News

The 4th World Parkinson Congress, held in Portland, Oregon, on Sept. 20-23, opened each day with a Hot Topics session, with the general public invited to listen to research presentations of particular interest. Topics ranged from complex scientific studies to children’s books, and a few of them caught…

Swedish researchers report that the massive burden of prioritizing visual stimuli from our environment lies with the the superior colliculus area of the brain. This ancient part of the brain may provide clues regarding the mechanisms leading to Parkinson’s disease, where patients often have impaired eye movement. The Karolinska Institute research paper, “Spatiotemporal interplay between…

The Parkinson’s research field is ready for precision medicine, four Parkinson’s experts stated in an editorial, suggesting that a switch from traditional disease concepts based on clustering of symptoms should be replaced by disease profiles built on knowledge of genetic and molecular changes. The editorial, “Parkinson’s…

Researchers may have found a test to diagnose neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease earlier, according to a new study published in the journal Physical Review Applied. The study, “Fluctuations in Protein Aggregation: Design of Preclinical Screening for Early Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Disease,” was conducted by Giulio Costantini, from…

Recent research has shed light on the pathology of Parkinson’s disease by explaining how alpha-synuclein, a protein closely related to the disease, functions in a normal human brain. Findings may contribute to the design of future novel and appropriate therapies for Parkinson’s disease. The study, “Structural Basis Of Synaptic Vesicle Assembly…

NeuroDerm has started enrolling Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients in iNDiGO, a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of ND0612L, the company’s levodopa/carbidopa (LD/CD) subcutaneous liquid formulation. Levodopa and dopamine agonists, the first line of defense against Parkinson’s disease, are drugs commonly used to improve and control the symptoms of tremor, muscular…

A recent study suggests that a genetic mutation that disrupts a protein involved in the degradation of biological material within neurons allows waste products to accumulate, contributing to the pathology of Parkinson’s disease. Mutations in this protein, Vps35, have been associated with Parkinson’s disease, but until now, it was not…

A European Union research initiative called IMPACT is making headway into improving and individualizing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease. DBS can be a treatment for Parkinson’s disease that has not responded to medication. DBS involves implanting an electrode in the brain and a stimulating device in the chest. The…

The World Parkinson Coalition (WPC) is teaming up again with the nonprofit Brian Grant Foundation (BGF), led by retired 12-year NBA power forward Brian Grant. He was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s disease at age 36. The foundation is committed to empowering people impacted by…

Victoza (liraglutide), a drug therapy for type 2 diabetes, is currently being evaluated in an ongoing clinical study to slow or stop the progression of Parkinson’s disease. This study is developed by the Linked Clinical Trials (LCT) initiative from The Cure Parkinson’s Trust in the United Kingdom, together with the Van Andel…