One of the great mysteries of neuroscience may finally have an answer: Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine have identified a potential explanation for the mysterious death of specific brain cells seen in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. The new research suggests that the cells may die because of naturally occurring...
Tag: <span>parkinsons</span>
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How coffee might protect against Parkinson’s
Coffee is thought to protect the brain against Parkinson’s disease. A recent study investigates which compounds might give coffee its neuroprotective powers. The findings may eventually lead to innovative new treatments. Image: Understanding how coffee protects the brain could give Parkinson’s drug discovery a boost. More than 60,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the United States...
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Improved stem cell approach could aid fight against Parkinson’s
Scientists have taken a key step towards improving an emerging class of treatments for Parkinson’s disease. The advance could markedly improve a next generation of therapies for the condition, which affects around one in 350 people in the UK. It could aid development of the promising treatment – known as cell replacement therapy – which...
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New Study Explains How Coffee Protects The Brain From Disease
Can coffee protect drinkers from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s? A new study finds an evidence that certain types of coffee could prevent mental decline later in life. Plenty has been said about the benefits and risks of coffee, a common beverage that a large portion of the population consumes on a regular basis. In the United...
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23andMe’s Pharmacogenetic Test Approved by FDA
The FDA has just approved 23andMe’s Personal Genomic Service (PGS) Pharmacogenetic Reports. This marks the first direct-to-consumer test for pharmacogenetics of enzyme variants that may affect the way patients break down medications. Consumers collect their saliva into 23andMe’s testing kit, mail it to the company’s labs, and then receive the results via an online portal....
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Scientists overturn odds to make Parkinson’s discovery
Immunohistochemistry for alpha-synuclein showing positive staining (brown) of an intraneural Lewy-body in the Substantia nigra in Parkinson’s disease. Scientists at the University of Dundee have confirmed that a key cellular pathway that protects the brain from damage is disrupted in Parkinson’s patients, raising the possibility of new treatments for the disease. Credit: Wikipedia Parkinson’s is...
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Drinking coffee may reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s
A new study out of the Krembil Brain Institute, part of the Krembil Research Institute, suggests there could be more to that morning jolt of goodness than a boost in energy and attention. Drinking coffee may also protect you against developing both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. “Coffee consumption does seem to have some correlation to...
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It started as a ‘weird idea,’ but a new study shows the appendix can initiate Parkinson’s
Asquishy, 4-inch gut organ whose function has baffled anatomists for centuries is about to have its moment of fame: The lowly appendix, scientists reported in a study on Wednesday, can initiate Parkinson’s disease. It does so, they suspect, by serving as a reservoir of misfolded, clumping, neurotoxic proteins that travel to the brainstem via the vagus nerve, which runs from the gut...
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Cooling ‘brains on fire’ to treat Parkinson’s
A promising new therapy to stop Parkinson’s disease in its tracks has been developed at The University of Queensland. UQ Faculty of Medicine researcher Associate Professor Trent Woodruff said the team found that a small molecule, MCC950, stopped the development of Parkinson’s in several animal models. The NLRP3 inflammasome (green) is expressed by immune cells...
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Physiotherapy works: Parkinson’s
Physiotherapy, delivered as part of a multidisciplinary approach, provides physical and psycho-social benefits for people with Parkinson’s. What is Parkinson’s? Parkinson’s is a progressive neurological condition characterized by motor and non-motor problems. The main changes arise from brain dysfunction through reduced production of chemical messengers particularly the neurotransmitter dopamine. The three main motor (movement) symptoms are bradykinesia (slowness), rigidity (stiffness) and tremor. Diagnosis is usually based on clinical examination. People...