Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is effective in improving several neuropsychiatric symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, but can lead to increased apathy in patients, research based on an observational clinical trial in patients suggests. The study, “Subthalamic stimulation and neuropsychiatric symptoms in Parkinson’s disease: results from a long-term follow-up cohort…
Cognitive behavioral group therapy reduced Parkinson’s patients’ depression and anxiety, an Italian study reports. Parkinson’s patients experience both movement and non-movement symptoms, including depression, anxiety, apathy, fatigue, pain, and impulse control disorders. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is a well-established strategy for reducing depression and apathy. But evidence supporting its…
American researchers have identified an enzyme-based mechanism that regulates neural stem cells’ ability to generate nerve cells, a finding that could lead to new therapies for Parkinson’s and other brain disorders. Scientists at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute did the work. The institute has research facilities in San Diego…
A new technology that reduces “shaky hands” in people with essential tremor (ET) may benefit those with Parkinson’s disease. People with essential tremor, a condition that has overlapping motor features with Parkinson’s disease, have a significant reduction in their quality of life, as everyday tasks such as drinking from a…
Levodopa improves Parkinson’s patients’ symptoms by binding with two types of receptors for dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate movement and emotional response. Although it is considered the gold standard in Parkinson’s treatment, a study from Binghamton University students contends that levodopa’s interaction with the dopamine receptor D2 may cause involuntary…
Synthetic 3D protein structures that better mimic those in nature, but are simpler, could help scientists investigate several disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, a study indicates. The research, “Supramolecular Multiblock Copolymers Featuring Complex Secondary Structures,” appeared in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Dr. Marcus…
The naturally-occurring protein α-klotho improves cognition and brain resilience in mice, and may have potential benefits for Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), researchers showed. The study, ”Peripheral Elevation of a Klotho Fragment Enhances Brain Function and Resilience in Young, Aging, and α-Synuclein Transgenic Mice,” appeared…
Forty-two percent of Parkinson’s patients who took ND0612H were able to eliminate periods during the day when their symptoms recurred because their therapy had worn off, according to a Phase 2 clinical trial. The 006 trial (NCT02577523) of NeuroDerm’s IV-delivered therapy dealt with what is known as Parkinson’s off time. The time…
A strain of influenza commonly known as swine flu could trigger the development of Parkinson’s disease, according to a study in mice. Mice infected with the H1N1 strain lost a lot of their brain neurons, even long after the virus struck. Neuron loss is a hallmark of Parkinson’s. Importantly, vaccination against the…
Researchers have found that selective mutations in the protein alpha-synuclein affect its binding to cell membranes with potential implications in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and therapeutic strategies. The study, “Alpha-Synuclein Disease Mutations Are Structurally Defective and Locally Affect Membrane Binding,” was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
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