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Experts Propose Ways to Stem Rising Number of Parkinson’s Deaths in England

Experts are proposing ways to stanch the number of deaths from Parkinson’s disease and related disorders in England, including establishing dedicated nursing homes and giving Parkinson’s patients personal case managers, according to a recent report by Public Health England. According to the study, more than 6.5 million England residents age 20 and older…

ADHD Diagnosis Could Increase Risk for Parkinson’s, Study Suggests

People diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), usually detected at an early age in hyperactive children, may have an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s and Parkinson’s-like diseases, a new study suggests. “Parkinson’s disease is commonly thought of as a neurodegenerative disease associated with aging,” Glen Hanson, PhD, professor at the…

Early Study Identifies at Least 6 Compounds That Might Prevent Alpha-Synuclein Clumping

Using a new screening strategy, researchers have identified compounds that block the clumping of alpha-synuclein protein, a key event in Parkinson’s. The study, “Potent α-Synuclein Aggregation Inhibitors, Identified by High-Throughput Screening, Mainly Target the Monomeric State,” appeared in the journal Cell Chemical Biology. Aggregated alpha-synuclein is…

Sensor-Based Gait Analysis Can Enhance Individualized Evaluation of Parkinson’s Patients, Study Suggests

Use of sensor-based methods to evaluate gait can improve individual assessments of Parkinson’s disease patients who are undergoing dopaminergic treatment, researchers suggest. The study with that finding, “Sensor-based gait analysis of individualized improvement during apomorphine titration in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the Journal of Neurology.

IL-4 Cytokine, an Anti-Inflammatory Molecule, Linked to Neuron Damage in Early Parkinson’s Study

The anti-inflammatory molecule interleukin (IL)-4 contributes to the neurodegeneration observed in Parkinson’s disease, a study in rats reports. The research, “Interleukin-4 Contributes to Degeneration of Dopamine Neurons in the Lipopolysaccharide-treated Substantia Nigra in vivo,” was published in the journal Experimental Neurobiology. Parkinson’s is characterized by the progressive…