News

Two University of Michigan-Flint doctorate students received a $50,000 grant to support diversity among exercise providers offering care to people with Parkinson’s disease. The grant, from The Michigan Health Equity Challenge, will help the pair’s Move to Represent initiative train 10 physical and occupational therapists of color to…

Using advanced diagnostic tools — such as different types of brain scans and methods that employ artificial intelligence (AI) — may help detect early signs of Parkinson’s that precede the onset of the disease’s motor symptoms, according to a new review study. The researchers noted that employing these AI-based…

Nerve cells in the brain that are responsible for processing smells and sight show deficits in Parkinson’s disease, according to research done in a mouse model. The findings may lay the groundwork for new approaches to diagnose Parkinson’s, according to scientists. “I think this work is a nice first…

Neuroimaging company Xingimaging has announced the launch of the NX PET Camera, a new tool for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging that aims to accelerate research into Parkinson’s disease. The novel tool, for use in PET imaging scans, “offers cutting-edge imaging capabilities, providing researchers with unparalleled precision in…

People who eat large amounts of highly processed foods are more likely to develop early Parkinson’s disease symptoms, a study found. “There’s growing evidence that diet might influence the development of Parkinson’s disease,” Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, co-author of the study and a professor at Fudan University in China, said…

A small molecule called NK036 — which inhibits USP30, an enzyme that counters the removal of damaged mitochondria from nerve cells in Parkinson’s disease — fits tightly into its target, suggesting it may have a strong and lasting effect as a treatment for the neurological condition, a new study…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) is expanding the size and reach of its global Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders program, which trains specialists in improving access to Parkinson’s disease care. The program provides funding each year for medical centers to train physicians to become Parkinson’s specialists.

The dysregulation of RNA editing within astrocytes (neuron-supporting cells) seems to induce chronic inflammation and ultimately contributes to the loss of nerve cells in people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. This dysregulation is triggered by alpha-synuclein clumping, which is a characteristic feature of Parkinson’s. RNA editing…

An experimental compound has been identified that shows the potential to reduce brain inflammation in neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. MFP-0012328 works by blocking FABP4, a protein that researchers have shown to be key in the inflammatory activity of microglia, the brain’s immune cells. While other FABP4…

Switching actions and stopping movements involve two distinct cognitive motor processes, according to a study that combined computer modeling with tasks performed by healthy people. The findings have implications for people with Parkinson’s disease, who experience longer reaction times and delays when they want to start, stop, or switch…