News

Space Experiment Could Shed Light on Neurodegenerative Diseases

Researcher Amir Hirsa has found a way 240 miles above the Earth’s surface to study the aggregation of proteins that are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, and type 2 diabetes. Hirsa, PhD, is a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering with a joint appointment in chemical and biological engineering…

Sleep Disorder Tied to Faster Disease Progression

Early Parkinson’s patients with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) have more severe symptoms and show a faster disease progression in terms of motor, mood, and cognitive symptoms, according to a U.K. study. Moreover, these patients had a higher risk of frequent falls, freezing of gait — when…

Analyses: Gocovri Works Better to Lessen Off Episodes, Dyskinesia

Several new clinical trial data analyses support the benefits and superiority of Gocovri (amantadine) over other therapies in lessening off episodes — periods when levodopa treatments stop working and motor symptoms return — and involuntary movements called dyskinesia in people with Parkinson’s disease. These analyses compared Gocovri, marketed by…

New Analysis Reveals Gene Activity That May Underlie Parkinson’s

Studies on twins and families have suggested that susceptibility to Parkinson’s disease has a substantial genetic component. Now, an analysis of gene activity in different brain tissues has identified gene candidates that may be directly involved in causing the neurodegenerative disorder. The study, “A transcriptome-wide association study…

Reach Further Campaign Hopes to Raise $30M for Research, Services

The Parkinson’s Foundation is launching a four-year, $30-million fundraising campaign to help advance Parkinson’s research and fund community services. The Reach Further campaign seeks to help accelerate research, increase patient access to healthcare, and enrich community services for those affected by Parkinson’s disease. “With the rate of…

MJFF Offers Free Resources About ‘Off’ Time

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) has released a new suite of free educational resources that focuses on so-called “off” periods when Parkinson’s disease symptoms reappear or worsen as medications wear off. These new resources, available at michaeljfox.org/off, offer patients and their families tips for managing “off” time,…

Antioxidant Urate Fails to Slow Early Disease Progression

The antioxidant urate failed to slow Parkinson’s disease progression in newly diagnosed patients over two years, according to data from a Phase 3 clinical trial. “While our study did not rule out a protective effect of urate in Parkinson’s, it clearly showed that increasing urate did not slow disease…