http://medicalxpress.com/parkinsons-disease-news/ en-us Medical Xpress provides the latest research news on Parkinson's disease and movement disorders The presence of Lewy bodies in nerve cells, formed by intracellular deposits of the protein α-synuclein, is a characteristic pathologic feature of Parkinson's Disease (PD). In the quest for an animal model of PD that mimics motor and non-motor symptoms of human PD, scientists have developed strains of mice that overexpress α-synuclein. By studying a strain of mice bred to overexpress α-synuclein via the Thy-1 promoter, scientists have found these mice develop many of the age-related progressive motor symptoms of PD and demonstrate changes in sleep and anxiety. Their results are published in the latest issue of Journal of Parkinson's Disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-06-pd-like-motor-problems-alpha-synuclein-mutant.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:27:51 EST news289837635 Researchers at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the United Kingdom have determined the crystal structure of Parkin, a protein found in cells that when mutated can lead to a hereditary form of Parkinson's disease. The results, which are published in The EMBO Journal, define the position of many of the mutations linked to hereditary Parkinson's disease and explain how these alterations may affect the stability and function of the protein. The findings may in time reveal how the activity of Parkin is affected in patients with this rare but debilitating type of Parkinson's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-disease-mutations-affect-parkin-protein.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Fri, 31 May 2013 11:47:37 EST news289219650 Gaucher disease causes debilitating and sometimes fatal neurodegeneration in early childhood. Recent studies have uncovered a link between the mutations responsible for Gaucher disease and an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life. New research published online on May 23 in the Cell Press journal Cell Metabolism indicates that the neurodegeneration found in Gaucher disease stems from defects in processes that break down and remove unwanted material from cells. This defective trash removal in cells can lead to the toxic build-up of proteins found to be responsible for neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, providing insight into the link between the two diseases. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-defective-cellular-gaucher-patients-parkinson.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 23 May 2013 12:14:20 EST news288530028 McGill University researchers have unlocked a new door to developing drugs to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease. Collaborating teams led by Dr. Edward A. Fon at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital -The Neuro, and Dr. Kalle Gehring in the Department of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Medicine, have discovered the three-dimensional structure of the protein Parkin. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-unleashing-watchdog-protein.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 09 May 2013 15:43:22 EST news287332993 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have exposed the possible function, in the healthy brain, of a mysterious molecule that has been strongly implicated in Parkinson's disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. They made their discovery using a stripped-down experimental system that mimics key aspects of how nerve cells communicate with one another. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-reveals-probable-role-parkinson-protein.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Wed, 01 May 2013 09:09:48 EST news286618171 A protein known to be a key player in the development of Parkinson's disease is able to enter and harm cells in the same way that viruses do, according to a Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-parkinson-disease-protein-virus.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:00:01 EST news286122034 The earliest signs of Parkinson's disease can be deceptively mild. The first thing that movie star Michael J. Fox noticed was twitching of the little finger of his left hand. For years, he made light of the apparently harmless tic. But such tremors typically spread, while muscles stiffen up and directed movements take longer to carry out. Research groups led by Armin Giese of LMU Munich and Christian Griesinger at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen have developed a chemical compound that slows down the onset and progression of Parkinson's disease in mice. The scientists hope that this approach will give them a way to treat the cause of Parkinson's and so arrest its progress. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-parkinson-anle138b-clumping-synunclein-protein.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:06:54 EST news285923169 (Medical Xpress)—A new study could help earlier diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, after a Malaysian researcher working for Newcastle University in the UK identified that even early in the disease people experience symptoms. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-parkinson-discovery-earlier-diagnosis.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:49:09 EST news285490111 (Medical Xpress)—Clumps of α-synuclein protein in nerve cells are hallmarks of many degenerative brain diseases, most notably Parkinson's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-parkinson-disease-protein-gums-garbage.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 28 Mar 2013 08:50:02 EST news283677861 (Medical Xpress)—NorthShore University HealthSystem (NorthShore) and Mayo Clinic researchers have partnered on a study that shows genetic and clinical evidence that therapies targeting the expression of alpha-synuclein—a gene whose function is involved in the development and progression of Parkinson's disease—may accelerate disease progression and increase the risk of physical incapacitation and dementia. If replicated, the findings will have profound implications for therapies under development for Parkinson's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-genetic-evidence-therapies-parkinson-disease.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:20:06 EST news283076397 Three studies released today present possible positive news for people with Parkinson's disease. The studies, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013, report on treatments for blood pressure problems, the wearing-off that can occur when people have taken the main drug for Parkinson's for a long time, and for people early in the disease whose symptoms are not well-controlled by their main drugs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-drugs-quality-life-people-parkinson.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:20:13 EST news282496805 A team of scientists and clinicians at UC San Francisco has discovered how to detect abnormal brain rhythms associated with Parkinson's by implanting electrodes within the brains of people with the disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-parkinson-brain-rhythms-disease-deep.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Mon, 04 Mar 2013 15:00:20 EST news281615559 Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have discovered how the most common genetic mutations in familial Parkinson's disease damage brain cells. The study, which published online today in the journal Nature Neuroscience, could also open up treatment possibilities for both familial Parkinson's and the more common form of Parkinson's that is not inherited. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-scientists-clean-up-snafu-brain-cells.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Sun, 03 Mar 2013 13:00:18 EST news281520529 A new therapy could help suppress tremors in people with Parkinson's disease, an Oxford University study suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-therapy-electricity-cancel-parkinson-tremors.