News

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…

Researchers may have come a step closer to understanding the cause of Parkinson’s disease, in a study showing how the inability to degrade old mitochondria — the power plants that charge our cells — leads to the death of dopamine neurons. The findings also explain the role of the LRRK2 gene in…

Researchers from the University of Malta suggest that chemicals found in red wine may protect the brain and could potentially ward off Parkinson’s disease (PD). The report, “Putative role of red wine polyphenols against brain pathology in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease,” appeared in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.

The nonprofit Parkinson’s Resources of Oregon (PRO) will unveil a series of Parkinson’s Ready training for the Portland Police Department, local hospitals and clinics (Legacy Health Systems), Portland International Airport security services (Transportation Security Administration), and local hotels in downtown Portland. The initiative is included in the organization’s program…

A collaborative effort between two Russian technology institutes may result in a virtual reality system that is able to detect and diagnose such neurodegenerative diseases as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and multiple sclerosis. According to the Virtual Reality Society, virtual reality systems would allow a healthcare provider to conduct diagnostic assessments without the need for more invasive,…

In a collaboration between the University of Bristol in England and the University of Queensland in Australia, researchers have found that mutations in a gene involved in protein transport inside cells give rise to rare types of Parkinson’s disease-like conditions, known as parkinsonism. The study, “Atypical…

A research team at The Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra is planning to collect information on subtleties like eye movement and posture sway in Parkinson’s patients, then use machine learning technology to spot indicators of how Parkinson’s disease (PD) might progress in individuals diagnosed with the neuromuscular disorder. Dr. Deborah Apthorp of…

Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a non-invasive way of following disease progression in Parkinson’s, and its related conditions, that uses functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The method is expected to soon be used in a clinical trial, and appears to be a way of evaluating the efficacy of experimental treatments to slow…