A dopamine transporter scan — an exam that visualizes dopaminergic neurons, the nerve cells that are affected in Parkinson’s disease — may help in predicting which patients are at risk of aspiration, when food or liquid enters the lungs instead of the stomach. Dysphagia, which happens when Parkinson’s…
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have shown that reducing dopamine signaling in the brain can impair people’s ability to recognize emotions or understand others’ mental states (mentalizing), symptoms that may be experienced by those with Parkinson’s disease. The study, “Disruption of dopamine D2/D3 system function impairs the…
Participating in high-intensity exercise can help protect the brain from progressive damage in Parkinson’s disease, a proof-of-concept imaging study suggests. “This is the first time imaging has been used to confirm that the biology of the brain in those suffering with Parkinson’s disease is changed by intense exercise,” Evan…
The parkin enzyme — whose loss is a known genetic risk factor of Parkinson’s disease — not only helps to regulate healthy activity of energy-generating mitochondria, but also plays critical roles in nerve cell communication, according to a study using patient-derived neurons. Particularly, parkin loss resulted in defective recycling…
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