News

Researchers at Stanford University are hoping that brain-machine interfaces, or neural prosthetics, could become a clinical reality to help cure Parkinson’s disease. The scientific interest in connecting the brain with machines and devices isn’t new. It began in the 1970s with Jacques Vidal’s Brain Computer Interface project. The project…

Following the recent merger of the National Parkinson Foundation and the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, the newly created Parkinson’s Foundation has launched a new brand and website as part of its mission to help those living with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The new website is www.parkinson.org. John Kozyak, chair of the…

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a new way to look for genes that protect against Parkinson’s disease. They did so by developing a modified version of the CRISPR genome-editing system. Their work was published in the journal Molecular Cell with the title, “…

Two Purdue University professors are using the global phenomenon known as the Nintendo Wii gaming system to help Parkinson’s disease patients improve their movement, speech, and quality of life. The professors in the College of Health and Human Sciences, Jessica Huber and Jeff Haddad, are particularly interested in studying how…

Two Parkinson’s disease specialists have been named the co-leaders of a New York University movement disorders institute. Drs. Andrew Feigin and Steven J. Frucht are co-executive directors of the Marlene and Paolo Fresco Institute for Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders at the university’s Langone Health Center. “Having two movement disorders…

Rock Steady Boxing is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the quality of life of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients by providing a venue for exercise through noncontact boxing, a concept designed to boost coordination, motor skills, balance, and speech. Researchers have found that Parkinson’s patients who exercise…

Genetic and molecular markers of quicker motor decline in Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients were identified in a computer modeling study of disease progression. Among already described demographic factors, like older age or male sex, the researchers specifically identified a novel and Parkinson’s-specific genetic interaction between the LINGO2 gene and a…

Scientists in Singapore and Korea have discovered a brain mechanism that can trigger Parkinson’s disease symptoms, such as abnormal muscle stiffness, tremors and loss of voluntary movement. The study, which took five years to complete, is titled “Inhibitory Basal Ganglia Inputs Induce Excitatory Motor Signals in the Thalamus.” It was published…

The first patient has been treated in a clinical trial evaluating Titan Pharmaceuticals’ ropinirole implants, designed to treat the signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The Phase 1/2 study (NCT03250117) is taking place at three clinical sites in the U.S. that specialize in Parkinson’s research. Researchers…

The 3D structure of the PINK1 enzyme, which is linked to the development of early-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD), has finally been identified by researchers at the University of Dundee. The study, titled “Structure of PINK1 and mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease associated mutations,” was published in…