News

A newly developed rat model combining elevated levels of alpha synuclein — a key protein in both Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) — and related pathological changes may provide new insights into both disorders, according to a new study. The research, “…

Nilotinib can modulate dopamine levels and metabolism, as well as prevent the formation of toxic alpha-synuclein aggregates, according to recent data from a Phase 2 clinical trial. These findings suggest that Novartis’ investigational therapy has the potential to promote long-term benefits in patients with Parkinson’s disease. The study, “…

Apathy is prevalent problem in Parkinson’s disease, but it is more evident in patients’ behavioral and social habits than in their emotional or cognitive ones, researchers in the U.K. report. Their study, Differential impact of behavioral, social, and emotional apathy on Parkinson’s disease,” also linked behavioral and social apathy to…

A whey protein-based nutritional supplement improved motor functions in patients with Parkinson’s or parkinsonism who were engaged in an intensive physical rehabilitation program, according to clinical trial results. The study, “PROtein, LEucine And vitamin D Enhancing Rehabilitation (PRO-LEADER) in patients with Parkinson’s disease or parkinsonism:…

Subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) seems to be a long-term, effective, and safe therapeutic option for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease, new studies report. STN-DBS is a non-destructive surgical treatment for Parkinson’s, in which a battery-operated device that generates electrical impulses is implanted to specific regions of the…

Once-daily treatment with opicapone provides continued reductions of off periods in Parkinson’s patients taking levodopa, a Phase 3 clinical study shows. The findings also reveal that opicapone’s effectiveness was superior to that of Comtan (entacapone, marketed by Novartis). The results were presented in three scientific posters at the 2018 World…

A fish that can sense the Earth’s magnetic field while it swims could help scientists understand how the human brain works and eventually unlock strategies to help control movement impairments in patients with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders, a study reports. The study, “Wireless control of cellular function by…

Long-term daily use of Ingrezza (valbenazine) leads to a clinically meaningful easing of tardive dyskinesia (TD) — the repetitive and jerky movements caused by antipsychotics – and to high levels of patient satisfaction, data from a Phase 3 clinical trial of Neurocrine Biosciences’ treatment show. The results, “Effects of Long-Term Valbenazine on…

The Parkinson’s Foundation announced that it investing $6.2 million across 53 research grants, part of its commitment to advancing promising work into the disease. The grants will support Parkinson’s clinical trials and research centers. They also include career development and fellowships for scientists working in multiple aspects of related research. “Our goal at…

Thinning of the eye’s retina appears to be associated with Parkinson’s and, possibly, with disease severity, a study reports, suggesting that an eye scan might be used at some point to detect Parkinson’s in its earliest stages, before motor symptoms begin. The study, “Retinal thinning associates with nigral dopaminergic loss in…