Horse tranquilliser trial is awarded $750,000 grant for Parkinson’s research

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 26 July 2018

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, US, will be trialling ketamine – a recreational drug previously used to medicate people with depression – as a treatment for Parkinson’s.

The research – led by Dr Scott Sherman – is being supported with a three-year grant of $750,000 from the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission.

The initial clinical trial will test the effect of ketamine for treating dyskinesia in 10 patients. In addition, the researchers will carry out a separate rodent study to examine how the drug affects the brain.

Dr Scott Sherman, a neurologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, said: “Ketamine has been long overlooked. Now it could prove very useful for Parkinson’s patients.”

For information on the latest Parkinson’s research please visit the European Parkinson’s Disease Association website.

For more information on this article click here.

Last Month

Next Month

Go Back

Share this story

Comments

Global update

Three Parkinson’s books to watch out for in 2020

We handpick the most anticipated Parkinson’s reads this year

Parkinson’s drugs may lead to compulsive behaviours such as gambling

The study tested 411 people over a three year period

Sex and young onset Parkinson’s

Coping with the impact of Parkinson’s on sexuality at a younger age

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

A wearable device has been developed to monitor Parkinson’s tremors and their severity through the tracking of body movements. The device – Tremor Tracker – was created by two students, Julie Gaudin and Elizabeth Hummel, at Louisiana Tech University, US, as part of a design class project. The students designed an algorithm using data recorded from volunteer participants at Rock Steady, a boxing programme for people with Parkinson’s. They then applied the algorithm to a GENEActiv, a wrist-worn device that has been scientifically validated for clinical research. Hummel, co-creator of the Tremor Tracker, said: “Through supervised machine learning, the device predicts whether a patient’s tremors are parkinsonian or non-parkinsonian, as well as the severity of these tremors. A quantitative analysis of parkinsonian tremors provides a more detailed disease state.”

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

Reawakening dormant neurons could help reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms, researchers in South Korea have found. While Parkinson’s is typically believed to be caused by neuronal death, a new study – published in ‘Current Biology’ journal – suggests that dormant neurons could be another cause. After completing an animal test – which treated the subjects with two compounds that block dopamine-producing neurons from becoming dormant – the researchers found these neurons to be “awakened”, allowing them to resume dopamine production. The researchers hope that this will lead to a disease-modifying treatment, especially for people in the early stages of Parkinson’s. Hoon Ryu, a senior author of the study and researcher at KIST Brain Science Institute, South Korea, said: “This research refutes the common belief that there is no disease-modifying treatment for Parkinson’s due to its basis on neuronal cell death.”

Parkinson’s could be present from birth, study finds

Parkinson’s may be present from birth in younger people with the condition, new research has found. The study – conducted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, US, and published in ‘Nature Medicine’ journal – used induced stem cells from people with young-onset Parkinson’s, to grow dopamine-producing neurons and observe them for early warning signs of the condition. An abnormal pile-up of protein was found during the neurons’ development, including alpha-synuclein; which occurs in Parkinson’s. The scientists conjecture that Parkinson’s symptoms appear when the pile-up continues over 20 or 30 years. The team also found that the drug PEP005 – currently used against skin precancers – could help treat the condition. Michele Tagliati, vice chair and professor at Cedars-Sinai’s Department of Neurology and the study’s co-author, said: “This exciting new research provides hope that one day we may be able to detect and take early action to prevent this disease in at-risk individuals.”…

All fields required

First name*
Last name*
Email address*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Country of residence*
About me*
- I have Parkinson's disease
- I am a partner / carer / family / friend of someone who has Parkinson's
- I am a healthcare professional with an interest in Parkinson's
- I work for a Parkinson's disease organisation
- Other
CAPTCHA
*
- By proceeding you agree to our
Phone
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Horse tranquilliser trial is awarded $750,000 grant for Parkinson’s research

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 26 July 2018

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Global update

Three Parkinson’s books to watch out for in 2020

Special reports

Parkinson’s drugs may lead to compulsive behaviours such as gambling

Health & Fitness

Sex and young onset Parkinson’s

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

Parkinson’s could be present from birth, study finds

{title}

Subscribe

Horse tranquilliser trial is awarded $750,000 grant for Parkinson’s research

News

Author: Simge Eva DoganPublished: 26 July 2018

Prep: Cook: Serves:

Last Month

Next Month

Share this story

Comments

Related articles

Global update

Three Parkinson’s books to watch out for in 2020

Special reports

Parkinson’s drugs may lead to compulsive behaviours such as gambling

Health & Fitness

Sex and young onset Parkinson’s

Students develop wearable device to track Parkinson’s tremors

Can awakening dormant neurons reverse Parkinson’s motor symptoms?

Parkinson’s could be present from birth, study finds

{title}

Subscribe

Sign in