Parkinson’s Research News

Identifying the optimal number of individual treatment sessions for those with cognitive decline associated with dementia is crucial for managing the neurodegenerative disease. ... read more

Cyclodextrin, an FDA-approved drug, reduced cholesterol accumulation from broken down brain cells and inflammation in animal models. The findings point to a potential new therapy to reduce dementia following a stroke. ... read more

A new artificial intelligence algorithm analyses MRI data to accurately predict the age of a brain. ... read more

Proteins belonging to the TAM family receptors may be a new biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. The elevated inflammatory markers are conspicuous, even before the onset of dementia. ... read more

A new study suggests that people with early-stage Parkinson's disease who regularly got one to two hours of moderate exercise twice a week, like walking or gardening, may have less trouble balancing, walking and doing daily activities later. ... read more

New findings provide a better understanding of how the synthesis of dopamine is regulated in the brain. It may shed new light on the mechanism behind diseases such as Parkinson's. ... read more

# # # # As with the preceding year, 2021 proved to be challenging due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic (and it is not over yet). Vaccines were rolled out with remarkable speed, but equally new variants of the virus popped up and have kept Governments and health regulatory bodies on their toes. An amazing feature of the ... read more

# # # # At the end of each month the SoPD writes a post which provides an overview of some of the major pieces of Parkinson’s-related research that were made available during December 2021. The post is divided into 10 parts ... read more

Researchers have solved a decade-long mystery about a critical protein linked to Parkinson's disease that could help to fast-track treatments for the incurable disease. The research has produced a 'live action' view of the protein, called PINK1, in exquisite molecular detail. The discovery explains how the protein is activated in the cell, where it is responsible for initiating the removal ... read more

Researchers discuss how to accommodate family members with dementia over the holidays to make Christmas a meaningful and joyous event for the entire family. ... read more

Findings reveal a common Parkinson's disease genetic mutation drives mislocalization of iron in activated microglia. ... read more

A common gene mutation for Parkinson's disease drives mislocalization of iron in activated microglia, according to a new study. The results may help explain the accumulation of toxic iron in affected brain areas in the disease and provide a basis for the development of therapies designed to correct the iron trafficking defect. ... read more

# # # # Drug repurposing represents a means of rapidly testing and bring novel therapies to the patient. By testing clinically available drugs – that have well characterised safety records in a particular medical condition – one can determine if a certain biological pathway is playing an influential role in another disease. A good example of this ... read more

The COVID causing SARS-CoV-2 protein interacts with alpha-synuclein, speeding up the formation of amyloid plaques, a new study reports. ... read more

Researchers have shown that, at least in the test tube, the SARS-CoV-2 N-protein interacts with a neuronal protein called alpha-synuclein and speeds the formation of amyloid fibrils, pathological protein bundles that have been implicated in Parkinson's disease. ... read more

  # # # # Good sleep patterns have important implications for all of us in terms of health and well being, but sleep is often disrupted for people with Parkinson’s. Research suggests that people with Parkinson’s have reduced amounts of slow wave and REM sleep, and increased periods of wakefulness. A new report has found that ... read more

Researchers have refined a molecule that shows promise for the prevention of Parkinson's disease. ... read more

A peptide known to prevent the protein error that gives rise to Parkinson's disease has been optimized by scientists. The new peptide is a strong candidate for future development into a cure. ... read more

# # # # New technologies that can help us to better understand and track Parkinson’s over time has been a theme here on the SoPD. Such tools could create fantastic opportunities, particularly in the context of clinical trials evaluating new therapies, by providing comparable quantitative measures. Many of these efforts have focused on wearable technologies that require ... read more

Chains of fatty acids in the lysosome that are one-half nanometer longer than normal-length chains were associated with a degenerative form of Gaucher disease, a genetic condition related to Parkinson's disease. ... read more

A newly developed self-assessment test of cognitive function can help detect early signs of dementia sooner than commonly used office-based cognitive tests. ... read more

# # # # Alpha synuclein has long been viewed at “Public enemy #1” by the Parkinson’s research community. This sticky, abundant protein starts to cluster (or aggregate) in Parkinson’s. There have been several attempts to reduce levels of the protein floating around outside of cells (using “immunotherapy” approaches) But now clinical research is ramping up to determine ... read more

Cataract surgery was associated with a 30% reduction in dementia risk for older adults, a new study reports. ... read more

Older people who experience elevated heart rates are at increased risk for developing dementia, researchers report. ... read more

# # # # Novel therapeutic interventions are being proposed for Parkinson’s on a regular basis, with compelling data supporting their future development. The case is strengthened when a measure of target engagement is also involved – providing not only a potential therapy but also a biomarker as well. Recently, a biotech company called AcureX Therapeutics has been ... read more