News

A variant of the apolipoprotein (APOE) protein, called APOE4, has been shown to directly affect Lewy body dementias, such as Parkinson’s disease. Two separate studies, published simultaneously, found that APOE4 directly regulates levels of alpha-synuclein, which clumps  to form the nerve-damaging Lewy…

With people everywhere hunkering down to avoid the newly identified coronavirus known as COVID-19, the Sidekicks Anytime program is offering creative, at-home activities tailored to people with Parkinson’s disease. The program is an offshoot of Sidekicks, sponsored by the Davis Phinney Foundation and Lundbeck, a pharma…

Stalevo (levodopa, carbidopa, and entacapone combination therapy) may be more effective but seems to be associated with more side effects than other medications to treat early Parkinson’s disease, researchers report. The study, “Levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone for the treatment of early Parkinson’s disease: a meta-analysis,” was…

A Phase 2/3 trial (Study 301) testing Addex Therapeutic’s candidate dipraglurant for people with levodopa-induced dyskinesia associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD-LID) has been postponed — until further notice — due to the continued spread of COVID-19 in Europe and the U.S., where the trial was set to…

An investigational gene therapy, called VY‐AADC01, boosts motor responses to levodopa that is given intravenously —particularly at a low dose — in people with Parkinson’s disease, a sub-study within a Phase 1b trial shows. These findings, along with positive data from the main PD-1101 study (NCT01973543), support the potential…

Biomarkers of brain inflammation could provide a useful means for classifying Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients and defining the mechanisms underpinning each person’s disease. Testing for these biomarkers could support clinicians in providing precision medicine, by helping people with the progressive neurodegenerative disorders to choose treatments with a greater…

An important signaling pathway that helps protect brain cells from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease is also required for sleep in fruit flies and zebrafish, according to a study. The findings support a link between sleep loss and neurodegenerative diseases.

With a focus on the unpredictable path often facing caregivers, the Parkinson’s Foundation is again hosting a free-of-charge, English-Spanish bilingual summit for those helping Parkinson’s patients with their daily needs. But the Care Partner Summit (Cumbre Para Cuidadores) on Saturday, May 16, will be exclusively online — due the coronavirus, COVID-19,…

Scientists discovered a potential link between Parkinson’s disease and a gene that is affected by a neurotoxin made by blue-green algae. The discovery adds to a growing body of evidence that Parkinson’s can be influenced by environmental factors. The study, “Analysis of DNA methylation…

Using an engineered sound-sensitive protein, researchers have developed neurons that can be activated by ultrasound. This could be useful in studying, and even developing therapies for, neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s. The study, “Sonogenetic Modulation of Cellular Activities Using an Engineered Auditory-Sensing Protein,” was published in Nano Letters.