As Parkinson’s Awareness Month continues, we’re pleased to highlight another one of our team members at Jefferson Moss Rehabilitation Research who has been engaged in research to advance our understanding of Parkinson’s disease. In her role, Alyssa Essalenne has been an integral contributor to research projects in both the Cognitive-Motor Learning Laboratory directed by Aaron Wong, PhD, as well as the Sensorimotor Learning Laboratory directed by Amanda Therrien, PhD. In this interview, she shares more about her career path, the research projects she has worked on at the Institute, and her plans for the future.
Can you describe your academic background and the path you took to your current position at the Institute?
I graduated from Temple University in 2021 with a B.S. in neuroscience with a focus on systems/behavior/plasticity. I previously worked for a contract drug development research organization, where I worked in the formulations department for about three years. While it was initially exciting assessing safety in pharmaceutics, I felt I wasn’t really learning anything about research, or even the results or implications of my work. I wanted to learn more about the clinical and ‘administrative’ aspects of research and work somewhere that more closely aligned with the neuroscience field that I studied and enjoyed in school. I applied to be a research assistant in Dr. Amanda Therrien’s Sensorimotor Learning Lab, and later started doing collaborative work with Dr. Aaron Wong’s Cognitive-Motor Learning Lab. I’ve been a coordinator at the Institute for about two years now!
You recently contributed to a research study in the Cognitive-Motor Learning Laboratory working with individuals with Parkinson's disease. What was the goal of this study?
The study I worked on was titled “Effort costs and reward values in Parkinson’s disease.” Overall, the motivation behind this study was to better understand underlying sources of movement impairments related to Parkinson’s disease (PD). More specifically, we wanted to explore the relationship, if any, between reduced sensitivity to reward values and increased perception of effort; both of which are proposed cognitive differences in people with PD. Current literature describes an effort-reward trade-off, such that one’s decision to perform a movement takes into consideration the effort required for a given task and the potential ‘reward’ associated with completing it. The goal of this study was to investigate factors that could underlie an altered effort-reward trade-off in PD and to compare reward sensitivity, effort perception, and the relationship between the two, compared to older adults without PD (control participants).
What was your role in the study, and what was your experience like working with the participants?
My initial role in this study involved recruiting, scheduling, and following up with both PD and control participants in the study. Then, I began running data collection with both participant groups, including decision-making tasks and interacting with our Kinarm exoskeleton robot. For the PD group, this also included a physical assessment to gauge their motor abilities on and off their prescribed medications. Working with PD patients was really interesting. Because we assessed PD participants on and off their dopamine medications, I witnessed significant differences in symptoms and PD presentation from a between- and within-subjects lens. Additionally, it was insightful to work with people with motor impairments. I had the opportunity not only to learn the best ways to support research participants with such conditions, but also to engage with them—during experimental visits and on phone calls. This allowed me to learn more about how PD affects their lives; both in terms of symptoms and lifestyle adjustments to accommodate those symptoms.
What were some of the things you learned through your involvement in this project?
I learned so much being involved in this study. Primarily, I learned additional tips and tricks to improve my work as a research assistant, such as different assessment types. But more than that, I learned a lot about PD that goes beyond what’s described in educational settings. For example, PD symptoms aren’t limited to tremors and overall slowing of muscle movements. Engaging with participants in this study highlighted other PD symptoms that deserve equal consideration like persistent muscle cramps, lethargy, and drastic changes to sleep and diet. Additionally, I had the chance to speak with participants and gain insight into how PD affects their day-to-day lives and how they have adapted in response. I met one participant who almost exclusively wears sweatsuits to avoid having to use zippers and buttons and another who started doing Tai-Chi three times per week to keep up his physical fitness with his new slower pace. Just as this disorder can be heterogeneous, so are the people and their plans to combat it.
What are the impacts or potential impacts of this work?
Ideally, the results of this study will help guide future research in this area with the ultimate goal of applying what we learn in rehabilitative treatments. Understanding changes in perceived efforts and rewards, and their relationship to each other, can allow for more targeted rehabilitation, specifically for addressing bradykinesia, in practice and in planning.
Can you tell us more about your long-term career plans?
While I am genuinely appreciating my time in sensorimotor and cognitive motor research, my long-term career goals lean more toward my previous employment, focused on nonclinical drug development. I am currently in graduate school pursuing my PhD in pharmacology and toxicology. While my original goal was to focus on drug discovery in kids and adolescents, I’ve recently shifted my long-term goals to focus on neurodegenerative disorders like PD and Alzheimer’s disease; partly influenced by my work on this study.
What are some of your personal interests or hobbies?
Sadly, between my work here and being a part-time PhD student, my most regular hobby at this time is sleeping. When my busy schedule subsides, however, I enjoy dance workshops, traveling to the Caribbean, and getting together with friends. I became a bartender/mixologist during undergrad, and I have lately been dabbling in wine and spirit tastings as well, now less for income and more for enjoyment