News

Felodipine, an approved therapy for high blood pressure, is able to promote the clearance of toxic protein aggregates in mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s, according to a study. The study, “Felodipine induces autophagy in mouse brains with pharmacokinetics amenable to repurposing,” was published in the journal…

Trace amines, the product of the metabolism of specific amino acids, could indicate changes that occur early during Parkinson’s disease and may serve as early-stage and disease progression biomarkers, a study suggests. The study, “Different Circulating Trace Amine Profiles in De Novo and Treated Parkinson’s Disease Patients,”…

An initiative led by the Parkinson’s Foundation has culminated with a report that aims to make sure women in the U.S. receive the same attention as men in studies and treatments for the physical and mental effects of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The landmark 56-page report — “Women and Parkinson’s: Closing…

Samantha Elandary has been dreaming for years of making the Parkinson’s speech and swallowing therapy program she developed in her Dallas, Texas, living room available worldwide. If she sounds excited these days, it’s because the pace of progress at her nonprofit group, Parkinson Voice Project has shifted from a trot to…

For years, Israeli neurologist Tamar Flash has had a fascination with the octopus, and the way the invertebrate’s eight arms propel it effortlessly through the water. She’s convinced this has major implications for diagnosing and treating Parkinson’s disease — and possible other disorders as well. “My major interest is…

Wearable motion sensors can allow doctors to objectively assess medication states in Parkinson’s disease patients being treated with levodopa, a new study shows. The study, “Assessment of response to medication in individuals with Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the journal Medical Engineering & Physics. Levodopa is the most…

Genetic mutations and consequent impaired activity of mitochondria — known as the powerhouses of the cell — may be a first step contributing to the development of Parkinson’s disease later in life, a new study suggests. The study, “Neural Stem Cells…

A pilot project in the United Kingdom is testing a wrist device that is worn like a watch, called Personal Kinetigraph (PKG), to help Parkinson’s patients and their specialist healthcare providers to monitor their condition at home. The PKG, developed by Global Kinetics, will be tested in the “Developing Home-based Parkinson’s…

Antioxidants like vitamin C may protect against the toxic effects of levodopa, researchers report. Their study, “Reducing oxidative toxicity of L-dopa in combination with two different antioxidants: an essential oil isolated from Rosa Damascena Mill., and vitamin C”, was published in Toxicology Reports. Levodopa (L-DOPA) treatment effectively…

A project to identify new genes involved in the development of Parkinson’s disease has received $1 million in funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The grant will be shared between researchers at Penn State University and the University of California, San Francisco. Genome wide association studies…