Marisa Wexler, MS,  senior science writer—

The protein RasGRP1 is a key culprit for involuntary movements that arise from dopamine replacement therapies used to treat Parkinson’s disease, a new study done in animals suggests. Targeting this protein may be a therapeutic strategy to prevent these motor problems, while still receiving the benefits of treatment. The…

Certain features of metabolic syndrome may be more prevalent in people with Parkinson’s disease-associated mutations in the gene LRRK2, new research suggests. The research abstract “Metabolic syndrome and genetic Parkinson’s disease, the case of LRRK2 and GBA” was published online. It was to be presented at the 2020 annual meeting…

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted breakthrough device designation to PhotoPharmics‘s light-based, at-home device as an add-on therapy for Parkinson’s disease. This designation is given to medical devices with the potential to offer more effective treatment for life-threatening or debilitating diseases. It grants…

A new tool, based on multiple signs of disease progression, can help guide healthcare professionals in decisions on when to start palliative care for people with Parkinson’s, researchers report. Their study,”RADPAC-PD: A tool to support healthcare professionals in timely identifying palliative care needs of people with…

MedRhythms, focused on creating treatments that incorporate music to aid people with walking problems due to neurological disorders, announced the issue of a new U.S. patent covering the audio engine of its digital therapeutics platform. The patent awarded by the United States Patent and Trademark Office is called “Enhancing…

A pilot study in Sweden shows the feasibility of testing how exercise benefits neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to adjust and make new connections in response to stimuli or damage — in people with Parkinson’s disease, making a larger and more scientifically rigorous clinical trial possible. An ability to replicate…

A new microscope technology that allows real-time imaging of brain cell activity could have important applications in understanding the biology of the brain, and of brain diseases such as Parkinson’s. The technology was described in Nature Methods, in a study titled “Kilohertz two-photon fluorescence microscopy imaging…

People with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who live in rural areas of the United States face unique challenges, such as limited access to experts, according to a study that also suggests that technology could help overcome these obstacles. The study, “Considering Health Care Needs in a Rural…

The way that cells in the nose sense scents is more complicated than previously thought, a study reports. A better understanding of this system could be important to interpreting better how the brain processes scents, and in understanding neurological diseases, like Parkinson’s, where loss of smell is a common early…

An inflammatory pathway that plays a key role in the proper removal of faulty cells during brain development could open new avenues for studying or treating neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s. The study, “AIM2 inflammasome surveillance of DNA damage shapes neurodevelopment,” was published in Nature. During…