Alice Melão,  —

A new compound that becomes therapeutically active when stimulated by light was able to reverse motor symptoms in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease. The distinctive features of this investigational compound, called MRS7145, include more control when delivering the therapy and fewer side effects. The study about MRS7145, “…

A form of vitamin B3 can prevent degeneration and death of nerve cells linked to Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The study with that finding, “The NAD+ precursor, nicotinamide riboside, rescues mitochondrial defects and neuronal loss in iPSC and fly models of Parkinson’s disease,” was published in …

Taking long daytime naps — rather than being excessively sleepy during day hours but not napping — appeared to be linked to a two-times higher risk of Parkinson’s disease in older men in a long-term study. The study, “Excessive daytime sleepiness, objective napping and 11-year risk of Parkinson’s disease…

Ways of better diagnosing and treating Parkinson’s patients may lie in developing biomarkers, inhibitors, and stem cells therapies that are based on an enzyme newly identified in research into this disease, called soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), a commentary article suggests. The opinion piece, “Fatty acid chemical mediator provides insights…

New sensors with increased sensitivity and specificity to detect interactions between proteins, fat molecules, and other biological elements, represent a powerful tool to investigate mechanisms linked to human diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s. Those findings were highlighted in the study “Resolving molecule-specific information in dynamic lipid membrane…

First-degree relatives of Parkinson’s patients are more likely to develop the disease and are at a higher risk for other neuropsychiatric disorders, a study shows. The study, “Familial aggregation of Parkinson’s disease and coaggregation with neuropsychiatric diseases: a population-based cohort study,” was published in Clinical Epidemiology. Most…

Slower tongue movement may contribute to the swallowing difficulties experienced by Parkinson’s disease patients, researchers report in a study. Recognition of tongue movement patterns may help to detect and prevent swallowing problems, a condition known as dysphagia, earlier in this population. The study, “Tongue Pressure…

An abnormal brain activity pattern could be a common link between Parkinson’s disease, neuropathic pain, tinnitus, and depression, an international research team suggests. The brainwave abnormality is similar in all these disorders but occurs in different regions of the brain. This discovery could lead to therapies that target all four conditions,…

Mutations in four specific genes may help to identify those Parkinson’s patients at risk of developing the addictive behaviors known as impulse control disorders, researchers report. Their study, “Dopaminergic and Opioid Pathways Associated with Impulse Control Disorders in Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in Frontiers in Neurology. People with Parkinson’s…

Increased body mass and sedentary behavior do not increase the risk of having Parkinson’s disease, a study shows. To date it is still not fully understood what causes Parkinson’s disease, but several environmental and lifestyle factors have been suggested as contributors to this disease. In the study, “Body mass…