News

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…

The non-profit Parkinson’s Foundation will host its annual fundraiser, the New York Gala, on May 7, with a goal of surpassing the $750,000 raised last year. The event’s master of ceremonies will be Willie Geist, host of NBC News’ “Sunday Today with Willie Geist,” and co-host of…

Acadia Pharmaceuticals is marking Parkinson’s Awareness Month by supporting a host of events and activities in April throughout the U.S. Although some events have occurred, several are annual events needing participation. “We encourage patients and their families to attend an event, which includes important resources to help them…

Treadmill walking, but not over-ground walking, can improve gait stability in patients with Parkinson’s disease, a study has found. The research, “Treadmill walking reduces pre-frontal activation in patients with Parkinson’s disease” was published in Gait & Posture. It is widely known that Parkinson’s patients have difficulties preforming learned motor…

A modified form of the alpha-synuclein protein can be found in the salivary gland tissue of Parkinson’s patients even in the early stages of the disease, suggesting the protein could be a potential biomarker for this neurodegenerative disorder, a study reports. The study, “Nitrated alpha-synuclein in minor salivary gland biopsies…