News

Reduced alpha-synuclein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord — are associated with more severe non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s patients, according to a study. The study, “CSF α-synuclein inversely correlates with non-motor symptoms in a cohort of PD…

Swelling of brain areas close to where the electrodes that deliver deep brain stimulation (DBS) are placed is a common and transient side effect of this treatment in Parkinson’s disease patients, a study suggests. The long-term impact of such swelling and potential complications are unknown and warrant further analysis,…

The first patient has been dosed in Axovant’s Phase 1/2 clinical trial testing the investigational gene therapy AXO-Lenti-PD for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The patient reported no complications associated with surgery or administration of the therapy and was discharged as planned in the initial trial design. Preliminary data from the first group of…

There is a substantial lack of data describing the link between the genetic mutations identified as inheritable causes of Parkinson’s — those that affect the SNCA, LRRK2, and VPS35 genes — and patient symptoms, a review study has found. Despite this missing information, the researchers conducting the review…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) and Blackfynn are joining forces to make optimal use of an initiative that could uncover Parkinson’s disease biomarkers and bring about new therapies. Called the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), the MJFF-backed effort is an ongoing observational study of more than…

Targeting specific calcium channels in dopamine-producing neurons may be a therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease, according to research involving cells derived from Parkinson’s patients. The study, “T-type calcium channels determine the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons to mitochondrial stress in familial Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Stem Cell…

Although no marked differences in the asymmetry of facial expressions distinguished Parkinson’s disease patients and healthy individuals in a study, patients most clearly expressed an emotional reaction on the side of the face corresponding to the side of the body less affected by Parkinson’s motor symptoms, a study found. Its researchers concluded patients’…

Four organizations are teaming up with the goal of studying two neurodegenerative diseases — Parkinson’s disease and primary progressive multiple sclerosis — in space. Researchers from the Summit for Stem Cell Foundation labs in California and the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute in New York…

When a person is awake, brain circuit activity is constantly “on.” This activity needs to be normalized during sleep. Researchers now report that neuronal activity in Parkinson’s disease patients with levodopa-induced dyskinesia fails to decrease during sleep. The study, “Levodopa-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson’s disease: sleep matters,” was published in…

A new method called DART ensures a compound injected into a region of the brain will affect only specific cell types. This approach was able to reverse Parkinson’s-related motor impairments in mice, and may hold the potential to provide more effective treatments. Although current research techniques such as gene editing and pharmacology…