Researchers found a genetic variation, known as the GG genotype, that identifies those Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients more likely to have slower disease progression — evidenced through tremors — and lower levels of alpha-synuclein, a protein linked to the disease. The findings have implications in disease diagnosis and treatment strategies, and were recently presented…
A biopsy of the submandibular gland — located beneath the floor of the mouth — has been proven effective in autopsies to diagnose Parkinson’s disease, but scientists are now studying it as a diagnostic tool during life to identify dementia with Lewy bodies, an often misdiagnosed condition. It is also much less…
Rutgers and Stanford University researchers have developed 3-D “scaffolds,” or fibers, that can support healthy and high-functioning human neurons derived from adult stem cells, which can be transplanted to the brain to replace diseased neurons. The technology represents a possible new therapeutic strategy for numerous neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and multiple…
Cynapsus Therapeutics, currently conducting a pivotal Phase 3 clinical study of its sublingual formulation of apomorphine to treat “OFF” episodes in Parkinson’s disease (PD), is teaming up with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) for a sub-study that will use wearable technology to gather and analyze…
The 10th World Congress on Controversies in Neurology (CONy), now taking place in Lisbon, Portugal, is hosting international experts in the field, and serving as a platform for the comparison of experimental clinical and basic data in a range of diseases. The congress also offers the opportunity for debate on unresolved scientific issues. Research into…
Emory University researchers, investigating the role of dopamine in the regulation of vocal learning through auditory feedback, observed that reducing this neurotransmitter in a specific brain area, the basal ganglia, considerably impairs learning. The study, in songbirds called Bengalese finches, further illuminate the role of dopamine in vocal behavior, and is relevant to Parkinson’s disease,…
Researchers at American University in Washington, D.C. studied the rapid response that takes place in the brains of zebra finches in response to trauma and found that estrogen, produced by glial cells in the brain in response to injury, has the ability to control excessive inflammation. These findings might represent a new…
Researchers have discovered the molecular mechanisms behind calorie restriction’s neuroprotective effect in Parkinson’s disease, and propose a new therapeutic approach that uses existing drugs to reproduce the effects demonstrated in an animal model of the disease. The study by Monash University Biomedicine Discovery Institute scientists, “Ghrelin-AMPK Signaling Mediates the Neuroprotective…
In an editorial published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, scientists and clinicians working in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) voiced concern over largely ignored research indicating that certain microbes — namely, the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1), Chlamydia pneumoniae, and several types of spirochaete — might be involved in Alzheimer’s pathogenesis. The…
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have developed “mini-brains” that may present a more accurate and effective way of testing new drugs for many neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease. These human cell-derived structures, which represent an existing new alternative to animal testing, were recently discussed in…
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