Parkinson’s patients show less ability to participate in work life even in the early stages before they are diagnosed with the disease, a study shows. In combination with biochemical and genetic biomarkers, this finding may help identify patients at risk of developing this progressive neurodegenerative disease before motor…
A new initiative by Acorda Therapeutics uses art to help people with Parkinson’s disease recognize and communicate about their off-period experiences. The initiative, called Framing OFF Through Art, builds on Acorda’s Live Well. Do Tell program, launched earlier this year. Framing OFF Through Art includes artwork inspired by the…
Rodin Therapeutics has started a Phase 1 clinical trial to explore the safety of its synthetic compound, RDN-929, to treat neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, by protecting synapses. The trial (NCT03668314), is designed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics — how the body affects a medicine…
Two compounds found in coffee — caffeine and EHT, a fatty acid molecule derived from serotonin — work together to protect the brain from damage induced by alpha-synuclein, a study in mice reported. The study, “Synergistic neuroprotection by coffee components eicosanoyl-5-hydroxytryptamide and caffeine in models of Parkinson’s disease and…
The recent merger of the New Mexico Parkinson’s Coalition (NMPC) and national nonprofit Parkinson & Movement Disorder Alliance (PMDAlliance) is expected to significantly boost support services for Parkinson’s patients in the New Mexico area, according to the organizations. “I’m a firm believer in mergers when the organizations share similar…
A new network launched by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, will unite leading investigators from various biomedical fields, as well as biologists and physicians, in gaining insight into why neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s occur. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s (CZI) Neurodegeneration Challenge Network will focus…
A concoction made from several Chinese herbal medicines helped reduce brain inflammation and promoted nerve cell survival in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease, a study finds. The study, “Curative Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Chinese Optimized Yinxieling Formula in Models of Parkinson’s Disease,” was published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra, a critical area of the brain involved in Parkinson’s, leads to memory deficits, according to a study that explored the effects of levodopa on a rat model of the disease. Findings of the study, titled “Implication of nigral dopaminergic lesion and repeated L-dopa exposure in…
A disorder related to tiny blood vessels in the brain, known as cortical small vessel disease, is directly linked to worsening motor function in Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. An additional association between modifiable vascular risk factors, in particular hypertension, and dementia highlights the need to…
Impaired activity of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase), which is responsible for breaking down and recycling cell waste, boosts neurodegeneration and accumulation of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s, according to a new mouse study. The research, “Development and biochemical characterization of a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease bearing defective…
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