News

Levodopa (L-DOPA) therapy is neuroprotective and prevents age-related iron accumulation in the substantia nigra, a brain region involved in Parkinson’s disease. The study with that finding, “L-DOPA modulates brain iron, dopaminergic neurodegeneration and motor dysfunction in iron overload and mutant alpha-synuclein mouse models of Parkinson’s disease,” was published in…

Vitamin A, or retinol, given as an oral supplement did not prevent the loss of dopamine-producing neurons or lessen motor deficits in a rat model of Parkinson’s, a study reports. Results also showed that retinol lowered levels of inflammatory markers in the blood and did not cause oxidative damage in…

These days, people with Parkinson’s disease tend to ask their doctors more questions about cannabis than any other subject; yet, few physicians have adequate answers for them. So says a new survey announced by the Parkinson’s Foundation, which plans a conference on that subject next month in Denver. The…

Upon breaking down two decades of research about how the gut affects the brain in Parkinson’s disease, a vision for studying the gut-brain connection for the next two decades has been laid out in a review article published in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. Specifically, the…

A common depression treatment called agomelatine worsens Parkinson’s-related loss of dopamine-producing neurons, motor dysfunction, and protein oxidation, according to research in rats. The study with that finding, “Effects of Agomelatine in Rotenone-induced Parkinson’s Disease in Rats,” was published in the journal Neuroscience Letters. Neuroinflammation, oxidative…

Patients with hypertension may be at a higher risk for Parkinson’s disease, according to a review of population-based studies. The review, “Association between Hypertension and the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Analytical Studies,” appeared in the journal Neuroepidemiology. Hypertension may cause damage…

Invasive treatment approaches for advanced Parkinson’s disease have differential effects on disease-associated motor and non-motor symptoms, a real-life observational study shows. These findings suggest that selection of a treatment should be based on each patient’s particular clinical profile, researchers say. The study, “EuroInf 2: Subthalamic…

Parkinson’s disease-related falls and freezing of gait — when patients are unable to move their feet forward when trying to walk — are associated with changes in a specific type of neuronal communication in different brain regions, a study reports. The study, “Cholinergic system changes of falls and…

A new way of diagnosing Parkinson’s disease based on manifestations that appear decades before motor symptoms — the current hallmarks for diagnosis — might allow early diagnosis and even prevention. The study, “From Prodromal to Overt Parkinson’s Disease: Towards a New Definition in the Year 2040,” was published in…

Warning the reporter accompanying him not to take any pictures, veteran horticulturalist Michael Castleman punches an electronic code and unlocks the door to Room 209, nicknamed the “Mother Room.” Photography is indeed forbidden inside this living vault, which contains 20 phenotypes of cannabis plants thriving under the glare of 25…