News

Studies Into How Alpha-synuclein Affects Key Immune Cell Needed

More research is needed to understand how alpha-synuclein — a protein whose accumulation is characteristic of Parkinson’s disease — affects cells other than nerve cells, particularly microglia, the resident immune cell of the brain. A pair of researchers at the Van Andel Institute in Michigan raised this argument after…

Low Levels of Vitamin B6 and B12 Linked to Patients’ Nerve Damage

Neuropathy, or nerve damage, was linked to abnormally low levels of the vitamins B6 and B12 in three people with Parkinson’s disease, according to a case report. “All patients were consecutively identified within one year at a single institution,” the researchers wrote, which suggests that neuropathy associated with low levels…

Reduced Dopamine Shown to Impact Activity in Brain Motor Cortex

Reduced dopamine signaling leads to abnormal activity in the motor cortex— the part of the brain chiefly responsible for controlling movement — a new study in mice illustrates. This result helps to shed light on the biological underpinnings of Parkinson’s disease, which is characterized by abnormally low dopamine levels…

Georgia Southern Speech Center Wins Parkinson Voice Project Grant

A grant from the Parkinson Voice Project will be used to enhance the training and resources available to speech language pathologists and graduate students with the RiteCare Center for Communication Disorders at Georgia Southern University. Such awards, whose sum was not disclosed, are given annually by Parkinson Voice Project (PVP) through…

Study: Nearly 40% of Patients Have Minor Hallucinations

Nearly four of every 10 patients with Parkinson’s disease experience minor hallucinations, a new study from China estimates. Results suggest a link between minor hallucinations and Parkinson’s-related sleep problems. The study, “Prevalence and Risk Factors for Minor Hallucinations in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in …

Study Finds No Differences in Cognitive Abilities Between Sexes

No differences in cognitive abilities were identified between men and women with Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. Although no tests were conducted, the researchers suggested the lack of cognitive differences between male and female patients, which is found in aging healthy individuals, may be due to the…

Mission Earns MJFF Grant to Develop Familial Parkinson’s Treatment

Mission Therapeutics has been awarded a Therapeutic Pipeline Program grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) to advance development of its USP30 deubiquitylating enzyme (DUB) inhibitors for the treatment of familial Parkinson’s disease. The grant, worth about $500,000, will be used to test these inhibitors in animals that model…