Catarina Silva, MSc,  —

A specific form of magnesium taken orally and able to readily enter the brain was seen to ease Parkinson’s-related motor problems and nerve cell loss in a mouse model of the disorder. The study, “Treatment Of Magnesium-L-Threonate Elevates The Magnesium Level In The Cerebrospinal Fluid And Attenuates Motor Deficits…

Researchers have developed a computer model of the mouse brain that integrates both Parkinson’s disease-related genetic risk factors and the animals’ brain networks to help them understand how abnormal alpha-synuclein protein spreads and how neurodegeneration progresses. The study, “Spread of α-synuclein pathology through the brain connectome is modulated by…

Researchers have developed algorithms that work with wearable sensors to continuously monitor tremor, and estimate total tremor, in Parkinson’s patients as they go about their daily routines. Analyses of sensor results using one algorithm, in particular, were similar to an established test assessing tremor without being dependent on the time the…

Inhibiting the activity of LRRK2 kinase — an enzyme whose mutated form is one of the most common genetic causes of Parkinson’s disease — may benefit patients both with and without this disease-related mutation, a study finds. Molecules that block the activity of the LRRK2 kinase —…

The way the brain of a Parkinson’s disease patient is wired may help doctors predict if he or she will develop impulse control disorders following dopamine replacement therapy, a study finds. The results, “The structural connectivity of discrete networks underlies impulsivity and gambling in Parkinson’s disease,”…

Fesoterodine fumarate, the active compound of a medication for overactive bladder, can help reduce urinary symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients, a clinical study has found. The findings, “Randomized, controlled trial of fesoterodine fumarate for overactive bladder in Parkinson’s disease” were published in the World Journal of…

A form of repetitive transcranial brain stimulation known as intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) failed to improve cognitive function in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. The study, “Impact of Prefrontal Intermittent Theta-Burst Stimulation on Working Memory and Executive Function in Parkinson’s Disease: A Double-Blind…

Researchers have developed a new compound, called S-181, that can improve nerve cell function and decrease the build-up of disease-related harmful molecules by boosting the activity levels of the enzyme beta-glucocerebrosidase. That enzyme’s function is known to be compromised in Parkinson’s disease. The findings, “A modulator of…

People with bipolar disorder have a significantly increased risk — more than three times that of the general population — of later developing Parkinson’s disease, a study has found. Although use of medications for bipolar disorder could overestimate this risk, the researchers believe that a Parkinson’s diagnosis should…

MIT Lincoln Laboratory researchers are developing an artificial gut to study how the human microbiome — the trillions of microorganisms and their genetic material that live within our body, and are as unique to a person as fingerprints — influences the onset and progression of diseases linked to changes…