News

Researchers have discovered that midbrain dopamine neurons — the neurons that die in patients with Parkinson’s disease — control how the passage of time is perceived, explaining the inability of Parkinson’s patients to properly judge time. The study, “Midbrain dopamine neurons control judgment of time,” was published…

MeiraGTx will expand its neurodegenerative disease gene therapy pipeline to include Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recent research has focused on the idea that misfolded proteins play a critical role in damaging neuronal function and progression to neuronal cell death. MeiraGTx’s new program, in partnership with Greg…

Disruption of the brain’s structural network has been identified as the potential underlying mechanism for the onset of mild cognitive decline in Parkinson’s disease patients. The study “Structural Brain Connectome and Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson’s Disease” was published in the journal Radiology. Progressive decline in both motor function and…

Voyager Therapeutics has reported positive interim six- and 12-month data from its ongoing Phase 1b clinical trial, showing that its gene therapy VY-AADC01 was well-tolerated and resulted in clinically relevant outcomes for patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). The Phase 1b open-label clinical trial (NCT01973543), which is…

A point mutation in a gene involved in dopamine synthesis is linked to Parkinson’s disease characteristics but only in younger patients, suggesting that age modifies the impact of the gene. This finding may provide new leads in the search for mechanisms causing Parkinson’s disease, particularly in patients who fall ill at…

Researchers identified a gene that makes cognitive problems much more likely in people with Parkinson’s disease. The findings not only help to explain why some patients develop memory problems, but may also support trials leading to a more personalized treatment approaches. The study, “Specifically neuropathic Gaucher’s mutations accelerate cognitive…

Patients with Parkinson’s disease who also have postural hypotension — a drop in blood pressure when standing — experience difficulty thinking when upright, but not when lying down. So while a patient may seem to have normal mental function during an examination — which is often performed seated or lying…

Scientists using fat-coated microbubbles have possibly developed away of carrying therapies for Parkinson’s disease directly to areas of the brain where they are needed, without affecting other organs. The study, “Lipid microbubbles as a vehicle for targeted drug delivery using focused ultrasound-induced blood-brain barrier opening,” was published in the…

The hallmark of Parkinson’s disease is the formation of aggregates of the protein alpha-synuclein, which are toxic to neurons and promote the loss of brain function. A new animal study suggests these aggregates can form in the gut and, in the course of months, spread to the brain. These findings were…

New research helps to explain how alpha-synuclein — the defective protein causing Parkinson’s disease — achieves its structure in neurons. These findings may help understand how aggregates of alpha-synuclein form in the brain of a Parkinson’s patient. The study, “Structural Basis For The Dissociation Of Α-Synuclein Fibrils Triggered By…