News

Brain cells in Parkinson’s disease patients can learn to respond to placebo drugs, although the training appears to wear off after 24 hours. This finding, researchers said in “Teaching neurons to respond to placebos,” a study published in The Journal of Physiology, shows it may be possible to lower Parkinson’s medication…

Alegeus recently announced it will donate a total of $20,000 to three charities chosen by employees as part of its 2015 holiday giving program. Instead of spending on corporate gifts and holiday cards, Alegeus decided to allow workers to showcase a charity of their preference via a page on the corporate…

An animal model capable of reproducing the formation of α-synuclein fibrils and, consequently, Lewy bodies — the major pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s disease — has finally been developed. Researchers reporting this achievement, in a study titled “Induction of de novo α-synuclein fibrillization in a novel neuronal model for Parkinson’s disease” and…

University of Cambridge researchers have developed the first biologically realistic model of the brain’s neuronal behavior when complex decisions are being made, and when adapting to mistakes. The mathematical model of neural decision-making activity and behavior could help researchers better understand a range of neuronal conditions, including Parkinson’s disease. The paper, “Goal-Directed…

People with Parkinson’s disease have a higher risk of bad falls and hip fractures as early as 26 years before diagnosis, partly because of a poorer sense of balance that might be an early sign of the illness, according to a study published in the journal PLOS Medicine and titled “Risk of Injurious…

Mayo Clinic researchers in Arizona and Banner Sun Health Research Institute have found that a biopsy of a portion of a person’s submandibular gland may be a feasible approach to diagnose early Parkinson’s disease. The research is published in the journal Movement Disorders and titled “Peripheral…

Researchers have discovered the cellular role and target of the most common genetic cause of Parkinson’s disease: LRRK2 kinase mutations. The study, “Phosphoproteomics reveals that Parkinson’s disease kinase LRRK2 regulates a subset of Rab GTPases,” was published in eLife. Parkinson’s disease is not generally considered a genetic…

Researchers from the Gladstone Institutes published two research papers detailing what appears to be the mechanisms behind imbalances in specific brain regions that cause the movement and walking difficulties experienced by Parkinson’s patients. The papers appeared in the journals Cell and Neuron. Faulty dopamine production is one of the hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and has…

A study published in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution shows that the global gene regulator GABPa is controlling uniquely human genes – and may contribute to diseases like Parkinson’s. The team, led by Robert Querfurth, explored the gene regulator – known as a transcription factor in scientific language –…

Researchers report that a single hand-exercise session, lasting just 15 minutes, improved both manual dexterity and movement in patients with Parkinson’s disease, helping them carry out basic tasks like writing a note or a buttoning shirt. The study, “Effects of a Single Hand–Exercise Session on Manual Dexterity and Strength in Persons…