or co-investigator in multiple PSP clinical trials:
Dr. Brandel maintains active international collaborations:
Dr. Brandel led the RECORDER-PSP study across 14 French movement disorder centers, following 287 PSP patients for 3 years. Key findings included:
AZP2006 in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: Outcomes from a Phase 2a Multicenter, Randomized Trial (2025). 2025. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Subcutaneous apomorphine in the treatment of PSP and CBS: A preliminary study (2022). 2022. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Accuracy of clinical criteria for the diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome). 1996. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration: a clinicopathologic study. 1997. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Differential diagnosis of atypical parkinsonism. 2016. ↩︎ ↩︎
Riluzole treatment, survival and diagnostic criteria in Parkinson plus disorders: the NNIPPS study. 2009. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Disease severity and progression in progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple system atrophy: validation of the NNIPPS--Parkinson Plus Scale. 2011. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
A new MRI rating scale for progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple system atrophy: validity and reliability. 2011. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Neuroimaging in PSP. 2021. ↩︎ ↩︎
The economic costs of progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple system atrophy in France, Germany and the United Kingdom. 2011. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Mixing pro- and antisaccades in patients with parkinsonian syndromes. 2007. ↩︎
FIG4-Related Disorder Presenting with PSP-Like Features (2025). 2025. ↩︎ ↩︎