News

Study Examines Proteins’ Roles in Mitochondrial Recycling

PINK1 and Parkin — two proteins whose deficiency has been linked to early-onset Parkinson’s — are involved in the degradation and recycling of mitochondria in neurons, a study shows. While these proteins were known to contribute to mitochondrial recycling in other cell types, this study provides a closer look into mitochondria’s…

Parkinson’s Foundation Invests $4.3 Million for Research

The Parkinson’s Foundation announced it will invest $4.3 million in 29 grants for projects that will investigate the underlying causes of Parkinson’s disease and its biological mechanisms, with the goal of finding new treatments. This investment is in addition to the $10 million the Foundation committed to spend earlier this year. “The…

Norton Neuroscience Institute Expands Parkinson’s Care, Research

Due in large part to a $15 million Norton Healthcare Foundation investment, the Norton Neuroscience Institute (NNI) has expanded to offer state-of-the-art technologies and enhanced amenities for people with Parkinson’s and other neurological diseases. The newly opened center at the Louisville, Kentucky-based nonprofit institute, which serves its regional community,…

How Nerve Cells Damaged at Disease Onset Goal of EU Project

An almost €2 million (about $2.3 million) EU-funded project is advancing the understanding of how damaged or abnormal cell parts are removed at the synapses, a process known as synapse-specific autophagy, and how defects in this mechanism contribute to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s. Synapses,…

Dopamine Transporter Levels May Predict Parkinson’s Earlier

Lower levels of dopamine transporter protein in the striatum — a brain region affected significantly in Parkinson’s — may predict the development of the neurodegenerative disease up to eight years earlier in older adults carrying the most common genetic risk factor, a small study suggests. However, the observed variability…

Non-invasive ‘Smell’ Test May Speed Diagnosis

A non-invasive test that measures signals from the olfactory bulb — the part of the brain responsible for scent-perception — may aid in the early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. The test, called an electrobulbogram, also also can inform about disease duration, severity, and the…

Electrical Stimulation of Brain via Scalp May Ease Bradykinesia

Electrical stimulation given through the scalp to a brain region called the supplementary motor area may ease certain aspects of upper limb bradykinesia in people with Parkinson’s disease, a small study suggests. The study, “Transcranial direct current stimulation of supplementary motor area improves upper limb kinematics…