Research on Parkinson's disease and its treatment. Covers mitochondrial protection, genetic progression markers, antibody therapies, and disease costs.
A recent study published in Movement Disorders suggests that COVID-19 may increase the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by making brain cells more susceptible to damage. Researchers found that mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 were more likely to exhibit characteristic features of Parkinson's disease after exposure to a toxin.
Researchers analyzed brain volumes of 37 Parkinson’s patients and 27 controls over 8.8 years, finding accelerated grey matter decline in temporal and occipital lobes. The study’s findings support Braak's disease stage scheme and provide new insights into Parkinson’s progression.
Research found that voluntary wheel running increased dopamine signaling in motor areas of mice. This increase remained even after exercise ended. The study suggests BDNF may catalyze increased dopamine signaling.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge used ultra-high strength '7T' MRI scanners to measure changes in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease, PSP, or good health. The study found that damage to the locus coeruleus region correlates with severe cognitive symptoms and apathy.
A new study reveals that running increases dopamine release and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, leading to improved learning, memory, and motor skills. The findings provide insight into the long-term effects of exercise on the brain and may lead to new treatments for Parkinson's disease.
A new circuit model provides an explanation for how deep brain stimulation (DBS) relieves Parkinson's disease motor symptoms by interrupting a vicious cycle between the subthalamic nucleus and the striatum. The model suggests that DBS restores a balance with other rhythm frequencies, enabling better movement control.
Researchers have developed a process to convert non-neuronal cells into functioning neurons that can take up residence in the brain and restore capacities undermined by Parkinson's destruction of dopaminergic cells. In a proof-of-concept study, one group of experimentally engineered cells performs optimally in terms of survival, growth...
The authors of a Call to Action emphasize the value of incorporating patient perspectives in clinical Parkinson's disease studies and recommend how to include patient researchers effectively. Patient involvement can help design better studies, ensure tolerable protocols, and improve research outcomes. However, specific challenges must ...
A study reveals the DJ1 protein's role in Parkinson's disease by demonstrating its link to aberrant cell cycle re-entry, which leads to neuronal death. This finding could pave the way for new therapeutic approaches that prevent neuronal death and combat symptoms.
A new study suggests that supplementing a diet with Ascidiacea, also known as sea squirts, reverses some main signs of aging in animal models. The researchers found that plasmalogens, vital to body processes, decrease with age and contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified a new mechanism that appears to reverse the build-up of aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. By stressing cells, they found that protein misfolding was eliminated, potentially allowing for the refolding of correctly folded proteins.
Researchers found a correlation between Parkinson's gene alpha-synuclein and vocal production in zebra finches. The study suggests that this link could lead to earlier diagnoses and treatments for Parkinson's patients.
Research suggests dopamine is involved in emotion recognition, particularly in low-dose individuals. Dopamine levels influence emotional perception, with lower levels improving emotional recognition while higher levels impairing it. This finding has implications for understanding social cognition impairments in neurological disorders.
Researchers discovered a novel mutation in the alpha-synuclein gene that causes severe Lewy body pathology, revealing distinct mechanisms of neurodegeneration. The E83Q mutation influences alpha-synuclein's structure and aggregation properties, leading to increased pathology formation and toxicity.
UTHealth Houston's UTMOVE fellowship program has been chosen by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research to train a new generation of movement disorder specialists. The two-year program will provide fellows with comprehensive training in diagnosing and treating Parkinson's disease, as well as opportunities for research an...
Research shows that stable basal ganglia activity is essential for smooth movements, as disrupting this activity leads to unstable and involuntary movements. The study used a chemogenetic tool to suppress neural activity in the subthalamic nucleus of macaque monkeys, inducing abnormal movements.
A new deep learning method, PDD-Net, uses 3D deep convolutional neural networks to extract deep metabolic imaging indices from PET scans for differential diagnosis of parkinsonian diseases. The method achieved high sensitivity and specificity rates for Parkinson's disease and other parkinsonian syndromes.
Researchers developed a new method of deep brain stimulation driven by motor cortical activity to treat Parkinson's disease. This approach, known as adaptive DBS (aDBS), uses γ2 band activity from the primary motor cortex to modulate stimulation parameters and reduce battery consumption.
A doctor's visit from the future describes patient care in 2042, where diagnosis and treatment are personalized based on individual biological abnormalities. Researchers believe this approach could lead to more effective treatments for neurodegenerative disorders.
