News

APDA awards $2.6M to support Parkinson’s research projects

The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) has awarded a total of $2.6 million for the 2024-2025 funding year, to support a range of research projects that aim to advance understanding of Parkinson’s disease. The nationwide grassroots network increased its funding package by more than 30% over last year,…

FDA clears brain mapping tool for neuromodulation therapies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Turing Medical’s automated brain mapping technology designed to help doctors develop personalized plans for deep brain stimulation (DBS) and other neuromodulation therapies in people with neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Called Bullsai Identify, the platform uses artificial intelligence…

FDA letter supports use of new alpha-synuclein assay in trials

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is encouraging scientists and drug developers to use an alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay (synSAA) to improve the development and efficiency of clinical trials seeking to delay or prevent the development of Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases that share toxic clumps of that protein…

New biosensor can detect dopamine in unprocessed blood samples

A newly developed biosensor that can rapidly detect and quantify levels of dopamine — a chemical messenger nerve cells use to communicate — may serve as a low-cost and efficient tool to diagnose and monitor people with Parkinson’s disease or other conditions marked by abnormal dopamine levels. Developed by…

Mood, cognition issues tied to deficit recognizing, describing emotions

Having difficulty recognizing and describing emotions may be associated with cognitive issues and with mood disorders such as depression, apathy, and impulse control problems in people with Parkinson’s disease, a review study suggests. As a result, the condition, called alexithymia, or emotional blindness, may reduce patients’ health-related quality of…