Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

A startup developing a device for more affordable and efficient magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans was recently awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the National Institutes of Health. MR-Link, a technology company affiliated with Purdue University, will receive $228,325 to develop the device. Researchers say it will…

Clinical trials in patients with early stage Parkinson’s may benefit from assessing markers of disease progression — namely, changes in the Movement Disorder Society (MDS)-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) and dopamine transporter imaging, according to five-year results in a major observational study. The study, “Longitudinal Change of Clinical…

A new brain scanner that can be worn as a helmet could potentially revolutionize the world of human brain imaging, allowing patients with Parkinson’s disease to undergo brain scanning — a task previous traditional scanners failed. Brain cells use electrical impulses to communicate and, in doing so, form small…

Despite being used for the past 30 years to treat chronic neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), deep brain stimulation (DBS) “remains a fascinating puzzle to scientists, physicians, and engineers,” the lead author of a new review study said. Challenges the technique presents for both…

Parkinson’s disease patients treated with Gocovri (amantadine) experienced a 41 percent decrease in levodopa-induced dyskinesia compared to 14 percent of healthy people who took placebos. That analysis of two Phase 3 trials are summarized in the study “Pooled Analyses of Phase III Studies of ADS-5102 (Amantadine) Extended-Release Capsules for…

Lundbeck will acquire the biopharmaceutical Prexton Therapeutics, obtaining the development and commercialization rights to foliglurax (PTX002331), an investigational therapy currently in Phase 2 trials for Parkinson’s disease. Foliglurax is a small molecule modulator that activates nerve cells with a set of specific glutamate receptors called mGluR4, and compensates…

Researchers have discovered the 3D structure of a protein involved in inflammation, with implications in developing future treatments for Parkinson’s disease. The study from Saint Louis University School of Medicine, “The structure of iPLA2β reveals dimeric active sites and suggests mechanisms of regulation and localization” was published in the…

Electrical-pulse brain stimulation eases a common mobility problem that Parkinson’s patients face — their walk freezing in mid-step, a study reports. The research in the journal Movement Disorders involved using low-current pulses to alleviate what Parkinson’s experts call gait freezing. The title of the study is “Multitarget transcranial direct current stimulation…

A second group of Parkinson’s patients in a Phase 1 clinical trial have received International Stem Cell Corporation’s neural stem cell therapy. The main goal of the trial (NCT02452723) at Royal Melbourne Hospital is to see whether ISCO’s stem cell transplants are safe, and patients can tolerate them. All patients…

The Parkinson’s Foundation is establishing a new program offering genetic testing and counseling to Parkinson’s patients within its Centers of Excellence network to advance research, knowledge, and patient care. The foundation’s new Genetic Initiative will create the largest database of genetic data for active Parkinson’s disease. The information will…