Research reveals that an imbalance in gut microbiota, known as dysbiosis, may contribute to the development and progression of Parkinson's disease. Studies found a direct correlation between gut dysbiosis and Parkinson's, with certain bacteria contributing to protein aggregation and neuronal damage.
Researchers at UCLA have discovered that amyloid fibrils in the brains of patients with frontotemporal degeneration are composed of the protein TMEM106B, not TDP-43 as expected. This finding may lead to new focus on TMEM106B in FTLD and similar brain diseases.
A new study from the University of Eastern Finland found that frontotemporal dementia patients with extrapyramidal symptoms have significant brainstem atrophy and reduced metabolism, facilitating differential diagnostics for FTD. This can help distinguish between FTD and other diseases causing extrapyramidal symptoms.
A groundbreaking system implanted directly on the spinal cord has restored blood pressure regulation in a patient with multiple system atrophy-parkinsonian type (MSA-P), enabling them to walk again after being bedridden for over a year. This innovative therapy paves the way for new clinical breakthroughs in treating degenerative diseases.
Researchers have engineered probiotic bacteria to produce the dopamine precursor L-DOPA, a potential treatment for Parkinson's disease. The new approach eliminates side effects and reduces treatment complications, offering a promising alternative to existing treatments.
A new wireless implant has the potential to treat neuropathic pain resistant to medical therapy, offering a minimally invasive alternative to surgery. The device uses bioelectronic therapy to stimulate peripheral nerves from within blood vessels, providing precise placement and predictable outcomes.
Researchers at Boston University have developed optoacoustic neurostimulation with single neuron and subcellular level precision. Optoacoustic neuromodulation may offer advantages over ultrasonic neuromodulation, including higher spatial temporal resolution.
Researchers developed an AI-driven image analysis pipeline that identified novel cellular hallmarks of Parkinson's disease from images of over a million skin cells. The platform can distinguish between patient cells and healthy controls, revealing new signatures for potential therapeutic targets.
The Experimental Biology (EB) 2022 meeting features live presentations and a moderated Q&A session on groundbreaking studies. The virtual press conference reveals potential treatments for Parkinson's disease, COVID-19 vaccine-associated side effects, and alleviating food allergies.
A team at Harvard Medical School identified a mechanism that triggers local dopamine release in the brain when acetylcholine binds to axons, not previously known to initiate firing. This finding reveals more about the interaction between acetylcholine and dopamine systems, suggesting a new strategy for treating diseases like Parkinson's.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals a protein called CLUH that regulates mitochondrial fission, which is impaired in Parkinson's disease. Increasing CLUH levels can reverse symptoms in genetically engineered fruit flies with Parkinson's-like conditions.
A new study published in Neurology found that people taking statin drugs have a lower chance of developing parkinsonism later compared to those who were not taking statins. Statins may help reduce the risk due to their protective effect on arteries in the brain.
A novel system to control protein aggregation in a model of Parkinson’s disease suggests that aggregation of alpha-synuclein plays a critical role in disrupting neuronal homeostasis and triggering neurodegeneration. Light treatment led to formation of Lewy body-like aggregates, neurodegeneration, and Parkinson-like motor deficits in mice.
Scientists have identified a clear genetic signature of Parkinson's disease in people's memory T cells, which could lead to new therapies and diagnostics. The study found that targeting these genes may help stop T cells from attacking brain cells in Parkinson's.
Researchers at the University of Huddersfield have identified a key mechanism by which the coronavirus causes inflammation in the brain's immune cells, potentially explaining some symptoms experienced by COVID-19 patients. The study suggests that adequate funding is needed to further develop this research and its potential applications.
A gene called Fer2 has been identified as a key player in protecting dopaminergic neurons from degeneration. In flies and mice, overproduction of Fer2 reduces oxidative stress and prevents neurological defects characteristic of Parkinson's disease.
Researchers identify a neural circuit in midbrain, thalamus, and cortex that orchestrates neuronal activity to trigger planned movement. The discovery has important clinical implications for motor disorders like Parkinson's disease.
The study identifies nine key pathways that seem to be crucial in developing Parkinson's disease, some of which have not been linked before. The findings improve scientists' understanding of genetic risk factors for developing the disease and pave the way for personalized medicine.
A recent study found that individuals with a history of neurological or psychiatric conditions are at increased risk of developing a second condition. Women and men differ in their risk, with women being more likely to develop dementia after experiencing an earlier stroke.
A study published in Cell Metabolism shows that nicotinamide riboside supplementation significantly increases NAD levels in the human brain and improves Parkinson's disease symptoms, suggesting a potential new treatment approach.
