A Michigan State University researcher has received a $2.8 million federal grant to develop a gene therapy that could reduce and possibly eliminate a frustrating side effect of a drug commonly prescribed to Parkinson’s patients. The research could mean a significant advance for the up to 90 percent of patients who develop dyskinesia, a drug-induced side effect that results in the involuntary and uncontrolled movement of hands, head and other
Ted Turner recently announced that he has Lewy body dementia, a diagnosis that the late comic and actor Robin Williams was given after his death. The disease is frequently unrecognized even by doctors, despite the fact that Lewy body dementia is the second most common dementia. In one study, almost 70 percent of people diagnosed with Lewy body dementia saw three consultants before receiving the diagnosis. For a third of
Peter Konrad, MD, presents exciting findings that show Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in early stage Parkinson’s Disease may slow tremor progress at the Congress of Neurological Surgeon’s (CNS) 2018 Annual Meeting, on Wednesday, October 10, in the General Scientific Session. “DBS is the first therapy to show disease modifying effect—it can actually slow down cardinal features of Parkinson’s. There has been no therapy, drug or device
In the wake of media and public reports about increased mortality linked to a new drug for treating Parkinson’s disease psychosis (PDP) — a symptom of the progressive nervous system disorder in which patients experience hallucinations and delusions — researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine conducted a retrospective study of qualifying patients in the UC San Diego Health system, concluding that the new drug, pimavanserin (marketed
While about 11 percent of children (4-17 years old) nationwide have been diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the long-term health effects of having ADHD and of common ADHD medications remains understudied. Researchers at University of Utah Health found that ADHD patients had an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s and Parkinson-like diseases than individuals with no ADHD history. The results are available online on September 12 in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Electrical stimulation of the brain and spinal cord may help treat the symptoms of rare movement disorders called neurodegenerative ataxias, according to a study published in the August 22, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. There are several types of these disorders, which can be hereditary or occur randomly, including spinocerebellar ataxia, multiple system atrophy and Friedreich’s ataxia. Symptoms of ataxias include a lack
For many, hearing the word “Parkinson’s” conjures an image of tremors. But Parkinson’s disease, brought about by loss of nerve and other brain cells, is actually an incredibly complex movement disorder that can cause symptoms as wide-ranging as smell loss, thinking issues, depression and swallowing problems. More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. have the illness, and millions more loved ones and caregivers are affected by it, too. Actor
Johns Hopkins researchers say they have developed an experimental drug, similar to compounds used to treat diabetes, that slows the progression of Parkinson’s disease itself — as well as its symptoms — in mice. In experiments performed with cultures of human brain cells and live mouse models, they report the drug blocked the degradation of brain cells that is the hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. The drug is expected to move
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) may slow the progression of tremor for early-stage Parkinson’s disease patients, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study released in the June 29 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study is the first evidence of a treatment that slows the progression of one of the cardinal features of Parkinson’s, but a larger-scale clinical trial across multiple investigational centers
Scientists know that faulty proteins can cause harmful deposits or “aggregates” in neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Although the causes of these protein deposits remain a mystery, it is known that abnormal aggregates can result when cells fail to transmit proper genetic information to proteins. University of California San Diego Professor Susan Ackerman and her colleagues first highlighted this cause of brain disease more than 10 years
A decay of brain function is a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, or DLB. Specifically, cognitive dysfunction defines DLB, and nearly eight of every 10 Parkinson’s patients develop dementia. In both of these neuro-degenerative diseases, aggregates of misfolded alpha-synuclein protein develop in brain neurons, including the hippocampus, the region of the brain that plays a vital role in the formation of memories. These aggregates eventually lead
A recent study from researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai provides new insights into a link between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Parkinson’s disease, and may have significant implications for the treatment and prevention of Parkinson’s disease. The recent study, published in JAMA Neurology, shows that individuals with IBD are at a 28% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease than those without IBD. However, if they
People who have been diagnosed with a mild concussion, or mild traumatic brain injury, may have a 56 percent increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a study published in the April 18, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Previous research has shown a strong link between moderate to severe traumatic brain injury and an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease
Dopamine, a signaling chemical in the brain, has the lofty job of controlling emotions, moods, movements as well as sensations of pleasure and pain. Dysfunction of this critical neurotransmitter is the cause of a number of diseases, most notably, Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is caused by the death of dopamine-producing cells and most theories of disease risk involve the selective vulnerability of ageing dopamine neurons to genetic mutations or to
Working with lab-grown human brain cells, Johns Hopkins researchers report they have uncovered a much sought-after connection between one of the most common genetic mutations in Parkinson’s disease and the formation of fatty plaques in the brain thought to contribute to the destruction of motor neurons that characterize the disease. The mutation occurs in a gene that holds the code for GBA1, an enzyme that metabolizes fatty molecules in the
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced top line results from its pivotal Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials from its pivotal Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, CTH-300, that evaluated apomorphine sublingual film (APL-130277) in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who experience motor fluctuations (OFF episodes). Study CTH-300 met its primary and key secondary endpoints, and the medicine was also generally well-tolerated by study participants. Apomorphine sublingual film is being
An international group of researchers led by Professor Wim Versées (VIB-VUB) has unraveled the workings of an essential mechanism in 'Parkinson's protein' LRRK2. Their study demonstrates a direct link between the protein's 'dimerization' - two copies that are bound together -and mutations that lead to Parkinson's disease. This process could eventually lead to a promising therapy route. This research has been published in the leading academic journal Nature Communications. Approximately 4
Recent research on Parkinson’s disease has focused on the gut-brain connection, examining patients’ gut bacteria, and even how severing the vagus nerve connecting the stomach and brain might protect some people from the debilitating disease. But scientists understand little about what’s happening in the gut -- the ingestion of environmental toxins or germs, perhaps -- that leads to brain damage and the hallmarks of Parkinson’s such as tremors, stiffness and
The finding of a common protein abnormality in these degenerative diseases supports a hypothesis among experts that abnormal deposition of proteins in many neurodegenerative disorders reflects an early change in these proteins. "We have pinpointed a protein abnormality known as the 'SOD1 fingerprint' in regions of neuronal loss in the Parkinson's disease brain," said Associate Professor Kay Double who led the research published in Acta Neuropathologica. "We believe this loss
Drug that transforms immune system may predict motor improvement In an early phase human clinical trial, researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center tested a drug that transforms the immune system for diagnostic and therapeutic gain in Parkinson’s disease (PD). The medicine was proven safe and generally well tolerated. Side effects were minimal, but included skin irritation, bone pain and an allergic reaction. Preliminary evidence of improvement in motor
