News

Electrical-pulse brain stimulation eases a common mobility problem that Parkinson’s patients face — their walk freezing in mid-step, a study reports. The research in the journal Movement Disorders involved using low-current pulses to alleviate what Parkinson’s experts call gait freezing. The title of the study is “Multitarget transcranial direct current stimulation…

Low levels of vitamin B12 in patients in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease are linked to faster motor and cognitive decline, suggesting that vitamin supplements may help slow the progression of these symptoms, a study has found. The study, “Vitamin B12 and homocysteine levels predict…

A new DNA barcoding technique using nanoparticles could be used for large-scale testing of gene therapies for diseases such as Parkinson’s, according to Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers. The study, “A direct comparison of in vitro and in vivo nucleic acid delivery mediated by hundreds of nanoparticles…

Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a new scoring system intended to help identify genes that might be important factors in the development of sporadic Parkinson’s disease. This new approach is expected to accelerate the identification of relevant genetic biomarkers that require further study while helping researchers avoid “dead-end paths.”…

More than 300 Parkinson’s disease experts and advocates from across the United States will discuss critical needs in research and public policy at a Parkinson’s Policy Forum in Washington, March 19-21. The Parkinson’s Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) are sponsoring the initiative. Its goal is…

A single administration of Voyager Therapeutics gene therapy improves advanced Parkinson’s patients’ movement up to three years later, a Phase 1b trial indicates. Voyager designed VY-AADC01 to deliver the aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) gene to a specific brain region, the putamen. The gene provides instructions for the production of the AADC…

Researchers at Western University in Canada have developed a prototype of a new tremor suppression glove that may help people cope with the tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease. The gloves not only prevent tremors from happening but also improve motor control. A tremor is an unintentional, uncontrollable, somewhat rhythmic, muscle contraction, which…

A second group of Parkinson’s patients in a Phase 1 clinical trial have received International Stem Cell Corporation’s neural stem cell therapy. The main goal of the trial (NCT02452723) at Royal Melbourne Hospital is to see whether ISCO’s stem cell transplants are safe, and patients can tolerate them. All patients…

The Parkinson’s Foundation is establishing a new program offering genetic testing and counseling to Parkinson’s patients within its Centers of Excellence network to advance research, knowledge, and patient care. The foundation’s new Genetic Initiative will create the largest database of genetic data for active Parkinson’s disease. The information will…

Degeneration of a specific class of nerve cells leads to loss of the sense of smell, a symptom often associated with Parkinson’s disease, a study reports. The research, “Inhibition of oxidative stress in cholinergic projection neurons fully rescues aging-associated olfactory circuit degeneration in Drosophila,” was published in the journal…