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Parkinsonism type 1 through Infinity

Many researchers argue that there is no such thing as “Parkinson’s” (a singular disease that has a specific causal event and similar outcome). They also suggest that holding on to this idea is hurting our ability to develop better therapies to treat the condition.

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 A brain circuit tied to emotion may lead to better treatments for Parkinson's disease

Strick's collaborators plan to focus on two circuits in the brain that appear to control voluntary movement. One is damaged by Parkinson's, leading to symptoms including tremor, freezing, and poor balance and coordination.

 Researchers Develop Potential New Blood Test for Parkinson’s Disease

A team of researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health and led by Dr. Laurie Sanders from Duke University has developed a blood test to detect possible evidence of Parkinson’s disease. In addition to aiding in early detection and diagnosis of Parkinson’s, the blood test may help researchers monitor the effects of new drugs and other treatments.

Articles of Interest

‘It’s hugely complex’: the scientists working to defeat Parkinson’s

‘It’s hugely complex’: the scientists working to defeat Parkinson’s Research into dopamine-producing cells and rogue proteins among efforts to find far-reaching treatment.

A secret experiment revealed: In a medical first, doctors treat Parkinson’s with a novel brain cell transplant

Like many other stem cell biologists, Kim believed that the source of stem cells should not be fetuses, and not embryonic stem cells, but the patient’s own cells. In 2009, he published a much-praised paper describing how to safely turn adult fibroblasts — connective cells from the skin — into induced pluripotent stem cells. Such “iPS cells” are almost embryo-like in their ability to morph into any of the body’s specialized cells — muscle and heart and liver and brain and more.

Apple Watch can help track Parkinson’s disease symptoms, research shows

Apple’s quest to put a smartwatch on every wrist continues with its latest health research: a new study showing the Apple Watch can be used to monitor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Brain Cell Transplants Are Being Tested Once Again For Parkinson's

Researchers are working to revive a radical treatment for Parkinson's disease. The treatment involves transplanting healthy brain cells to replace cells killed off by the disease. It's an approach that was tried decades ago and then set aside after disappointing results.

Does Your Appendix Have Anything To Do With Parkinson's Disease?

In the party that is your body, your appendix can seem like a wallflower. After all, you may not really notice your appendix until it gets inflamed. Then, it can get promptly removed. Otherwise what else does a dangling out-pouching from your large intestine really do? Well, a study just published in Science Translational Medicine suggests the appendix may have more than meets the eye. Could microscopic findings in the appendix have something to do with the cause of Parkin

Finding new treatments for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s shouldn’t be up to pharma alone

Pharmaceutical giants forming venture capital groups is an interesting twist in drug development. We need innovative approaches like that to help create new medications. But they shouldn’t come just from the pharma industry. Personal sacrifice, political will, and a shared commitment to the public good must also play roles.

Growing evidence suggests Parkinson's disease starts in gut

Research shows key proteins in disease can spread from gastrointestinal tract to brain.

Gut microbes may play a role in Parkinson's disease

A mouse study suggests the brain disease may have ties to the gut.

Her Incredible Sense Of Smell Is Helping Scientists Find New Ways To Diagnose Disease

For most of her life, Joy Milne had a superpower that she was totally oblivious to. She simply had no idea she possessed an utterly amazing, slightly terrifying biological gift that scientists would itch to study. In fact, Joy probably would have stayed oblivious if it hadn't been for her husband, Les Milne.

How tiny electrodes in the brain could treat Parkinson's, OCD, and even depression

Right now, about 100,000 people worldwide are walking around with small electrodes surgically implanted in their skulls, programmed to rhythmically emit tiny jolts of electricity more than 100 times per second, 24 hours a day.

Is Angiogenesis a Treatment and Potential Cure?

Zhittya Genesis Medicine is developing a drug, fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF-1), to possibly treat Parkinson's disease by growing new blood vessels in the brains of individuals suffering from Parkinson's. FGF-1 is a potent stimulator of angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels) and is capable of growing these new blood vessels in ischemic areas of the body, including the brain.

MRI Scans Can Detect Early Onset of Parkinson's, Study Finds

The new technique, called “resting state fMRI,” allows researchers to scan neural connections in the basal ganglia part of the brain, where Parkinson’s patients tend to suffer marked declines in connectivity. Researchers found that by using a certain threshold of connectivity, they could predict the onset of Parkinson’s in 11 out of 13 patients, or with 85% accuracy.

Parkinson's Disease Breakthrough: Stem Cells May Replace Damaged Nerves, Reverse Symptoms

Parkinson’s disease patients can find hope in a new treatment, thanks to breakthrough stem cell research that successfully replaces damaged nerves. Swedish researchers have figured out how to create motor neurons that become lost in the brains of Parkinson’s disease patients. They published their findings in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Parkinson’s disease: scientists find the earliest roots in the brain

More than 6m people, globally, have Parkinson’s disease; it is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer disease. The symptoms, which worsen over time, include motor symptoms such as stiffness, slowness and shaking, as well as non-motor symptoms, such as memory problems. Researchers have been trying to find a reliable marker for the disease so that people at risk can be identified before the motor symptoms start. There are no cures for Parkinson’s disease...

Scientists discover the chemicals behind the unique Parkinson’s smell

Hippocrates, galen, Avicenna and other ancient physicians frequently used odour as a diagnostic tool. Although scent is not used nearly as often in modern medicine, it still has its place.

The Link Between Parkinson’s Disease and Toxic Chemicals

A new book calls the increasing prominence of Parkinson’s “a man-made pandemic.”

‘We’re not giving up’: A neuroscientist on AbbVie’s quest to find a treatment for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases

How Eric Karran stays motivated when tackling two of the greatest neurological mysteries.

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