Parkinson's Disease

A pair of newly published studies are offering novel insights into how the neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease leads to cognitive decline. The research suggests minor vision problems can precede cognitive decline by up to 18 months.

A robust new study has comprehensively demonstrated how SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can infect the brain and central nervous system. The study validates a growing body of research attributing neurological issues to COVID-19.

Parkinson’s disease is characterized by clumps of misfolded proteins accumulating and killing brain cells. Johns Hopkins researchers have developed an artificial enzyme that may stop these clumps from spreading, providing a new potential treatment.

A novel wearable that stimulates the olfactory system using electrical pulses has been proposed as a way to prevent or slow dementia-related neurodegeneration. A dysfunctional sense of smell is suspected to be one of the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s.

Scientists have genetically modified a tomato to produce L-DOPA, a drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease. The researchers say the innovation could be an easier way to produce the medicine in regions where access to the synthesized drug is restricted.

A new study, published in the journal Chaos, is suggesting tracking changes over time in the way multiple sclerosis (MS) patients type on their smartphone touchscreens could be a useful method to monitor neurological degeneration.

A large population-based study is suggesting some diabetes drugs may also prevent the onset of Parkinson’s disease. Along with prior research, these findings validate a Phase 3 human trial set to test a specific diabetes drug in Parkinson’s patients.

We are seeing some exciting research advances that could help reveal Parkinson's in its ealy stages. Scientists have now produced another by demonstrating how a skin biopsy can be used to identify the disease with a high degree of accuracy.

Dopamine and serotonin are brain chemicals implicated in a range of neurological disorders including Parkinson’s and depression. A new tool is offering an unprecedented look at these neurotransmitters in action.

New research reveals a novel drug, designed to break up the aggregations of toxic proteins associated with Parkinson’s disease, can effectively slow the disease in mouse models. The researchers are now looking at moving toward human trials.

Stem cells could help treat a variety of diseases. A new study has found that transplanting neurons grown from stem cells into the brains of mice with Parkinson’s disease repaired the damaged brain circuits, improving the animals’ motor skills.

The authors of a new study have found that spinal cord stimulation can not only reduce pain in Parkinson's subjects where other treatments have failed, but also improved motor symptoms in almost three quarters of the patients tested.