Margarida Maia, PhD,  science writer—

Interfering with the circadian clock, or the body’s internal clock, may make dopaminergic neurons — the nerve cells that become progressively lost in Parkinson’s disease — more prone to damage at night, according to a study in fruit flies. “Our results further suggest that genetic variations in circadian clock…

Patients who are on long-term levodopa to treat Parkinson’s disease are more likely to experience self-reported freezing of gait, or FOG, than levodopa-naïve (untreated) patients, a study has found. These findings suggest that FOG should be taken into account when studying Parkinson’s, with “the ultimate aim to develop…

While it appears that people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease later in life than are individuals without the neurodevelopmental disorder, further proof is needed to establish a link, according to a new systematic review. “Our review provides preliminary results that a…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough device designation to Inbrain Neuroelectronics’ neural platform for its potential to provide more effective deep brain stimulation (DBS) as an add-on Parkinson’s treatment. The platform — called Intelligent Network Modulation System — combines skin-like graphene material and artificial…

The findings of new research identifying the mechanism behind a familial form of Parkinson’s — one caused by a CHCHD2 gene mutation — suggest the potential to delay or perhaps prevent the disease’s development in people with the mutation, according to researchers. The team of scientists found this CHCHD2…

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…