Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Study to understand how brain processes information in competitive settings

Researchers have found a way to study how our brains assess the behavior - and likely future actions - of others during competitive social interactions. Their study, described in a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to use a computational approach to tease out differing patterns of brain activity during these interactions, the researchers report.

7 Feb 2012

New scoring method helps predict functional outcomes in stroke

A new scoring method can help doctors quickly decide which stroke patients will respond well to the clot-busting drug alteplase, according to a study published in the February 7, 2012, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

7 Feb 2012

Scientists discover extremely long-lived proteins in aging rats

One of the big mysteries in biology is why cells age. Now scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies report that they have discovered a weakness in a component of brain cells that may explain how the aging process occurs in the brain.

4 Feb 2012

International conference focuses on where and how memory is formed

The University of Haifa is hosting an international conference of leading brain researchers from around the world next week, where the participants will be attempting to answer the question of where and how memory is stored; or in less ordinary terms: "Cell and molecular mechanisms of memory formation".

3 Feb 2012

High beta-amyloid levels may affect brain performance in healthy adults

High levels of the protein beta-amyloid in the brain that is associated with Alzheimer's disease may affect brain performance even in healthy adults, according to a study published in the February 1, 2012, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

2 Feb 2012

AstraZeneca, Impax enter license agreement to commercialize Zomig in the U.S.

Impax Pharmaceuticals, the branded products business unit of Impax Laboratories, Inc., announced today that it has licensed from AstraZeneca the exclusive United States (U.S.) commercial rights to Zomig (zolmitriptan) tablet, orally disintegrating tablet, and nasal spray formulations.

2 Feb 2012

New technology helps scientists observe Parkinson's cell development

In the US alone, at least 500,000 people suffer from Parkinson's disease, a neurological disorder that affects a person's ability to control his or her movement. New technology from the University of Bonn in Germany lets researchers observe the development of the brain cells responsible for the disease.

1 Feb 2012

Caffeine intake may change a woman’s estrogen levels: Study

The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, looked at more than 250 women ages 18 to 44, and found that for white women, caffeine appeared to lower estrogen levels, while in Asian women it seemed to raise them.

31 Jan 2012

China Botanic fourth quarter net revenue increases 12.8% to $18.8M

China Botanic Pharmaceutical Inc., a developer, manufacturer and distributor of botanical products, bio-pharmaceuticals and Traditional Chinese Medicines in China, today announced financial results for the three months and fiscal year ended October 31, 2011.

31 Jan 2012

Weill Cornell establishes Office of Faculty Development

Weill Cornell Medical College has announced the establishment of the Office of Faculty Development dedicated to assisting its physicians, researchers and educators in achieving academic success at each stage of their careers, with targeted activities that focus on the needs of junior, mid-career and senior faculty.

27 Jan 2012

Scientists evaluate growth, differentiation and function of iPSC-derived NPCs in PD

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are a promising avenue for cell replacement therapy in neurologic diseases. For example, mouse and human iPSCs have been used to generate dopaminergic (DA) neurons that improve symptoms in rat Parkinson's disease models. Reporting in the current issue of the Journal of Parkinson's Disease, a group of scientists from Japan evaluated the growth, differentiation, and function of human-derived iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in a primate model, elucidating their therapeutic potential.

25 Jan 2012

Aphios receives NIH's Phase II SBIR grant to develop APH-0703 for AD

Aphios Corporation has received a Phase II SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) amounting to $2.4 million over two years. The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the NIH, awarded the grant to the Aphios Corporation to develop an "Alzheimer's Disease Therapeutic."

24 Jan 2012

Positive affect, self-affirmation help patients with chronic diseases to overcome obstacles

The experience of daily positive affect -- a mild, happy feeling -- and self-affirmation helps some patients with chronic diseases, including coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and asthma, make better decisions about their health.

24 Jan 2012

InSightec seeks FDA premarket approval for ExAblate treatment of pain palliation of bone metastases

InSightec Ltd, the leader in MR guided Focused Ultrasound therapy, announced that it has submitted a premarket approval application (PMA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its ExAblate treatment of pain palliation of bone metastases.

24 Jan 2012

Medical groups maintain pressure for 'doc fix'

The medical lobby continues to push for a longer-term solution as the current temporary patch to the Medicare physician payment formula is set to expire March 1. Also, what's to become of the IPAB in the upcoming congressional session?

24 Jan 2012

Power3, Amarantus sign license agreement for NuroPro Blood Test for Parkinson's

Amarantus BioSciences, Inc., a biotechnology company developing MANF, a first-in-class disease-modifying therapeutic protein being developed for the treatment of Parkinson's Disease, today announced an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Power3 Medical Products, Inc. for the NuroPro Blood Test as it relates to Parkinson's disease diagnosis.

24 Jan 2012

Scientists reveal structure of cellular protein degradation machinery

Defective proteins that are not disposed of by the body can cause diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) of Biochemistry recently succeeded in revealing the structure of the cellular protein degradation machinery (26S proteasome) by combining different methods of structural biology.

24 Jan 2012

Ryan says House GOP will again seek to revamp Medicare

Republicans in the House of Representatives will put forward a budget plan this year that will seek substantial reforms to health benefits for the elderly and make aggressive strides toward reducing deficits, a senior lawmaker said on Friday. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan said he wanted his budget plan to offer voters an alternative vision to the "cradle-to-grave welfare state" that he says Democratic President Barack Obama is promoting.

23 Jan 2012

Alexithymia associated with depression in de novo PD patients

Alexithymia has been found to be strongly associated with depression in both general and clinical populations. Alexithymic and depressive symptoms may be partially overlapping, but not all are correlated with depressive symptoms, thus underlining the relative independence of the two disorders. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a clinical condition often characterized by depression and an altered emotional processing. In medicated PD patients alexithymia has a prevalence of 21% and is related to depression.

23 Jan 2012

Cedars-Sinai's annual Brainworks program to take place on Feb. 13

Taking turns gazing into a surgical microscope, 130 seventh- and eighth-graders from Los Angeles area schools will see a phantom skull and perform virtual surgery - and many could catch a glimpse of the future.

20 Jan 2012