Phosphorylated α-synuclein first appears at synapses near the site of inoculation, then spreads to axons and forms aggregates in neuronal cell bodies. This process begins in the synaptic region and may provide insight into prion-like propagation.
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a fatal neurodegenerative movement disorder with no effective treatments, progressing rapidly and impairing critical physiological functions. The researchers will investigate how misfolded protein aggregates contribute to disease pathogenesis using the NIH grant.
Researchers have created a portable device that can detect Parkinson's disease by analyzing the unique odor compounds on a person's skin. The 'e-nose' system showed an accuracy of 79.2% in diagnosing PD, with potential for improving diagnosis through machine learning algorithms.
A natural product from the dried root of Sophora flavescens, combined with an enzyme inhibitor, has been found to reduce neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. The compound kurarinone may provide hope for alleviating symptoms of the incurable disorder.
A new study from the University of Copenhagen has made significant breakthroughs in treating Parkinson's disease by targeting specific neurons in the brainstem. By stimulating excitatory neurons in the caudal area of the pedunculopontine nucleus, researchers were able to restore normal walking function in mice with Parkinson's symptoms.
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago found a promising treatment for neurodegenerative diseases by stopping nerve cell degeneration. A peptide has been identified that inhibits mitochondrial fission and lets nerve cells grow normally.
Researchers found that heart attack survivors were less likely to develop Parkinson's disease over a 21-year follow-up period. The study adjusted for various factors and found an inverse relationship between heart attacks and Parkinson's risk, suggesting cardiac rehabilitation should focus on preventing other cardiovascular diseases.
Researchers identified three KCTD proteins that modulate neurotransmitter activity, enabling fine-tuned movement. Their elimination enhances cAMP production and sensitivity to dopamine in neurons.
Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered a new class of potential drug targets for neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Oxidized proteins, such as Hsp90, can trigger cell death, and targeting these molecules may slow illness progression without side effects.
Salk researchers have engineered mammalian cells to be activated using ultrasound, a method that paves the way toward non-invasive versions of deep brain stimulation, pacemakers, and insulin pumps. The team found a protein called TRPA1, known for its role in responding to noxious compounds, which also opens in response to ultrasound.
Neurobiologists demonstrated that humans can unconsciously distinguish between even very similar sounds, but often don't recognize these differences. The study used EEG to measure brain responses to stimuli and found that the brain reacts differently to local and global irregularities in sound sequences.
A recent study found that individuals with Parkinson's disease who consume three or more servings per week of flavonoid-rich foods like berries, red wine, and tea have a lower chance of dying during the study period. Higher flavonoid consumption is associated with better survival rates in both men and women.
A recent study found that people with Parkinson's Disease who consume more flavonoids have a lower mortality risk than those who don't. The researchers discovered that higher flavonoid intake is associated with improved survival rates in both men and women, particularly when it comes to anthocyanin-rich foods like berries and red wine.
Researchers found that CBN preserves mitochondrial function and prevents oxidative damage to nerve cells, suggesting potential for treating age-related neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. The compound works independently of cannabinoid receptors, making it a promising therapeutic option.
A new study found that disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs do not protect people with rheumatoid arthritis from developing Parkinson's disease. However, using chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine was associated with a lower risk of PD. The study controlled for various factors, including comorbidities and age.
Researchers identified gaps in care and treatment for women with Parkinson's Disease, highlighting the need for personalized medicine and psychosocial support. The study calls for increased attention to sex and gender differences in PD management.
During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, researchers found increased health service use and higher death rates among adults with dementia and Parkinson disease. The study examined changes in these populations compared to older adults without neurodegenerative diseases.
Regular aerobic exercise has been shown to strengthen brain networks between spared regions, improve grey-matter volume, and enhance movement control in individuals with Parkinson's disease. The study published in Annals of Neurology suggests that exercise can stimulate compensatory capacity in the brain, leading to reduced symptoms.
UC researchers received a $1.2 million grant to examine the impact of stress hormone receptors on cell degeneration in Parkinson's disease. The study aims to develop a new model that better replicates the progression of the disease, which may lead to treatments targeting stress hormone blockers or next-generation therapeutics.
A new study suggests that regular exercise can slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in people with early-stage symptoms. Those who engaged in moderate exercise for at least four hours a week experienced less trouble balancing, walking, and performing daily activities over time.
Researchers at Waseda University discovered a new protein isoform called Senp5S, which helps regulate Drp1 and mitochondrial dynamics during brain development. The study suggests a novel and vital role for post-translational SUMOylation in neuronal differentiation.