Since the late 1990s, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has proven to be a lifeline for some patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease, a cruel neurological disorder that can cause lack of control over movement, poor balance and coordination, and rigid…
Researchers at Queen’s University have found that people with Parkinson’s disease can perform automated tasks better than people without the disease, but have significant difficulty switching from easy to hard tasks. The findings are a step towards …
A hunt throughout the human genome for variants associated with common, late-onset Parkinson’s disease has revealed a new genetic link that implicates the immune system and offers new targets for drug development.
The long-term study involved a g…
People with high levels of iron in their diet are more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, according to a study in the June 10 issue of Neurology. People with both high levels of iron and manganese were nearly two times more likely to develop the disease than those with the lowest levels of the minerals in their diets. The study compared 250 people who were newly diagnosed with Parkinson’s to 388 people without the disease. Interviews were conducted to determine how often participants ate certain foods during their adult life.
A team of researchers from Imperial College London, the Charing Cross Hospital and University College London have identified a protein which could be used to protect against neuro-degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, motor neurone diseases and the damage caused by strokes.
Researchers have discovered an important similarity in the causes of cell degeneration and death in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, type II diabetes and CJD, suggesting that a single therapy could combat these different ailments.
Researchers have discovered an important similarity in the causes of cell degeneration and death in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, type II diabetes and CJD, suggesting that a single therapy could combat these different ailments. University of California at Irvine molecular biologists Charles Glabe and Rakez Kayed found that small toxic molecules believed to trigger cell damage in these diseases have a similar structure. The study, which appears in the April 18, 2003 issue of Science, implies that these molecules, called toxic soluble oligomers, share parallel functions, which makes them suitable targets for new drugs or vaccines that could halt progression of many degenerative diseases.
Several large studies have shown that caffeine intake is associated with a reduced risk of developing Parkinson’s disease (PD) in men, but studies in women have been inconclusive. A new study shows that hormone therapy is a possible explanation for the different effects of caffeine on PD risk in men and women.
Inherited variations in proteins that produce energy for the body may provide protection from developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study by scientists at Duke University Medical Center. Furthermore, the inherited gene variations seem particularly to protect white women, which may help explain why Parkinson’s disease is seen more often in men.
Researchers in Honolulu have found a correlation between high fruit and fruit drink consumption and risk of Parkinson’s disease. Previous studies have suggested a link between fruit and vitamin C intake and an increased risk of Parkinson’s. However, these studies have been primarily retrospective in design and are subject to recall bias. The current study is longitudinal, in which risk factor data was collected before onset of Parkinson’s among more than 8,000 study subjects. Incidence of Parkinson’s cases was noted over 34 years of observation. Results of the study show that increased fruit and fruit drink consumption predicted an increased Parkinson’s risk, after adjusting for other known risk factors.
Virginia Tech researchers have discovered that exposure to some insecticides may cause a cascade of chemical events in the brain that could lead to Parkinson?s Disease. “We found low-level exposures set in motion a process with an early onset that develops slowly and is persistent,” one of the lead researchers said. “More surprising is that high-level exposures resulted in few immediate effects that we could observe, but in the longer term there was a delayed effect.”