News

The incidence of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and parkinsonism increased significantly in the 30 years from 1976 to 2005, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in JAMA Neurology titled “Time Trends in the Incidence of Parkinson Disease.” Researchers say the trend was particularly strong in men…

Poor decision-making processes — common enough among patients with Parkinson’s disease — may contribute to the movement difficulties that characterize the disease, a view that redefines Parkinson’s as more than a movement disorder. The findings may also lead to new discoveries of early disease markers, improving chances of halting brain degeneration at an early…

A pilot study found that a nasal spray may be a promising and quickly effective way of delivering glutathione (GSH), and of increasing GSH levels in the brain of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. The study, “Central nervous system uptake of intranasal glutathione in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in the journal NPJ Parkinson’s…

The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) announced it has set aside a $2 million prize for the development of a PET tracer capable of visualizing the protein alpha-synuclein, the main therapeutic target and biomarker candidate in Parkinson’s disease (PD) research. Announced at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging…

Exposure to the commonly used pesticide ziram may be linked to Parkinson’s disease development by inducing α-synuclein expression and damages to the dopaminergic neurons. The findings have been published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives in the study “Neurotoxicity of the Parkinson’s Disease associated Pesticide Ziram…

Dimethylfumarate (Tecfidera), a drug used to harness multiple sclerosis symptoms, generates a metabolite that could be used in Parkinson’s patients to improve defenses against oxidative damage. The drug acts on Nrf2, a molecule that has frequently been suggested as a target for neuroprotective drugs in Parkinson’s, as its activation is a…

Unfertilized human egg cells can give rise to so-called parthenogenetic stem cells, having the characteristics of embryonal stem cells but without the ethically debatable use of early embryos. Now, a new study demonstrates that neural stem cells derived from parthenogenetic cells transplanted to non-human primates with Parkinson’s disease improved…

The Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF) has announced research investments of $4 million for early career scientists addressing Parkinson’s disease (PD). The foundation’s increased investment in early-career scientists is showcased through its new Stanley Fahn Junior Faculty Awards, a program named after PDF’s longtime scientific director. The awards provide…

Thirty-six years after clinching an Olympic gold medal, a trembling hand lit the 1996 Summer Olympic Flame during the opening ceremony in Atlanta, Ga. The hand belonged to the greatest boxer in the world, Muhammad Ali. The significance of the moment far exceeded his title as ‘The Greatest’ heavyweight champion in the…

A recent publication in the journal Nature Genetics describes a new genetic cause of Parkinson’s disease. The newly identified gene, called TMEM230, is involved in storage and release of the neurotransmitter dopamine from neurons. The findings open up new avenues of research into mechanisms leading to the…