Researchers at Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania have developed a highly accurate test to measure proteins present inside extracellular vesicles in the body, which they hope will lead to a blood test for Parkinson’s disease and other conditions in the future. Extracellular vesicles are small lipid encapsulated particles…

A recent international study led by researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) in Australia has uncovered significant genetic variants that influence brain structure and volume, with potential implications for understanding and treating Parkinson’s disease and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The findings,…

MeiraGTx has announced that its gene therapy (AAV-GAD) for Parkinson’s disease has passed a midphase trial and they are in discussion with regulators about Phase III. A small study (MGT-GAD-025) of patients receiving the highest dose of the drug showed significant improvement in their Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) score at…

A recent study from researchers in South Korea contends that certain diabetes medications known as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors may be linked to a reduced risk of developing dementia and Parkinson’s disease. The findings, published this week in the journal Neurology, are significant given the rising prevalence of these neurodegenerative…

While working on a “secret project” at Google Life Sciences (before it had been rebranded to Verily), Brian Pepin was struck with a question: Why aren’t there analogous devices to glucose monitors for neurological diseases like Parkinson’s? “At least in terms of the data, science, and symptoms, Parkinson’s is a…

A large study led by the Charité Medical University in Berlin shows no link between migraine and the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease in women aged 45 years and older. Writing in the journal Neurology, the investigators report that the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease over did not appear to…

An implantable device that detects nerve signals to deliver personalized deep brain stimulation can improve the movement and sleep of people with Parkinson’s disease, a pilot trial has found. The findings, in four patients, are the first time that adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) using “closed loop” brain implant technology…

A large study of Parkinson’s disease genetics led by CENTOGENE, and the University of Rostock in Germany, shows approximately 15% of all cases of the disease are driven by genetic variants. As reported in the journal Brain, the researchers also confirmed that around 90% of individuals with a genetic form…

Research led by Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine shows higher than normal levels of neurofilament light chain protein can be detected in the blood of patients with presymptomatic, early-stage Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Writing in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease, levels of tau and amyloid beta…

A trial led by Helsinki University showed fecal microbiota transplants (FMTs) from healthy donors do not significantly improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in patients with the condition who had abnormal gut microbiome composition on enrollment. The transplants were safe and well tolerated, according to Filip Scheperjans, a neurologist and researcher…

Research by Weill Cornell Medicine has led to the development of a new model for understanding Parkinson’s disease progression and offers an innovative method for early detection of the condition. The findings, published today in Nature Communications, could ultimately lead to better management strategies and improved outcomes for those affected…

A vaccine for Parkinson’s disease could be on the horizon, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine. Vaxxinity’s immunotherapy targeting pathogenic α-synuclein aggregates has achieved its immunogenicity, safety, and tolerability goals in a phase I clinical trial in Parkinson’s patients. The vaccine, known as UB-312, was shown to…

Research led by the University Medical Center Göttingen and the University College London (UCL) shows a test based on eight proteins found in the blood that can predict Parkinson’s disease up to seven years before any motor symptoms occur. As reported in Nature Communications, the researchers found that with the…

Researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center report in the journal npj Parkinson’s Disease that they have used a smartwatch paired with a mobile phone to detect and map disease progression in early Parkinson’s disease. Collecting these data via everyday consumer devices to develop a better understanding of disease progression…

A potential landmark genetic association study for the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson’s has uncovered a new risk variant. The team, which included scientists from the University Medical Center Utrecht, Indiana University School of Medicine, and UMass Chan Medical School, combined whole genome and exome sequencing data from 2184 familial Parkinson’s disease…