Blood levels of neuron-derived small vesicles containing alpha-synuclein and tau protein clumps — both linked to neurodegenerative disorders — can accurately distinguish between people with Parkinson’s disease and those with atypical parkinsonism, a study found. When isolated from the blood, these nerve cell vesicles may “provide a window…
Older adults with Parkinson’s disease who live in areas with more greenery, parks, or surface water are less likely to be hospitalized, according to an analysis of 16 years’ worth of U.S. data. The study, “Associations of Greenness, Parks, and Blue Space With Neurodegenerative Disease Hospitalizations…
The formation of toxic alpha-synuclein clumps may be the first and critical driver in developing Parkinson’s disease associated with mutations in the SNCA gene, according to a study looking at patient-derived neurons. While alpha-synuclein aggregation and abnormal calcium flow were detected at the earliest maturation stages of the specific…
Long-term exposure to air pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitric dioxide, and black carbon increases the risk of dying from Parkinson’s disease, according to a study of more than 200,000 adults from six European countries. Notably, these associations were observed even for pollutant levels below current…
Throughout 2022, Parkinson’s News Today brought you daily coverage of the latest scientific breakthroughs and treatment advancements related to Parkinson’s disease. Here are the 10 most-read articles of 2022, with a brief description of what made them interesting and relevant to the Parkinson’s community. We look forward to continuing…
Sleep benefit — a poorly understood phenomenon where people with Parkinson’s disease have fewer symptoms upon waking up — is associated with higher levels of dopamine transporter proteins in a region of the brain called the putamen, a study shows. These findings “are meaningful because they provide direct neurochemical…
To ensure every person with Parkinson’s disease in the U.S. has access to its SPEAK OUT! speech therapy program, the Parkinson Voice Project (PVP) is seeking to raise $20 million in funding. The goal is to establish a PVP Therapy & Research Center in each U.S. state. “As…
An automated algorithm called StimFit may help speed up the time to finding optimal settings of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for each Parkinson’s disease patient undergoing the procedure, a new study shows. The study, “Automated deep brain stimulation programming based on electrode location: a randomized,…
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a letter in support of model-based clinical trial simulators for Parkinson’s disease that are being developed by the Critical Path for Parkinson’s (CPP) consortium. In its letter, the European regulatory agency called on industry sponsors to share with the consortium data…
Alpha-synuclein clumps’ toxic effects — a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease — are independent of the production of the protein by neurons themselves, according to a study in mice. In mice lacking alpha-synuclein, exposure to toxic protein clumping resulted in comparable neurodegeneration, which was found to be related to the…
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