Even for people with a gene mutation tied to Parkinson’s disease, coffee consumption may be associated with a lower risk of actually developing the disease, according to a new study published in the September 30, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Parkinson’s disease is most commonly treated with levodopa, but the benefits wear off as the disease progresses and high doses can result in dyskinesia, which are involuntary and uncontrollable movements. To better understand the underlying reasons behind these effects, researchers created a model of the interactions between levodopa, dopamine, and the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that plays a crucial role in Parkinson’s disease. They discuss their findings in the journal Chaos.
A team of researchers in the United States and Japan reports that spinal cord stimulation (SCS) measurably decreased pain and reduced motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, both as a singular therapy and as a “salvage therapy” after deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapies were ineffective.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Sept. 25, 2020) — Van Andel Institute and The Cure Parkinson’s Trust are thrilled to announce Caroline Tanner, M.D., Ph.D., of University of California, San Francisco’s Weill Institute for Neurosciences as the recipient of the 2020 Tom Isaacs Award, which honors individuals who have had a significant impact on the lives of people with Parkinson’s and/or involved them in a participatory way in research.
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers demonstrated a proof-of-concept stem cell treatment in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. They found that neurons derived from stem cells can integrate well into the correct regions of the brain, connect with native neurons and restore motor functions.
Although the name may suggest otherwise, Parkinson's disease is not one but two diseases, starting either in the brain or in the intestines. Which explains why patients with Parkinson's describe widely differing symptoms, and points towards personalised medicine as the way forward for people with Parkinson's disease.
LONDON (Sept. 21, 2020) — The Cure Parkinson’s Trust (CPT) and Van Andel Institute (VAI) are delighted to welcome a third strategic funding partner, The John Black Charitable Foundation (JBCF), to the International Linked Clinical Trials (iLCT) program. Together, these three partners have pledged a total of US$6.75 million to Parkinson’s research over three years.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Sept. 21, 2020) — A collaborative team between the University of Minnesota Medical School and Van Andel Institute (VAI) will soon begin a $6.2 million study that seeks to define the molecular linkages between aging and Parkinson’s disease — an approach for new treatment targets not yet explored by many researchers. The group recently earned a three-year grant from the Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s initiative, an international collaborative research effort partnering with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to implement its funding.
Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s has announced a three-year, $7.2 million grant to scientists at UC San Diego and Germany to support research on LRKK2, a gene linked to Parkinson’s disease. The new funding expands efforts using cryo-EM technology to produce previously unseen views of LRKK2.
People with Parkinson’s disease are more likely than people of a similar age without the disease to have a sudden drop in blood pressure upon standing, a phenomenon called orthostatic hypotension, according to a new study published in the September 16, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The drop in blood pressure can lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, and even loss of consciousness and falls.
Rush Medical College will be leading one of 21 teams receiving significant funding in hopes of making major advances in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.
Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have received $3.5 million as part of a team award from Aligning Science Across Parkinson’s (ASAP) to support a three-year study into how immune cells may contribute to Parkinson's disease.
19-person pilot study shows community-based karate classes may improve quality of life and wellbeing for individuals with mild-to-moderate Parkinson's Disease (PD)--with over 50% of study participants choosing to continue their karate practice six months after trial end
Scientists at the University Bath in the UK have discovered a series of protein structures that are thought to be highly relevant to the onset of Parkinson's disease.
Parkinson’s is a neurological disorder that progressively attacks motor functions, leading to lasting damage in movement and coordination. Researchers studying the primary causes of the disease have focused on mutations of the protein known as leucine-rich repeat kinase 2, or LRRK2.
While movement problems are the main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, people with the disease often have non-motor symptoms such as constipation, daytime sleepiness and depression 10 or more years before the movement problems start. A new study suggests that eating a healthy diet in middle age may be linked to having fewer of these preceding symptoms. The study is published in the August 19, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Scientists suggest that the initial impact of environmental toxins inhaled through the nose may induce inflammation in the brain, triggering the production of Lewy bodies that can then be spread to other brain regions. However, the relationship linking olfactory dysfunction and Parkinson’s disease development remains unclear. New findings from a study add weight to this theory and identify a critical signaling molecule that may be key to the domino effect kicked off by nasal inflammation.
University of South Australia researchers are pioneering a new method to more accurately diagnose Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative brain disorder which affects around 10 million people worldwide, resulting in a loss of control of body movements.
There’s good news for people with Parkinson’s disease. A new study shows that deep brain stimulation may not increase the risk of developing dementia. The study is published in the July 1, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Bristol scientists have discovered a novel pathology that occurs in several human neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s disease. The article, published in Brain Pathology, describes how SAFB1 expression occurs in both spinocerebellar ataxias and Huntington's disease and may be a common marker of these conditions, which have a similar genetic background.
UC San Diego and Deerfield Management created Poseidon Innovation to support researchers working to advance disease-curing therapeutics by funding early stage projects and expediting the drug-development cycle. Poseidon announces it is funding three researchers.
UC San Diego researchers have discovered that a single treatment to inhibit a gene called PTB in mice converts native astrocytes, brain support cells, into neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. As a result, the mice’s Parkinson’s disease symptoms disappear.
After a brain injury, cells that normally nourish nerves may actually kill them instead, a new study in rodents finds. This “reactive” phenomenon may be the driving factor behind neurodegenerative diseases like glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness.
UCLA scientists have developed a method for restoring oxygen-consumption activity to previously frozen mitochondria samples. By speeding up research, investigators hope to accelerate the diagnosis of people living with mitochondrial diseases and secondary disorders in which mitochondria play a key role, including diseases related to aging, metabolism and the heart.
