Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

Two newly identified brain pathways originating from the striosome — a cluster of nerve cells (neurons) in the striatum, a brain region that controls movement and motivation — may provide an additional layer of regulation, a mouse study found. The findings challenge scientists’ understanding of how the brain controls those…

A rapid release of the chemical messenger dopamine in the brain is not needed for initiating movement, while it’s important for motivation and reward-seeking behaviors, according to a study in mice. If these findings hold true in patients, they may help in explaining why levodopa or L-DOPA, a mainstay treatment,…

Fatigue is the most common complaint among people with Parkinson’s disease, according to anecdotal data from a free app that allows patients or caregivers to complete daily check-ins and rate how they feel. In the nine months since the launch of Parkinson’s On, more than 2,500 patients and caregivers…

Researchers have identified six probiotics — live bacteria usually used as dietary supplements to help with digestion — with the potential to be used as an add-on to standard treatment for Parkinson’s disease. In a study with bacteria collected from fecal samples, the researchers observed that the bacterial strains…

Neural microtissues derived from pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can replace dopaminergic neurons, the nerve cells that are lost in Parkinson’s disease, and restore motor function when grown into tiny capsules and transplanted into the brains of model rats, a study led by TreeFrog Therapeutics found. “TreeFrog Therapeutics has…

Both a misfolded form of the alpha-synuclein protein and an inflammatory cue are needed to trigger the Lewy bodies that drive the death of dopaminergic neurons in the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a study in human stem cells. “The results support previous research showing that…

A single dose of CAP-003, a gene therapy being developed by Capsida Biotherapeutic, significantly increased the levels of GCase enzyme in the brains of non-human primates. The enzyme levels reached up to eight times the amount considered necessary to restore normal enzyme activity in individuals with Parkinson’s disease…

App-based consumer technology like Rune Labs’ StrivePD may help people with Parkinson’s disease feel more confident in managing their symptoms, bridging the gap in specialty care by providing continuous monitoring, according to the results of a pilot program done in collaboration with Kaiser Permanente. Patients in the program…

Exposure to air pollutants, such as fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease and dyskinesia, or involuntary movements, according to a study using data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project. These findings add to growing evidence that breathing polluted air is a…

GT-02287, a potential therapy for Parkinson’s disease, showed promising results in a Phase 1 clinical trial involving healthy volunteers, according to data announced by developer Gain Therapeutics. The investigational treatment was found to be safe and well tolerated at doses projected to be effective in people with the neurodegenerative…