A one-hour group singing session significantly eased problems with walking and posture, as well as tremors, in adults with Parkinson’s disease who were on stable medication, a small study reported. While no significant benefits were seen for speech and facial expression, or for bradykinesia (slowness of movement), patients taking…
The first participant has been dosed in a Phase 2 clinical trial testing IkT-148009, an experimental oral therapy for Parkinson’s disease being developed by Inhibikase Therapeutics. This step “represents a major milestone in the development of IkT-148009 for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders,” Milton Werner,…
A feature on MRI images called the “swallow tail sign” has long been thought to correspond to a dopaminergic brain region clearly affected by Parkinson’s disease — but a new study suggests this is not the case. High-resolution MRI imaging shows only a partial overlap of these two regions, and…
Levels of a protein called glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) are elevated in the blood of people with Parkinson’s disease, indicating the protein may be a biomarker for the neurological disorder, according to a new study. GPNMB also helps to promote the toxic aggregation of alpha-synuclein protein in…
Regular treadmill exercise significantly reduced the aggregation and spread of alpha-synuclein in the brain — a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease — prevented neurodegeneration, and lessened motor deficits in a mouse model of Parkinson’s, a study showed. These benefits were found to be associated with the activation of a receptor…
The activity of a molecular signaling pathway called Delta/Notch in cells of the blood-brain barrier is important for regulating the electrical function of nerve cells, according to a new study using fruit flies. The research, scientists say, could have implications for understanding neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, which are often…
Sleep disturbances are common in people with diseases marked by alpha-synuclein buildup, but they are especially problematic among Parkinson’s disease patients on dopaminergic medications, a study suggests. Parkinson’s patients tend to have more arousals during sleep and fewer normal sleep cycles than people with isolated rapid eye movement (REM)…
A new Parkinson’s disease mouse model — carrying a common disease-associated mutation in both copies of the LRRK2 gene — recapitulates some motor and behavioral symptoms of the disease, while also showing mitochondrial abnormalities, a study showed. Problems in mitochondria, known as the powerhouses of the body’s cells, are increasingly seen…
Daily oral supplementation with açai berry lessened motor and nonmotor deficits in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, a study showed. These benefits were accompanied by a reduction in neuroinflammation, alpha-synuclein protein accumulation, a type of cellular damage called oxidative stress, and dopaminergic neuron loss — all implicated in…
Note: This story was updated Aug. 18, 2022, to reflect researchers awarded The Stanley Fahn Junior Faculty Award will receive a total maximum grant of $300,000 over three years. The Parkinson’s Foundation announced it is investing $5.7 million across 33 research grants as part of its commitment to speed innovative…
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