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:08:08 EST news280382872 The most common genetic cause of Parkinson's is not only responsible for the condition's distinctive movement problems but may also affect vision, according to new research by scientists at the University of York. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-uncovers-potential-link-parkinson-visual.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:31:55 EST news280153899 Flinders University researchers have discovered that a protein in the brain may play a role in the development of Parkinson's disease – a common degenerative neurological disorder which affects the control of body movements. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-early-diagnosis-treatment-parkinson.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:40:05 EST news280145163 Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say overexpression of a protein called alpha-synuclein appears to disrupt vital recycling processes in neurons, starting with the terminal extensions of neurons and working its way back to the cells' center, with the potential consequence of progressive degeneration and eventual cell death. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-excess-protein-linked-parkinson-disease.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:52:55 EST news279471152 Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have identified a protein trafficking defect within brain cells that may underlie common non-familial forms of Parkinson's disease. The defect is at a point of convergence for the action of at least three different genes that had been implicated in prior studies of Parkinson's disease. Whereas most molecular studies focus on mutations associated with rare familial forms of the disease, these findings relate directly to the common non-familial form of Parkinson's. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal Neuron. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-treatment-non-familial-parkinson.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Wed, 06 Feb 2013 13:17:15 EST news279379025 With a new insight into a model of Parkinson's disease, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a novel target for mitigating some of the disease's toll on the brain. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-reveals-parkinson-disease-therapies.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Sat, 19 Jan 2013 05:12:19 EST news277794730 While movement problems are the main symptom of Parkinson's disease, a new study shows that even early in the course of disease people frequently experience many non-motor symptoms such as drooling, anxiety and constipation. The study is published in the January 15, 2013, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-parkinson-anxiety-non-motor-symptoms-early.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:00:02 EST news277380919 Parkinson's experts across the world have been reporting a remarkable phenomenon—many patients treated with drugs to increase the activity of dopamine in the brain as a therapy for motor symptoms such as tremors and muscle rigidity are developing new creative talents, including painting, sculpting, writing, and more. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-parkinson-treatment-trigger-creativity.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Mon, 14 Jan 2013 11:15:06 EST news277384495 Described as a "big step forward" for research and treatment of Parkinson's disease, new research from Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Banner Sun Health Research Institute suggests that testing a portion of a person's saliva gland may be a way to diagnose the disease. The study was released today and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's annual meeting in San Diego in March. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-saliva-gland-parkinson-disease.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:00:01 EST news277044997 Oxidative stress is a primary villain in a host of diseases that range from cancer and heart failure to Alzheimer's disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Now, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found that blocking the interaction of a critical enzyme may counteract the destruction of neurons associated with these neurodegenerative diseases, suggesting a potential new target for drug development. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-scientists-uncover-potential-drug-block.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 10 Jan 2013 15:18:37 EST news277053507 (Medical Xpress)—For several years, neurologists at UCLA have been building a case that a link exists between pesticides and Parkinson's disease. To date, paraquat, maneb and ziram—common chemicals sprayed in California's Central Valley and elsewhere—have been tied to increases in the disease, not only among farmworkers but in individuals who simply lived or worked near fields and likely inhaled drifting particles. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-01-pesticides-parkinson-uncover-proof-link.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Fri, 04 Jan 2013 06:45:05 EST news276504277 (Medical Xpress)—Scientists at The University of Manchester have for the first time identified why a patient who appears outwardly healthy may develop Parkinson's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-silent-parkinson-disease.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Tue, 18 Dec 2012 10:01:21 EST news275047252 A study by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers adds further support to the possibility that increasing levels of the antioxidant urate may protect against Parkinson's disease. In their report published in PNAS Early Edition, the investigators report that mice with a genetic mutation increasing urate levels were protected against the kind of neurodegeneration that underlies Parkinson's disease, while the damage was worse in animals with abnormally low urate. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-genetic-urate-neurodegeneration-mouse-parkinson.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Mon, 17 Dec 2012 15:00:01 EST news274959162 (Medical Xpress)—Rice University scientists have discovered a new way to look inside living cells and see the insoluble fibrillar deposits associated with Parkinson's disease. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-rice-window-parkinson-disease.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Mon, 17 Dec 2012 07:07:29 EST news274950435 Treating Parkinson's disease patients with the experimental drug GM1 ganglioside improved symptoms and slowed their progression during a two and a half-year trial, Thomas Jefferson University researchers report in a new study published online November 28 in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-drug-advance-parkinson-disease-symptoms.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:05:59 EST news273431145 (Medical Xpress)—Health professionals may soon have a new method of diagnosing Parkinson's disease, one that is noninvasive and inexpensive, and, in early testing, has proved to be effective more than 90 percent of the time. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-method-parkinson-disease.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:52:33 EST news272645528 Deciphering what causes the brain cell degeneration of Parkinson's disease has remained a perplexing challenge for scientists. But a team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has pinpointed a key factor controlling damage to brain cells in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. The discovery could lead to new targets for Parkinson's that may be useful in preventing the actual condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-potential-parkinson-disease.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:51:33 EST news272566120