Scientists in Germany have developed the first highly sensitive test to detect altered alpha-synuclein proteins in blood samples from patients with Parkinson’s disease. The test accurately distinguishes people with Parkinson’s from those without the disease and has the potential to detect the disease early, before symptoms start, according to…
Overactivation of microglia cells — known to drive neuroinflammation in diseases like Parkinson’s — can be detected by measuring a panel of different proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, a study reports. The finding supports the potential of these proteins as…
ABBV-951, AbbVie‘s experimental under-the-skin formulation of levodopa/carbidopa, was generally well-tolerated and increased average “on” time by more than three hours among people with Parkinson’s disease. Those results from a Phase 3 open-label clinical trial were shared at the 8th European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress in Vienna, Austria, in…
Proteins involved in nerve cell communication — via the release of signaling molecules such as dopamine, which is abnormally low in people with Parkinson’s disease — are “spring-loaded” in advance of a triggering signal by calcium, supercomputer simulations showed. These findings, which were consistent with current experimental data, may help…
Carrying the G2385R variant in the LRRK2 gene is associated with a three times higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease among Chinese adults older than 50, according to a 10-year population-based study. Carriers of this mutation who were not diagnosed with Parkinson’s showed a trend toward greater motor…
A tailored three-month boxing exercise program significantly eased both motor and nonmotor symptoms — including depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and pain — in people with early Parkinson’s disease, a new study shows. While the program’s participants reported an improvement in their motivation, there was no evidence that boxing reduced…
Among people with Parkinson’s disease, lower levels of a bacterial compound called butyrate in the gut are associated with more severe depression, a new study indicates. Results also revealed that altered butyrate levels in Parkinson’s patients are associated with epigenetic changes in these individuals’ cells. The study, “…
A four-week, task-specific exercise program done at home can improve turning ability and balance, and ease disease severity for people with early- to mid-stage Parkinson’s, a small study suggested. This Parkinson’s exercise program focuses explicitly on rotating those parts of the body most involved in turning. It may be…
Fujirebio Holdings’ portfolio of biomarkers and diagnostic tools for Parkinson’s disease now includes tailor-made antibodies against the protein alpha-synuclein with the company’s acquisition of ADx NeuroSciences. The $40 million acquisition is expected to be complete in July, pending the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
Impairment due to Parkinson’s disease of the involuntary nervous system, which controls heart rate, among other bodily functions, was associated with worse outcomes after five years — particularly relative to dementia, daily motor activities, and quality of life, a study suggested. In fact, worse cardiovascular assessment scores were linked to…
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