Jonathan Grinstein,  —

Upon breaking down two decades of research about how the gut affects the brain in Parkinson’s disease, a vision for studying the gut-brain connection for the next two decades has been laid out in a review article published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. Specifically, the…

A new way to understand and study how the brain represents tool embodiment — the physical actions for using tools — was proposed in a new research article. The study recommends methods for understanding Parkinson’s disease signs and symptoms relating to the brain’s ability to represent motor…

A new neuromodulator — a wireless pacemaker-like device — may provide real-time treatment to patients with diseases such as Parkinson’s by monitoring abnormalities and delivering corrective electrical signals to the brain. The device was described in the study, “A wireless and artefact-free 128-channel neuromodulation device for…

A new roadmap for preclinical and clinical trials investigating compounds to treat and prevent Parkinson’s disease was proposed by a team of international academic and industry researchers, the Alpha-Synuclein Clinical Path Working Group, in conjunction with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Parkinson’s disease patients voluntarily controlled brainwaves associated with motor symptoms using a neurofeedback system, according to new research. These findings have implications for how to best harness brain activity and deep brain stimulation to treat Parkinson’s disease symptoms. The study, “Real-time neurofeedback to modulate…

A disorder related to tiny blood vessels in the brain, known as cortical small vessel disease, is directly linked to worsening motor function in Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. An additional association between modifiable vascular risk factors, in particular hypertension, and dementia highlights the need to…

Ingesting a once widely used herbicide called paraquat along with lectins — proteins in common foods that bind carbohydrates (e.g., sugars) — can lead to symptoms typical of Parkinson’s disease and known as parkinsonism, a study reported. Importantly, this animal research provides a new preclinical model for testing…

Dimercaprol, an antidote to a World War II chemical weapon, was shown to be effective in removing a neurotoxin associated with Parkinson’s, revealing it as a possible treatment for the neurodegenerative disease. Purdue University researchers report that the antidote can safely and effectively remove acrolein, a…

Xadago (safinamide) has been approved in Australia as an add-on therapy to a treatment regimen that includes levodopa for adults with idiopathic (no genetic or other known cause) Parkinson’s disease. This decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of the Australian Government Department of Health adds Australia to the list of…

A new imaging agent can efficiently reach the brain and bind toxic amyloid aggregates during early-stage Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, a study has found. This opens a new approach to diagnose and evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for these neurodegenerative diseases. The article, “ScFv-conjugated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles…