Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder. It occurs when certain nerve cells (neurons) in a part of the brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired. When approximately 80 percent of neurons are damaged, the symptoms of Parkinson's disease appear. Parkinson's disease affects 1 in 100 people over the age of 60, with the average age of onset being 60 years. The risk of developing Parkinson's disease increases with age. In the United States, it is estimated that 60,000 new cases of Parkinson's disease are diagnosed each year, with 1.5 million Americans currently living with the disease.

What is Parkinson's Disease?

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disease of the brain. It affects parts of the brain that are associated with normal movement and balance.

Parkinson's Disease Pathophysiology

Parkinson's Disease Diagnosis

Parkinson's Disease Treatment

Parkinson's Disease Prognosis

Parkinson's Disease History

Parkinson's Disease Research

Parkinson's Disease Support

Herpes Virus and Parkinson's Disease

Physiotherapy for Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson's Compared to Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)

VPS35 Gene and Parkinson's Disease

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Parkinson's Disease and the Gut Microbiome

Parkinson's Disease and Helicobacter Pylori

Does Exercise Slow Parkinson's Disease Progression?

Human brain may stay active for hours after death

Neurophysiotherapy for Parkinson's Disease

Thalamotomy, Pallidotomy and Subthalamotomy

Estrogen as a Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease and Sleeping Disorders

Uncovering Hidden Symptoms: Hallucinations and Delusions in Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson's Disease and the Gut Microbiome

Gut Bacteria Affecting Parkinson’s Treatment

Identifying Early Symptoms in Parkinson’s

Do Antioxidants Benefit Patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s?

Insulin Resistance and Parkinson's Disease

Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) Versus Parkinson's Disease

Parkinsonism in Spinocerebellar Ataxia

Where Does Parkinson’s Disease Originate?

Is Appendectomy Linked to Parkinson’s Disease?

Bipolar Disorder and Parkinson’s

Gene Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Projections show Parkinson's disease cases will reach 25.2 million by 2050

By 2050, there will be 25.2 million people living with Parkinson's disease worldwide (a 112% increase from 2021), largely due to population ageing, suggests a modelling study published by The BMJ today.

5 Mar 2025

Exploring the role of subventricular zone in neural regeneration, neurodegenerative diseases

This recently published exploration into the subventricular zone (SVZ) highlights its critical role in neural regeneration, neurodegenerative diseases, and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

5 Mar 2025

Non-invasive 40Hz gamma stimulation could help fight Alzheimer’s

A decade after scientists in The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT first began testing whether sensory stimulation of the brain's 40Hz "gamma" frequency rhythms could treat Alzheimer's disease in mice, a growing evidence base supporting the idea that it can improve brain health-in humans as well as animals-has emerged from the work of labs all over the world.

3 Mar 2025

Medtronic receives FDA approval for BrainSense Adaptive DBS technology

For the one million people diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the United States, Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), a global leader in healthcare technology, proudly announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of BrainSense™ Adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) and BrainSense™ Electrode Identifier (EI).

3 Mar 2025

Early CPAP treatment may reduce Parkinson's disease risk in people with sleep apnea

People with obstructive sleep apnea have an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, but if started early enough, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may reduce that risk, according to a preliminary study released today, March 2, 2025, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 77th Annual Meeting taking place April 5–9, 2025, in San Diego and online.

2 Mar 2025

TFE3 activation shows promise for counteracting Parkinson's disease pathology

This recent study highlights the neuroprotective potential of TFE3, a transcription factor that plays a pivotal role in counteracting key pathological mechanisms associated with Parkinson's disease (PD).

2 Mar 2025

Study reveals how air pollution contributes to Alzheimer's disease

Air pollution contributes to nearly 7 million premature deaths each year, and its effects go far beyond the lungs.

28 Feb 2025

LJI scientists discover a potential new target for treating Parkinson's disease

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have found a potential new target for treating Parkinson's disease.

25 Feb 2025

Can coffee push back Parkinson’s? New study uncovers key genetic link

Higher coffee consumption is causally linked to delayed onset of Parkinson’s disease but does not affect disease risk or progression, according to a Mendelian randomization study.

25 Feb 2025

FDA-approved technology offers personalized treatment for Parkinson’s symptoms

Starting today, people with Parkinson's disease will have a new treatment option, thanks to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of groundbreaking new technology.

24 Feb 2025

New research shows why limits on working memory exist

Working memory is what allows humans to juggle different pieces of information in short-term scenarios, like making a mental grocery list and then going shopping or remembering and then dialing a phone number.

24 Feb 2025

Antioxidant-enzyme interactions and their role in non-communicable diseases

Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defenses, plays a central role in the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

21 Feb 2025

Cholesterol metabolite linked to Parkinson's disease development in mice

Researchers led by Zhentao Zhang at Wuhan University, China have discovered a cholesterol metabolite that plays a critical role in the development of Parkinson's disease in mice.

18 Feb 2025

New review maps the impact of reproductive hormones on neurological health

A comprehensive review published today in Brain Medicine by leading neuroendocrinologist Professor Hyman M. Schipper from McGill University's Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery maps out the extensive influence of reproductive hormones on neurological health and disease.

18 Feb 2025

Study sheds new light on brain evolution

In a new study published in Science, a Belgian research team explores how genetic switches controlling gene activity define brain cell types across species.

17 Feb 2025

Diabetes drugs may boost brain health but experts warn of risks

Researchers reviewed 374 studies to explore how GLP-1RAs, originally for diabetes, may impact brain health, finding potential benefits for dementia and addiction but inconsistent results for mood disorders.

16 Feb 2025

Study identifies novel enhancers linked to neuropsychiatric disorders

Neuropsychiatric disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent. Given their complex and multifactorial pathogenesis, there is an urgent need for effective and targeted therapies that can improve patients' quality of life.

13 Feb 2025

New research advances understanding of Parkinson's disease stages

From a study that analyzed brain images of more than 2,500 people with Parkinson's disease in 20 different countries, scientists were able to identify patterns of neurodegeneration and create metrics for each of the five clinical stages of the disease.

12 Feb 2025

Scientists discover brain mechanism behind nicotine withdrawal

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 22% of the global population smokes, with more than 9 million smoking-related deaths reported annually.

12 Feb 2025

GLP-1 drug exenatide shows no benefit for Parkinson's in new study

The GLP-1 drug, exenatide, has no positive impact on the movement, symptoms or brain imaging of people with Parkinson's, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

4 Feb 2025