Catarina Silva, MSc,  —

The protein Furin 1, produced by dopaminergic neurons — nerve cells that synthesize the neurotransmitter dopamine — triggers a harmful inflammatory molecular cascade in neighboring non-neuronal cells that contributes to the degradation of these neurons over time, a study in flies found. Because Furin 1 is controlled by LRRK2 — a major player…

Stem cell-derived neurons from patients with familial forms of Parkinson’s may be used as a valuable model to screen and develop novel therapies for this disease, according to a study. The study, “T-type Calcium Channels Determine the Vulnerability of Dopaminergic Neurons to Mitochondrial Stress in Familial Parkinson Disease”…

Levodopa (L-DOPA) therapy is neuroprotective and prevents age-related iron accumulation in the substantia nigra, a brain region involved in Parkinson’s disease. The study with that finding, “L-DOPA modulates brain iron, dopaminergic neurodegeneration and motor dysfunction in iron overload and mutant alpha-synuclein mouse models of Parkinson’s disease,” was published in…

Parkinson’s disease-related falls and freezing of gait — when patients are unable to move their feet forward when trying to walk — are associated with changes in a specific type of neuronal communication in different brain regions, a study reports. The study, “Cholinergic system changes of falls and…

Eight weeks of training on a treadmill with continuously varying surface inclines improved gait disturbances, particularly walking speed, in Parkinson’s disease patients, researchers report. Their finding were published in the study, “Exploring gait adaptations to perturbed and conventional treadmill training in Parkinson’s disease: Time-course, sustainability, and…

Loud and alarming sounds can reduce muscle stiffness in Parkinson’s disease patients treated with subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS), a study suggests. The study, “Influence of alarming auditory cues on viscoelastic stiffness of skeletal muscles in patients with Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Clinical Biomechanics. Almost…

Toxic protein aggregates called Lewy bodies sequestrate a protein that is usually found in the cell nucleus and known to protect against neurodegeneration, and change in this protein’s location contributes to the mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease, researchers report. The study, “Loss of nuclear REST/NRSF in aged-dopaminergic neurons in…

Genes that control a molecular pathway responsible for moving biological cargo into cells contribute to the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, researchers report. The study, “The Endocytic Membrane Trafficking Pathway Plays a Major Role in the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in Movement Disorders. The movement of…

Levodopa/carbidopa treatment is effective in managing Parkinson’s motor symptoms, but does not protect against disease progression among patients with early disease, a study shows. The research, “Randomized Delayed-Start Trial of Levodopa in Parkinson’s Disease” was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Levodopa is the main…

A shorter, simpler version of testing to diagnose mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease is just as effective as a lengthier evaluation at predicting the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease dementia, a report shows. The study, “Risk of Parkinson’s Disease Dementia Related to Level I MDS PD-MCI,”…