Margarida Maia, PhD, science writer —

An online artificial intelligence (AI)-powered test where users tap their fingers in front of a webcam may ultimately help rate the severity of Parkinson’s disease from afar and within minutes, a study suggests. The system performed almost as well as three expert neurologists and better than two primary care…

Researchers have built a map of how neurons wire up in the zebrafish brain to propel forward and steer movement, something people with Parkinson’s disease may have trouble with. As movement begins to be initiated, a region at the base of the brain known as the mesencephalic locomotor region…

Eye scans may help identify who’s at risk of developing Parkinson’s several years before symptoms first become apparent and doctors can make a diagnosis of the disease, a study suggests. Researchers observed that two specific structures in the retina, a light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of…

WTX-A, a small molecule in the pipeline of Wavebreak, was able to reduce the formation of toxic clumps of the alpha-synuclein protein, a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease, in cells and mouse models of the disease. While it’s still too early to tell if WTX-A can stop the…

Researchers in Oregon will be the first to incorporate Koneksa’s digital tools in a Parkinson’s disease study comparing two formulations of levodopa: immediate-release versus extended-release pills. By joining the Koneksa Academic Partnership Program for Parkinson’s Disease (KAPP-PD), the researchers will gain access to a neuroscience toolkit that…

A headset developed by MindRhythm was able to pick up abnormal brain changes that outlasted by two weeks the symptoms of a concussion in young Australian rules football players, a study reports. The information could be used to decide if an athlete is ready to play again after a…

A grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) will support a two-year preclinical study by Stealth Biotherapeutics to evaluate its investigational therapy SBT-272, a small molecule designed to target cells’ mitochondria. The study is intended to identify biomarkers of mitochondrial dysfunction, a phenomenon often…

Quansys Biosciences and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) are teaming up to develop tests that can help monitor Parkinson’s disease progression and evaluate treatment effectiveness in clinical trials. The partnership builds on the company’s expertise in immunoassays, a type of test that uses…

IntelGenx has finalized a research grant agreement with Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden for a placebo-controlled clinical study of Montelukast VersaFilm, an experimental oral thin film formulation for Parkinson’s disease. Manufacturing of both the treatment and its placebo are underway ahead of the study, which will be led by…

Skin cells from people with Parkinson’s disease were transformed into stem cells that could generate dopamine-producing neurons, the same type that’s progressively lost with the disease. The technique opens new avenues for cell therapies to treat Parkinson’s while avoiding possible immune rejections. The researchers used animal models of the…