Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Discovery of protein key to neuro-regeneration

Researchers at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England, University College London, the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan and Cancer Research UK, have for the first time identified a protein that is key to the regeneration of damage in the peripheral nervous system and which could with further research lead to understanding diseases of our peripheral nervous systems and provide clues to methods of repairing damage in the central nervous system, according to a paper published this week in the Journal of Cell Biology.

20 May 2008

FDA approves first generic versions of Requip (ropinirole hydrochloride)

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first generic versions of Requip (ropinirole hydrochloride) tablets for the treatment of moderate to severe Restless Legs Syndrome.

9 May 2008

New guidelines say botulinum toxin effective for many neurological disorders, but not headache

New guidelines developed by the American Academy of Neurology confirm that the drug botulinum toxin is safe and effective for treating a variety of neurological conditions. Surprisingly, the drug may not be effective for chronic headaches, accrding to Allison Brashear, M.D., professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, who helped develop the guidelines.

9 May 2008

Prana Biotechnology has discovered novel drug candidates for use in Parkinson's disease

Prana Biotechnology Limited has announced that it has identified novel therapeutic drug candidates from its Parkinson's disease program. Already, a lead candidate drug has demonstrated positive effects in pre-clinical studies, protecting the brain from damage to the substantia nigra, the area of the brain affected in Parkinson's disease.

6 May 2008

FDA needs additional $225 million, new authority to inspect foreign facilities to protect U.S. residents from unsafe prescription drug imports, agency officials say

FDA officials on Tuesday said the agency would need at least $225 million in additional funding annually, along with other authoritative powers, to adequately inspect the safety of imported drug products, the Baltimore Sun reports.

30 Apr 2008

Deep brain stimulation may help people with treatment resistant major depression

Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic, Brown University, and Massachusetts General Hospital will present results of a long-term outcome study that builds on previous promising research, which has shown that deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a potentially effective treatment option for people with treatment resistant major depression.

29 Apr 2008

Cell-based therapy shows promise in patients with Parkinson's disease

Rush University Medical Center neurosurgeon Dr. Roy A. E. Bakay and colleagues from Emory University, Atlanta found the therapy Spheramine was well-tolerated and patients experienced improvement in Parkinsonian symptoms (tremor, rigidity, slowness of movements, and impaired balance and coordination.)

28 Apr 2008

Scientists discover way to increase metabolism for weight loss

Scientists from Melbourne's Howard Florey Institute have discovered a way to aid weight loss and reduce the likelihood of developing diabetes by manipulating fat cells to increase the body's metabolism.

28 Apr 2008

Scientists explore brain's reaction to potent hallucinogen

Brain-imaging studies performed in animals at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory provide researchers with clues about why an increasingly popular recreational drug that causes hallucinations and motor-function impairment in humans is abused.

28 Apr 2008

New insight into how the nervous system processes sensory information

The Stowers Institute's Yu Lab has published the results of large-scale imaging experiments examining how social signals are represented in the sensory system.

24 Apr 2008

New insights into how the brain processes social, economic reward

Researchers have mapped the brain regions that process social standing and money rewards, yielding new insights that they said will aid understanding of the basis of social behaviors.

23 Apr 2008

Parkinson's disease linked to exposure to pesticides

Recent research suggests a possible link between exposure to pesticides and the development of Parkinson's disease (PD).

21 Apr 2008

Dopamine agonists reduce motor complications in Parkinson's disease, but increase other side-effects

Dopamine agonists are increasingly used to treat people with Parkinson's disease, but there is a debate about how well they work.

17 Apr 2008

Breastfeeding during anti-epilepsy drug treatment does not appear to harm a child's cognitive development

A first of its kind study finds breastfeeding while taking certain seizure medications does not appear to harm a child's cognitive development. The research will be presented at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12-19, 2008.

17 Apr 2008

New insights on early Parkinson's provided by advanced MRI

Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the brain affecting movement, speech, mood, behavior, thinking and sensation for which there is no known cause or cure.

17 Apr 2008

Heavy drinkers and smokers develop Alzheimer's earlier

Heavy drinkers and heavy smokers develop Alzheimer's disease years earlier than people with Alzheimer's who do not drink or smoke heavily, according to research that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12-19, 2008.

17 Apr 2008

Elevated levels of antioxidant urate may slow Parkinson's progression

Naturally elevated levels of the antioxidant urate may slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in men. Researchers from the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease (MGH-MIND) and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) examined data from an earlier study and found that, among recently diagnosed Parkinson's patients, those with the highest urate levels had a significantly slower rate of disease progression during the two-year study period.

15 Apr 2008

Blood urate levels associated with the progression of Parkinson's disease

Higher blood levels of the compound urate, a salt derived from uric acid that is associated with gout, may be associated with a slower progression of Parkinson's disease, according to an article posted online today that will appear in the June 2008 print issue of Archives of Neurology.

15 Apr 2008

Tissues derived from embryonic stem could help to overcome immune rejection problems

Tissues derived from embryonic stem (ES) cells could help to pacify the immune system and so prevent recipients from rejecting them, the UK National Stem Cell Network Science Meeting heard last week.

13 Apr 2008

Parkinson transplants survive at least 16 years

Transplanted cells can survive in the brain for over one and half decade. However, some of the transplanted cells developed Parkinson-like features which is very surprising.

9 Apr 2008

Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Discovery of protein key to neuro-regeneration

FDA approves first generic versions of Requip (ropinirole hydrochloride)

New guidelines say botulinum toxin effective for many neurological disorders, but not headache

Prana Biotechnology has discovered novel drug candidates for use in Parkinson's disease

FDA needs additional $225 million, new authority to inspect foreign facilities to protect U.S. residents from unsafe prescription drug imports, agency officials say

Deep brain stimulation may help people with treatment resistant major depression

Cell-based therapy shows promise in patients with Parkinson's disease

Scientists discover way to increase metabolism for weight loss

Scientists explore brain's reaction to potent hallucinogen

New insight into how the nervous system processes sensory information

New insights into how the brain processes social, economic reward

Parkinson's disease linked to exposure to pesticides

Dopamine agonists reduce motor complications in Parkinson's disease, but increase other side-effects

Breastfeeding during anti-epilepsy drug treatment does not appear to harm a child's cognitive development

New insights on early Parkinson's provided by advanced MRI

Heavy drinkers and smokers develop Alzheimer's earlier

Elevated levels of antioxidant urate may slow Parkinson's progression

Blood urate levels associated with the progression of Parkinson's disease

Tissues derived from embryonic stem could help to overcome immune rejection problems

Parkinson transplants survive at least 16 years

eBook: Advancing neurodegenerative research with iPSC-derived microglia models eBook

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

Exploring the Future of Neuroscience Drug Discovery

Genomic conservation in Thailand's mangroves

Parkinson's Disease News and Research

Latest Parkinson's Disease News and Research

eBook: Advancing neurodegenerative research with iPSC-derived microglia models eBook

Precision in every drop: Inside Hamilton’s syringe technology

Exploring the Future of Neuroscience Drug Discovery

Genomic conservation in Thailand's mangroves

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