Pramipexole, the active ingredient in the Parkinson’s disease therapy Mirapex, appears to overactivate a brain region known as the external globus pallidus — findings that could explain the poor decision-making and impulse control that occurs as a side effect of the medication in some patients — according to…
A small compound that acts as a molecular glue can activate a protein that’s often mutated in people with early-onset Parkinson’s disease, a study finds. By activating parkin, the compound enables the protein to perform its function of removing damaged mitochondria, thereby helping maintain the health of brain cells.
A new mouse model replicates the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and its progression in patients, beginning with diminished smell and other disease nonmotor symptoms that are early signs of the neurodegenerative disorder and often evident before problems with gait and balance arrive, scientists report. Many mouse models overexpress…
Parkin, a protein linked to Parkinson’s disease that’s lost in certain types of cancer, triggers the release of signaling molecules that activate and attract immune cells to fight tumors, according to a study led by researchers at The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia. “Parkin has only recently been implicated for…
Crexont, an extended-release formulation of levodopa and carbidopa, is now available in pharmacies across the U.S. for people with Parkinson’s disease. The Parkinson’s therapy, marketed by Amneal Pharmaceuticals is designed to maintain steady levels of levodopa and carbidopa in the body, extending periods of optimal symptom management,…
A National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant will fund the creation of a brain-on-a-chip technology, a microengineered device containing nerve cells and blood vessels to help scientists more fully understand how neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia affect their ability to function. Jungwook Paek, PhD,…
SGLT2 inhibitors, which are a type of medication to treat diabetes, may reduce the risk for neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and dementia, a study from South Korea suggests. The overall risk for developing dementia due to any cause and Parkinson’s was lower in patients taking SGLT2 inhibitors than…
Ten consecutive weeks of either high-intensity interval training or continuous training, which is moderate in intensity, effectively eased disease motor symptoms by about 25% and reduced fatigue in adults with Parkinson’s disease taking part in a small study. These findings further emphasize the significance of exercise as a…
Nearly all people with Parkinson’s disease taking part in Medtronic‘s ADAPT-PD trial had symptom-related brain signals strong enough to trigger adaptive deep brain stimulation (DBS), known for short as aDBS, according to early data. Among the findings: that results were similar regardless of disease severity or the location…
A new method for detecting toxic protein clumps of alpha-synuclein in skin cells may help diagnose Parkinson’s disease up to two decades before motor symptoms appear, according to a recent study. The novel technology combines super-resolution microscopy and advanced computational analysis to precisely map the protein clumps’ molecules…
Get regular updates to your inbox.