News

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed a substance that may improve the differential diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease based on brain imaging — potentially allowing physicians to distinguish between patients who are sensitive to the side effects of parkinsonian medications and those who are not. Levodopa is one…

Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing tools, researchers introduced a common Parkinson’s disease mutation into stems cells of  the marmoset monkey for a first time, paving the way toward a primate model of this disease. They also showed that this common leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) gene mutation behaves the same in…

More than one-third of older people with Parkinson’s disease in long-term care who experienced therapy-related psychosis were prescribed antipsychotic medications considered inappropriate under current guidelines, a study found. Those with dementia or using antidepressants were more likely to be given these…

Sangamo and Biogen are teaming up to develop gene therapies for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as another neuromuscular disease target and up to nine undisclosed neurological disorders. The collaboration will leverage Sangamo’s proprietary zinc finger protein (ZFP) technology, designed to target almost any sequence…

A blood test may be able to predict early cognitive decline in people with Parkinson’s disease by measuring the length of chromosomal telomeres (the “tips” of chromosomes) in immune cells and the presence of inflammatory markers, a study shows. The study, “…

Table tennis may offer benefits as a form of Parkinson’s physical therapy, according to a preliminary study that showed lessening of symptoms in patients who participated weekly in the sport for six months. “Pingpong, which is also called table tennis, is a form of aerobic exercise that has been…

Treatment with cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF), developed by Herantis Pharma, was safe and well-tolerated among patients with advanced-stage Parkinson’s disease, according to topline results from a Phase1/2 clinical trial. The therapy also showed promise in measures of dopaminergic function in some patients. CDNF is based…

Dizziness — including sensations of fainting, imbalance, and vertigo — is common among Parkinson’s patients and may be a potential non-motor symptom of early-stage disease possibly associated with cognitive decline, a study has found. Typically, dizziness episodes are short and frequent, lasting seconds to minutes and occurring several times…

People with Parkinson’s disease may have higher levels of selenium — a mineral with antioxidant properties — in their cerebrospinal fluid, the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, a study suggests. The research, “Selenium level does not differ in blood but…

A new potential target for treating Parkinson’s, a protein named Drp1, has been identified using a rat model of the disease, a study reported. The target was found to play a central role in the underlying cause of the degeneration and inflammation of nerve cells…