A 2003 hypothesis says Parkinson’s disease is caused by a gut pathogen that could spread to the brain through the nervous system. No evidence was found until now; researchers report for the first time a significant overabundance of a cluster of opportunistic pathogens in the PD gut.
Oxidative stress is the result of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and can be damaging to cells and tissues.
DALLAS – June 14, 2020 – Recently developed MRI techniques used to more precisely target a small area in the brain linked to Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor may lead to better outcomes without surgery and with less risk of negative effects, a new study led by UT Southwestern researchers suggests.
DALLAS – June 11, 2020 – Dopamine, a chemical that sends messages between different parts of the brain and body, plays a key role in a variety of diseases and behaviors by interacting with receptors on cells. But despite their importance in physiology and pathology, the structure of these receptors embedded in a phospholipid membrane – their natural environment on the cell surface – was unknown. A new study led by UT Southwestern researchers reveals the structure of the active form of one type of dopamine receptor, known as D2, embedded in a phospholipid membrane.
A blood test may help predict which people with multiple sclerosis (MS) will get worse during the following year, according to a study published in the May 20, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
A new UCLA study in zebrafish has identified the process by which air pollution can damage brain cells, potentially contributing to Parkinson’s disease.
Even small changes may have big, long-term consequences. For amyloid beta peptides, a major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, a common chemical modification at a particular location on the molecule has a butterfly effect that leads to protein misfolding, aggregation and cellular toxicity.
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and Loma Linda University Health have demonstrated the promise of applying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to predict the efficacy of using human neural stem cells to treat a brain injury—a first-ever “biomarker” for regenerative medicine that could help personalize stem cell treatments for neurological disorders and improve efficacy. The study was published in Cell Reports.
The Association of Rehabilitation Nurses is proud to announce that ARN Board Member Maureen Musto, MS RN APRN-CNS ACNS-BC CRRN, has been selected to serve on the Development Group for Traumatic Brain Injury and Parkinson’s Disease working on development of the World Health Organization (WHO) Rehabilitation Programme’s Package of Interventions for Rehabilitation (PRI).
A new study co-led by scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) adds increasing evidence that Parkinson’s disease is partly an autoimmune disease. In fact, the researchers report that signs of autoimmunity can appear in Parkinson’s disease patients years before their official diagnosis.
Improper removal of faulty brain cells during neurodevelopment may cause lifelong behavioral issues, new research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine suggests. The finding also could have important implications for a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Experts writing in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease discuss potentially grave consequences for Parkinson's disease patients related to social distancing, but also opportunities like new avenues for research and initiatives that may offer positive help and support
Depression is common in people with Parkinson’s disease and contributes to faster physical and mental decline, but it is often overlooked and undertreated. The good news is that participating in cognitive-behavioral therapy by telephone may be effective in reducing depression symptoms for people with Parkinson’s, according to a study published in the April 1, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
People with Parkinson’s disease who engage in cognitive behavioral therapy — a form of psychotherapy that increases awareness of negative thinking and teaches coping skills — are more likely to overcome depression and anxiety, according to a Rutgers study.
Researchers from the University of Kentucky’s College of Medicine are leading a clinical study that could provide a promising new method for early detection of Parkinson’s disease.
Researchers at the University of Georgia’s Regenerative Bioscience Center and their colleagues have found that “natural killer” white blood cells could guard against the cascade of cellular changes that lead to Parkinson’s disease and help stop its progression.
Parkinson’s disease takes a lot from its victims.Patients often notice its onset as a tremor in one of their hands. As it progresses, it can impair balance, change speech patterns, alter thinking and dramatically affect movement.There is no cure, but there are ways to improve symptoms.
Vision and eye problems like blurry vision, dry eyes, trouble with depth perception, and problems adjusting to rapid changes in light are much more common in people with Parkinson’s disease than in people without the disorder, according to a study published in the March 11, 2020, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study also found such problems can influence a person’s daily activities.
Sandia National Laboratories has received a $6 million grant from the the National Institutes of Health to build a prototype medical device that would make magnetoencephalography (MEG) — a type of noninvasive brain scan — more comfortable, more accessible and potentially more accurate.
Propagating Motor Cortical Dynamics Facilitate Movement Initiation
People with Parkinson’s disease who participate in a special, non-contact boxing program may have better quality of life and be more likely to exercise than those who do not participate, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 72nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, April 25 to May 1, 2020.
A team of researchers at the University of Arizona has found that low-intensity ultrasound waves directed at a particular region of the brain’s prefrontal cortex in healthy subjects can elevate mood, and decrease connectivity in a brain network that has been shown to be hyperactive in psychiatric disorders. The method uses transcranial focused ultrasound (‘tFUS’), a painless, non-invasive technique to modulate brain function comparable to transcranial magnetic stimulation (‘TMS’), and transcranial direct current stimulation (‘tDCS’). This study shows, for the first time, a correlation between tFUS-induced mood enhancement, and reorganization of brain circuits.
Parkinson’s disease researchers have used gene-editing tools to introduce the disorder’s most common genetic mutation into marmoset monkey stem cells and to successfully tamp down cellular chemistry that often goes awry in Parkinson’s patients.
Pingpong may hold promise as a possible form of physical therapy for Parkinson’s disease. People with Parkinson’s who participated in a pingpong exercise program once a week for six months showed improvement in their Parkinson’s symptoms, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 72nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, April 25 to May 1, 2020.
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