News

A compound found in various types of plants, called astilbin, can protect neurons by preventing over-activation of glia cells (nerve cells that support neurons), excessive alpha-synuclein production, and oxidative stress, researchers working in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease report. Their study, “Neuroprotective effects of Astilbin on…

A new blood-based analysis that evaluates the levels and content of tiny vesicles released by red blood cells may help diagnose patients with Parkinson’s disease according to disease stage, researchers suggest. The new method was described in the study, “Portrait…

Dopamine depletion in a brain region called the striatum does not correlate with the severity of non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to a new imaging study. The research, “Lack of association between dopamine transporter loss and non-motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s…

Results from preclinical studies show the PIG3 protein as a key player in LRRK2-mediated familial Parkinson’s disease. The findings were discussed in two presentations at the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) 2018 annual meeting in San Diego, California. Mutations in the LRRK2 gene — the leading genetic cause of Parkinson’s — account for…

The significance — physiological and clinical — in the interaction of two proteins known to be associated with early onset Parkinson’s disease, PARKIN and PINK1, is detailed, possibly for a first time, by researchers. Their study, “Phosphorylation of Parkin at serine 65 is essential for its activation in vivo,”…

Non-motor symptoms are common among patients with Parkinson’s disease who have not yet received any treatment, and the type of symptoms differs between men and women and onset age groups, a study shows. The study, “Gender and onset age related-differences…

Intec Pharma announced the complete enrollment of a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the safety and effectiveness of its Accordion Pill Carbidopa/Levodopa (AP-CD/LD) in easing motor fluctuations in people with advanced Parkinson’s disease. The investigative treatment will be compared to immediate release Sinemet, an approved combination of levodopa and carbidopa marketed…

Research into the best ways of managing visual hallucinations in patients with Parkinson’s disease over the long term is severely limited and affecting treatment, a review study has found. In particular, the lack of a universal rating scale renders data interpretation and comparison between studies difficult. To overcome this limitation,…

Mutations affecting the NUS1 gene are linked to a significantly increased risk — 11 times higher — of developing Parkinson’s disease, study shows. The study, “Coding mutations in NUS1 contribute to Parkinson’s disease,” was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Although exact triggers of Parkinson’s…

Freezing of gait — the description for a Parkinson’s symptom in which a person’s feet become briefly “glued to the floor,” preventing forward movement despite an intention to walk — is associated with more severe disease and worse motor and non-motor disability, a study reports. The study, “Factors…