News

Explosions that cause even mild traumatic brain injury can trigger molecular changes that, later in life, lead to neuroinflammation and degeneration, and a greater risk of Parkinson’s disease. But work by researchers at Purdue University also found that analyzing urine levels of a compound called acrolein may help within days of…

New experimental evidence collected from rats shows that alpha-synuclein — the protein that causes Parkinson’s disease — can travel from the intestines to other organs, such as the heart and brain. These findings, reported in the study “Evidence for bidirectional and trans-synaptic parasympathetic and sympathetic…

A Phase 1b clinical trial exploring the oral LRRK2 inhibitor DNL151 has started dosing Parkinson’s patients, the therapy’s developer Denali Therapeutics announced. The 28-day, multicenter, and double-blind study (NCT04056689) is testing two doses of DNL151 against placebo in people with mild to moderate Parkinson’s disease, and with or…

An engineered protein known as AS69 is able to bind to individual units of alpha-synuclein to prevent them from clumping, and — in a fly model of Parkinson’s disease — its use led to preserved motor function, a study reports. The study, “An engineered monomer binding-protein for…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) has awarded AC Immune a new grant to further the development of tracer compounds for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Specifically, this award continues MJFF support for AC Immune’s alpha-synuclein positron-emission tomography (PET) tracer program, aiming for an accurate imaging agent…

Singing a rhythmic tune out loud or, even better, simply listening to it play in your head can help older adults — including those with Parkinson’s disease — to walk more naturally and at a steadier pace, a study reports. The study, “Mental Singing Reduces Gait Variability More Than…

Joined by leaders in Parkinson’s (PD) research and public policy, some 150 patients and advocates from across the nation will gather in Washington, D.C., on Monday for the 2019 Parkinson’s Policy Forum. The annual advocacy event, taking place Sept. 9–10, is presented this…

Trouble sleeping is incredibly frequent among people with Parkinson’s disease in Ethiopia, a new study suggests. Titled “Prevalence of sleep disorders in Parkinson’s disease patients in two neurology referral hospitals in Ethiopia,” the study was published in the journal BMC Neurology. Sleep disorders are common among…

Floor patterns with large, transverse visual cues may lessen freezing of gait  in patients with Parkinson’s, according to new research. The study, “Pavement Patterns Can Be Designed to Improve Gait in Parkinson’s Disease Patients,” was published in the journal Movement Disorders. A common feature…

Fatigue in Parkinson’s disease may be a clinical manifestation of low diastolic blood pressure — the second number presented in a BP measure, according to recent research. The study, “Fatigue in Parkinson’s Disease Associates with Lower Ambulatory Diastolic Blood Pressure,” was published in the Journal of…