Degeneration of a specific class of nerve cells leads to loss of the sense of smell, a symptom often associated with Parkinson’s disease, a study reports. The research, “Inhibition of oxidative stress in cholinergic projection neurons fully rescues aging-associated olfactory circuit degeneration in Drosophila,” was published in the journal…
Key proteins involved in neuron communication are potential targets that could aid in early diagnosis and prediction of disease progression in patients with different types of dementias, including Parkinson’s disease, a study suggests. The study, “Synaptic markers of cognitive decline in neurodegenerative diseases: a proteomic approach,” was…
Techniques that analyze speech and vocal patterns might be effective tools to diagnose Parkinson’s disease, and possibly at earlier stages than is now possible, according to a new study. There are no laboratory biomarkers that can detect Parkinson’s, and brain imaging scans do not allow for a definitive diagnosis. The clinical…
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals’ below-the-tongue version of a Parkinson’s therapy was able to ease patients’ movement difficulties after the standard therapy levodopa wore off, a Phase 3 clinical trial showed. Patients also tolerated the treatment — known as apomorphine sublingual film — well, the preliminary results showed. Sublingual means below the tongue, so the therapy’s full…
An Axovant Sciences therapy for Parkinson’s disease showed signs of effectiveness, but an Alzheimer’s treatment did not, according to separate Phase 2 clinical trials. Nelotanserin, the therapy candidate for Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) associated with hallucinations and for Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), appeared safe as well as displaying signs of effectiveness,…
It’s widely accepted that Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients experience neuronal death in the brainstem. Now, for the first time, researchers report that the number of copies of mitochondrial DNA is increased in the surviving nerve cells within this area of the brain. Interestingly, specific brainstem neurons had more alterations in…
Low levels of blood caffeine and its metabolites may help identify patients with early Parkinson’s disease, according to new research. The findings are consistent with caffeine’s neuroprotective effects, previously observed in neurodegenerative diseases. The study, “Serum caffeine and metabolites are reliable biomarkers of early Parkinson disease,”…
Niclosamide, an oral medication widely used to eradicate tapeworm infections, may have the potential to slow disease progression in Parkinson’s patients with mutations in the PINK1 gene, researchers report. Their study, “The Anthelmintic Drug Niclosamide and its Analogues Activate the Parkinson’s Disease Associated Protein Kinase PINK1,” was…
Researchers at the University of California found that tau and beta-amyloid protein deposits in the brains of Parkinson’s patients does not influence their cognitive function. They found, interestingly, that those with greater tau accumulation had higher levels of β-amyloid in the brain. The study, “Associations Between Tau,…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Boston Scientific’s Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation system to help Parkinson’s patients control their movement. Europe and Australia have already approved the system — the first to target specific nerve cells in the brain. It does this by stimulating electrodes that surgeons…
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